SA promises visa to Indians in 7 days, direct airline services on cards

Kolkata: South African tourism inaugurated the last leg of their annual road show in the city on Thursday with an objective to double the number of Indian visitors to South Africa.

Speaking on the recent initiative taken by the department to simplify and reform the visa application process, Neliswa Nkani, the hub head of South African tourism, said: "In an effort to ease visa procedures, the department is working in collaboration with the Consulate of South Africa to fast-track visa applications and ensure a quick turnaround time of 5-7 days. We are taking less time than some of our competitors who take almost 30 days."

The decision came after Kolkata became the Indian city with the lowest turnout in terms of Indian visitors who visited the country last year. While Mumbai contributed to 45 percent to the overall Indian arrivals to South Africa, Delhi was at 17.4 percent, Chennai at 7.7 percent and Kolkata at 1.6 percent.

Last month, on his visit to India, South African tourism minister Derek Hanekom said the ministry was planning on rolling out an e-visa process to boost tourism.

Speaking on the issue, Neliswa Nkani said: "The tourism ministry is waiting for a signatory process between the governments of the two countries and so it is going to take a bit of time. But the South African government is working hard to facilitate the process of visa simplification."

The tourism board is also in talks with the Indian government to start a direct airline service from Mumbai or Delhi. "You can imagine surge in tourist number when direct flights are started. Preparatory talks are on to roll out the plan," Neliswa Nkani said.

The tourism board plans to promote new regions apart from iconic cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban and introduce new adventure activities such as Long Tom Toboggan rides, fatbike tours, and mountain boarding.