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The protracted lockdown in South Africa resulted in the Department of Home Affairs (“DHA”) offering limited emergency services. South African citizens and permanent residents seeking Civic Services such as unabridged birth and marriage certificates were left frustrated as existing applications were indefinitely delayed.

Visas Expiring During Covid-19 in SA.

Xpatweb conducted a survey during the peak of COVID-19 Restrictions in South Africa. The Work Visa Risk Impact survey gave a sense of how the lockdown is impacting expat workers within South Africa, as well as new assignees who were due to enter South Africa to commence project requirements.

Despite the easing of lockdown measures worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on most industries, none more so than travel and tourism. Furthermore, the international travel ban has halted businesses travelling to African countries for potential partnerships and meetings with stakeholders, with these businesses often being small and medium enterprises.

The 2019/20 Critical Skills Survey specifically tracked the impact of immigration across various sectors within South Africa’s economy.

Xpatweb recently conducted an extensive Africa Permit Risk Survey on 70 multinational employers across Africa to understand the impact of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 on their projects and employees. Survey results show that 44% of respondents urgently require employees who cannot return to job sites due to travel restrictions, and 31% of these expatriates’ passports have expired.