3rd December, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Nigerian tourists could now apply for a visa without the need to submit a passport.
Ramaphosa made the announcement on Tuesday during the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, which was attended by President Bola Tinubu.
He explained that South Africa had simplified its visa processes to make travel easier for Nigerian business people and tourists, introducing measures such as five-year multiple-entry visas.
“Our efforts to create a favourable environment included simplifying the visa process for Nigerian business people travelling to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian business people were granted a five-year multiple-entry visa,” he said.
The President also reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to removing barriers to increased investment and addressing the challenges faced by companies in both nations.
“As we marked 30 years of diplomatic relations, we saw a bright future for our relationship. Our strong bonds of friendship provided a solid foundation for more meaningful economic cooperation,” Ramaphosa said.
He noted that Nigeria hosted a number of South African companies, and that South Africa had always welcomed Nigerian businesses, as reflected in the investments and operations established in the country. However, he added that more needed to be done.
“We needed to remove the remaining constraints to greater investment and address some of the challenges faced by companies,” he said.
Ramaphosa also acknowledged the Nigerian government’s reforms aimed at strengthening and fostering a business environment that offers greater security to investors, including those from South Africa.
“Our government continued its efforts to improve the ease of doing business in South Africa. We wanted to enable investors to operate, trade, and pursue opportunities across various sectors,” he added.
“We looked forward to seeing more Nigerian companies invest in South Africa,” he added.
The South African leader also expressed that Africa’s development and the challenges facing countries in the Global South would be prominently featured on the G20 agenda.
“It was the first time the G20 Leaders’ Summit would be held on African soil. We sought to galvanise support for the AU’s Agenda 2063 as we pursued an inclusive global agenda,” he said.
He stated that in shaping global discourse, programs should be tailored to ensure that no one in society was left behind.
