Nigeria’s $72.1 billion trumps SA’s $447 million trade volume, simplifies visa processes

South Africa has simplified visa processes for Nigerians wishing to visit the country by cutting visa application delays and the former policy that keeps applicants’ travel passports for more than six months before approval or rejection.

The new arrangement for visa application and collection is now seven days with the option for applicants to only attach the photocopies of their travel passports to their applications and travel to other destinations while waiting for a call to bring in the same document for visa when they are back from their trips.

Moroe

Consul-General of South Africa to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe disclosed to journalists at the July Breakfast Meeting sponsored by South Africa Airways with the theme, “Diplomatic Relations Between South Africa and Nigeria-Prospects and Challenges’, held in Lagos on Thursday.

Moroe further disclosed that according to 2022 statistics, the trade volume was in favour of Nigeria which is put at $72.1 billion while that of South Africa stood at $447 million, explaining rubber, petroleum, as well as crude oil, accounted for the $72.1 billion trade volume in favour of Nigeria.

The envoy said magnetic rubber stoppers, a sophisticated gadget used in industries for protecting water spillages among others accounted for the $447 million trade benefits to South Africa.

His words, “But you also have exportation of pears and apples which accounts for $43.2 million. That’s why we say the consumption of apples and pears in Nigeria is very high. Considering the population of Nigeria and South Africa, it makes sense that the trade balance is in your favour but I think more can be done especially in increasing the number of Nigerian companies in South Africa.”

On the visa hiccup hitherto faced by Nigeria, Moroe said the Rainbow nation equally made provision for business people with five-year long-term visas, which is the country’s first of its kind in the history of visa policy.

“We have simplified visa processes. I have outlined all the processes that we have done so far. We had an immigration forum last year. We brought together all the relevant stakeholders and people spoke and raised concerns and we listened.”

“For the past year, we have started working on some mechanisms to make it easier for people to receive their visas. Firstly, our turnaround has been cut short. In the past people complained that we were keeping their passports for too long. Our turnaround time now is a maximum of seven to eight days. But you also have an option. If you’ll be travelling to the United Kingdom or any part of the world and you also want to apply for a visa, you are no longer constrained.”

“You can use your data page, certify it, put it into the package of application, submit that application and then off you go to the U.K. and once your visa is ready, we send you an SMS. You might be sitting somewhere in the UK or Dubai and we send you a message that your visa is ready when you return home, you’ll get your visa”.

“We focus on the issuance of visas for South Africa. Every country has its immigration laws. If you are travelling to Zimbabwe and Namibia via South Africa, we can only assist you with your passage via South Africa. When it comes to South African nationals, they do not necessarily require visas to certain regions. The same way West African nationals, you use your ECOWAS passport but you must be in that particular country for a period not exceeding 90 days”, he added.

Wole Shadare