Leon Schreiber during his swearing-in at Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3 July. (Gallo Images/Misha Jordaan)
Foreign tourists, students and visitors who have applied for visa extensions will be allowed to stay in the country until the end of this year, new Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced in his first official act as minister.
Schreiber, one of six DA ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new Cabinet, said the temporary extension to 31 December will safeguard applicants who applied for visa or permits extension from being declared undesirable and forced to leave the country. It will also allow the department to reduce its ongoing backlog in processing visa and permit applications and extensions.
In a post on X, Schreiber said the measure would help the economy.
South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we’re about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and inspire.
