2025

Following his recent budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana outlined South Africa’s improving fiscal outlook and reform agenda to members of the German, Austrian and Swiss business chambers on 9 March 2026. Addressing various German multinational companies and stakeholders already invested in South Africa or considering expansion, he made the case that the country is entering a period of renewed economic momentum and creating valuable investment opportunities.

Paper-heavy services, ink-stained forms, and long queues when accessing government services are fast becoming a thing of the past. From IDs to matric certificates, and driver’s licences to Master’s Office services, South Africa is taking a technological leap in public services, with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) already blazing a digital trail in enhancing service delivery and security.

South Africa’s long-running visa concession, first introduced in 2022 to protect lawfully present foreign nationals from falling into undesired status while the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) addressed historic visa processing backlogs, is approaching its current deadline on 31 March 2026.

While South Africa welcomes international property buyers, securing a mortgage is controlled by strict Exchange Control Regulations rather than standard bank policy. The primary constraint is the “50% Borrowing Rule,” which mandates a 1:1 ratio: for every Rand borrowed, a non-resident must invest an equivalent amount of their own capital, effectively capping loans at 50% of the purchase price.

The release of the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) interim report on allegations of permit and visa irregularities and findings of malfeasance within the Department of Home Affairs is a defining moment for the integrity of South Africa’s immigration system.