South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has introduced a landmark digital visa system designed to strengthen the country’s appeal as a leading destination for international film and creative projects. This is reported by the official website of the South African government. The initiative, first outlined earlier this year by the Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, marks the country’s most significant creative-sector visa reform to date. For the first time, a fully digital platform will handle applications from foreign film…

Gift of the Givers has criticised the Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority for the inhumane treatment of 153 Palestinian refugees who were held on a plane at OR Tambo International Airport for 13 hours on Thursday. The humanitarian organisation said the prolonged delay caused distress to children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable passengers. Chairman and founder Imtiaz Sooliman said the situation was unacceptable and called for an urgent investigation. “For 13 hours, these refugees were kept…

The Forum for Immigration Practitioners of South Africa (FIPSA) hosted its inaugural Immigration Indaba in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, marking a major milestone in national dialogue on immigration reform and economic growth. The event brought together government departments, investors, and immigration professionals to discuss how South Africa can modernise its immigration processes and align them with its digital transformation agenda. The Indaba, described as a premier platform for collaboration, was attended by representatives from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Department of…

The Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Agency (BMA) have announced the introduction of drones to monitor the country’s borders during the upcoming Easter long weekend where cross-border movement is expected to intensify. The department, and its agency tasked with managing South Africa’s ports of entries, also announced the introduction of body cameras for selected staff interacting with travellers. This was announced by Dr Leon Schreiber, the Minister for Home Affairs in Pretoria today, 10 April 2025. Schreiber…

ActionSA has become the latest political party to voice its displeasure against secessionist Phil Craig, the British born national who is leading the fight for the Western Cape to cede from the rest of South Africa.  The party’s Parliamentary Chief Whip, Lerato Ngobeni has written to Dr Leon Schrieber, the Minister of Home Affairs, urging him to reject an application for citizenship by Craig on the basis that he is causing disunity among South Africans. This was after Craig was…

The alleged scammers who fraudulently killed a 27-year-old University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) student to claim a funeral policy from Capitec Bank will not be prosecuted after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew the case and the docket was closed. The victim, Thandeka Majola was officially informed about this decision by the South African police Service (SAPS) through an SMS yesterday. “Message from SAPS.Investigation in CHATSWORTH ref nr CAS 672/1/2025 – Case has been withdrawn and the docket has been closed.…

A 27-year-old University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) student from Durban has had her life turned upside down after she was fraudulently declared dead to cash out a funeral policy with Capitec Bank. Thandeka Majola only discovered that she was a walking dead woman on December 27, 2023, when she tried to transfer money to her Capitec account.  When the transaction bounced, she went to her branch at Pinecrest in Pinetown to enquire about the matter.  When she got there, the bank…

The MEC for Economic Development and Finance in Gauteng, Lebogang Maile has set out the strict procedures to be followed by foreign nationals who want to register their spaza shops in the province. Maile said the Home Affairs guidelines are clear on the matter. He was announcing the guidelines to be followed after some Soweto residents blocked foreign nationals from registering their spaza shops, claiming that they are not eligible. Among the requirements Maile listed is that the foreign national…

As Limpopo school children are admitted to hospital for food poisoning, lobby group the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa has called on South Africa’s intelligence community to get to the bottom of the crisis that has left scores of learners either killed or hospitalised.  The foundation’s Deputy Chairperson, Hendrick Makaneta, has taken a jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government, accusing it of being reactive to national crises.  This included matters of national importance, such as the food poisoning…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has ramped up his efforts to combat corruption by granting the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) the authority to investigate significant claims of mismanagement and illegal activities at two important state entities, the Department of Home Affairs and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Proclamation 154 of 2024 gives the SIU extensive authority to probe various suspected irregularities at Home Affairs, including dodgy visas, citizenship rights, and the firewalls scandal. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said an…