Minister Schreiber Embraces Chinese Tourists through SA Visas Trusted Tour Operator Program

Cape Town – The inaugural group of Chinese travelers to benefit from South Africa’s new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) has landed in the country.

On Sunday, (23 February 2025), Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber expressed his pride in announcing the arrival of the first tourists to visit South Africa via the TTOS.

The Chinese visitors touched down at Cape Town International Airport at 20:30 on Saturday, (22 February 2025).

A welcoming delegation, including Minister Schreiber, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, and various tourism stakeholders, greeted them.

As the 15 members of the tour group entered the arrivals area, they were treated to the lively sounds of a South African band, creating a festive atmosphere.

Prior to their arrival, the flight crew on their journey to Cape Town had also extended a warm welcome.

The TTOS was established by Home Affairs to address the challenges faced by potential tourists when applying for visas.

Despite over 100 million travelers from China and India each year, South Africa previously attracted only a small fraction of these potential visitors.

In 2023, South Africa welcomed just 37,000 tourists from China and 79,000 from India.

“With the TTOS, approved tour operators can now submit group visa applications for travelers from China and India through a secure digital platform, receiving results digitally without the need for travel, long waits, or form-filling,” stated Home Affairs.

“Thanks to this embrace of digital transformation, the visas for the arriving tour group were processed securely in just six hours – a stark contrast to prior processing times that often led tourists to miss their flights.”

In the first week since the TTOS was implemented, the department reported issuing hundreds of additional visas to tour groups that might not have considered South Africa otherwise, with all results provided digitally within hours.

Minister Schreiber remarked: “This marks a critical moment for Home Affairs as we fulfill our commitment to becoming a catalyst for economic growth and job creation.

“In just a few months, we have accomplished our goal of using digital transformation to facilitate travel for large tour groups from China and India who previously faced visa challenges.”

He continued: “Research indicates that one new job is created for every twelve tourists who visit South Africa.

“Thus, the arrival of this first group of fifteen Chinese visitors also signifies the creation of the very first new job through the TTOS.

“This illustrates the real-world, tangible impact that our initiatives have on improving the lives of South Africans.

“I eagerly anticipate these numbers increasing significantly in the coming year as we enhance our efforts to leverage digital transformations for the tourism sector to generate new employment opportunities for the people of South Africa.”