THERE seems to be no
change to Nigerian visas
for South Africans, following
reports that the country
would introduce visas
on arrival for all African
travellers this month.
In December, President
Muhammadu Buhari
announced the change on
his official Twitter account
during the Aswan Forum
for Sustainable Peace and
Development in Egypt.
“Nigeria is committed
to supporting the free
movement of Africans within
Africa. In January 2020 we
will commence issuance of
visas at the point of entry
into Nigeria to all persons
holding passports of African
countries,” the tweet said.
However, visa companies
canvassed by TNW say
they have not received
official confirmation or
communication from
authorities.
TNW visited the Consulate
General in Johannesburg,
where we were given
a similar answer – no
change to visas had been
communicated or made.
In 2019 alone, Wings
Travel Management
booked about US$6m
(R85m) worth of travel into
Nigeria. The current visa
application process has
been relatively headachefree as the TMC uses a
reputable visa company,
says Luis Mata, Wings
Travel Management head of
business development, oil
and gas, sub-Saharan Africa.
“Sometimes there aren’t
visa stickers, and travellers
have to wait for a few
weeks. We hope that the
visa-on-arrival will eliminate
this.”
Not having to apply for a
visa at the consulate will
make things much easier,
says Luis. “However, agents
need to consider how
many trips will be taken
to Nigeria: will the singleentry visa suffice or will a
multiple-entry visa be more
economical? If someone
travels once every three
months the visa on arrival
will suffice.”
