The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has implemented a new policy for 2025. Hajj operators need to have a minimum of 500 pilgrims to be accredited. This is causing concern for the South African Hajj and Umrah travel industry.
According to a statement made by Hassan Choonara, Secretary General of The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC), the council has engaged the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and appealed this new requirement, which has been implemented across the globe for all operators facilitating Hajj.
Sedick Steenkamp, Director of Al Safir Tourism and Chairman of the South African Muslim Travel Operators Association, points out that the requirement may have a severe impact on the South African Hajj travel industry, as the country has a limited national quota of only 2 500 pilgrims.
“If operators do not have 500 pilgrims, then they cannot trade and send their pilgrims for Hajj… Whether there will be an increase in the national quota or further concessions, we don't know at this stage. However, this is catastrophic for Hajj operators in South Africa, in that we would only have a maximum of four or five companies operating if the 500 minimum quota of pilgrims per operator remains intact by the Ministry,” explains Steenkamp.
“Currently, we're expecting about 18 or so companies to apply for Hajj accreditation, but because of the scarcity of the quota and the minimum numbers, it's unrealistic. It's not possible for everybody to operate and so the travel fraternity has to put their heads together to see how we can solve this because it's killing their business.”
Steenkamp would like the South African government to intervene.
He points out that the Pakistani quota was changed after that government’s intervention. Pakistan has a national pilgrim quota of 172 000 people, whereas South Africa’s quota is 2 500 – very low for the number of Muslims that there are in this country.
In a meeting with SAHUC, operators were informed that the council has submitted appeals for both the increase of the national quota and to reduce the minimum pilgrim quota for Hajj operators to be accredited.
“That appeal has been made and we are waiting for the outcome of that. There's been no outcome on that as yet. Hopefully, we can get our South African government to intervene as well and see if they can assist. When there are government-to-government talks, it has a bigger impact than private companies talking to the Saudi Arabian government,” says Sedick.
The minimum pilgrim quota was 50 per operator until last year, when the Ministry pushed it up to 100 per operator. While a select few South African operators were able to achieve a quota of over 500 pilgrims last year, many remained well below the new quota.
Last year, 15 South African operators were accredited. Eventually, only eight traded, due to the minimum quota per operator of 100 pilgrims and because our national quota was only 2 500, explains Steenkamp.
“I'm appealing to the government to assist us because it affects the livelihood of Hajj operators and the staff working for them. If only 20% or 25% of our companies can operate, that really would close our businesses down for Hajj,” says Steenkamp.
SAHUC has confirmed that further information and a way forward for all Hajj operators to operate optimally will be discussed and deliberated in the upcoming weeks.
