South Africa, Kenya to review tough Visa rules

Kenya and South Africa are considering reviewing a tit-for-tat Visa requirement that has sparked a diplomatic row between the two nations.

Kenya will from September 1, this year introduce a new travel rule requiring South African passport holders to apply for a visa prior to traveling or transiting through Kenya.

Before this new rule, South African passport holders were exempted from visa requirements if traveling for 30 days or less. Under the new guidelines, South Africans are required to pay R750 (Sh7500) as visa fees. Kenyan authorities would also stop issuing visas to South Africans on arrival to her territories.

Kenyans were required to have a visa prior to traveling to South Africa, which does not issue visas on arrival at the country.

Kenya could have introduced the new regulations to retaliate South Africa's terms. South Africa had outsourced the processing of visa applications from Kenya to a company called VFS Global with decisions on some applications taking up to seven days in some instances.

The new requirement has hit the tourism sector and other businesses with airlines such as Kenya Airways and South African Airways raising alarm over the impact of this rule on passengers. Under the new visa rules issued by Kenya, the only way South African applicants for visa will be considered is by availing themselves at the Kenya High Commission in Pretoria for biometric processing.

Given that there would be a five-day waiting period, the directive is likely to reduce the number of tourists coming to Kenya and other East African countries via Kenya. It is estimated that about 30,000 tourists came to Kenya from South Africa last year.

"It is an issue that has been raised by the business community as well as South African Airways and Kenya Airways," said South African High Commissioner to Kenya Ambassador Rutubasi Super Moloi, yesterday at a forum to promote closer relationship between Kenya and South Africa. The forum brought together Brand Kenya and Brand South Africa to seek ways of building stronger African brands.

The ambassador said the two governments have plans to review the visa controversy before the end of the year.

Brand Kenya chief executive Mary Kimonye said there is need for free movement of people throughout the continent to enable trade interactions.

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