Foreign News
South Africa’s e-visa Procurement Portal now Operational – Official
The South Africa Tourism (SAT) says the country’s e-visa procurement portal has begun operations.
Nomasonto Ndlovu, Chief Operating Officer, SAT, said this on Thursday during the country’s roadshow programme held in Lagos.
Ndlovu said that applicants could submit their documents via the e-visa procurement portal, www.dha.gov.za, for processing and acquisition of their visas.
According to her, the initial cumbersome process of visa procurement which takes months, now requires few days.
“We are very excited that finally there is a solution to our visa procurement system, our problem of inability to process visas faster is now over.
“The portal is now working, there is no need to be travelling around to acquire our visa again, this time, applicants are to upload their documents for application while they wait a few days to get their visas.
“The e-visa link will be sent to our trade partners for ease of doing business, it is indeed a big win for us,” she said.
Ndlovu said that SAT was excited with the development because it would also fast-track the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
She noted that the e-visa procurement portal was one of the strategies designed by the country to ensure full recovery from the losses accrued in the era of COVID-19.
She said that the visa application backlog which was due to the lockdown ocassioned by COVID-19 would be attended to in earnest.
Ndlovu said that 23 South African tourism companies, including tour operators, hoteliers and more were brought to Nigeria to expose them to the Nigerian tourism market.
She said the whole essence of this was to give these companies market access to transform South African tourism industry.
“We have brought in South African travel operators to link up with the Nigerian tour operators to do business together and grow the industry.
“This is also good for Nigerian tour operators who want to take tourists to South Africa, they will be knowledgeable enough to sell the destination.
“Nigerian market and West African market are very important to us in trying to recover from COVID-19 pandemic, it is an opportunity to promote Intra-Africa travels and trade.
“The essence of this meeting is to signal the importance of Nigerian market to SAT and to signal our commitment to this market,” she said.
Ndlovu noted that SAT was interested in collaborations with intending corporate partners who are out to explore South Africa as a destination for leisure, holiday, business, meeting, conferences and more.
“We are open to business, looking for corporate partners with innovative ideas to move SAT forward,” she said.
Earlier, Thekiso Rakolojane, Regional Head, West Africa, SAT, explained the processes on the e-visa platform to apply for visas. (NAN)
China on Friday congratulated the newly elected Pope Leo XIV and expressed hope for a “steady” improvement in relations with the Vatican.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian stated this while speaking with reporters in the Chinese capital.
According to Lin, he hopes that under the new Pope’s leadership, the Vatican will continue dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, deepen communication on international issues of mutual concern.
He also expressed hope that they would continue to work together to steadily advance China-Vatican relations, while contributing to global peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
The Vatican on Tuesday announced that American Cardinal Robert Prevost had been elected as the new Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.
He is the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.
In 2024, Beijing had extended a provisional agreement with the Holy See by four years regarding the appointment of bishops.
The agreement which allows both sides to have a role in selecting bishops for China’s Catholic community, which numbers around 12 million in the world’s second most populous countr. (AA/NAN)
The Vatican on Friday announced that Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration will take place on May 18 with a mass in St. Peter’s Square, following his election to succeed Pope Francis.
The ceremony is to take place at 10a.m (0800 GMT) May 18 at the Vatican.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first U.
S. pontiff on Thursday after white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel following four rounds of voting in the papal conclave.The new pope is set to keep Francis’ top employees in the Vatican in place for the time being, the Holy See said.
The first of his weekly general audiences is planned for May 21. (dpa/NAN)
The election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, has ignited pride and celebration at St. Rita of Cascia High School, where the new pope once served as a teacher.
The 69-year-old Augustinian cardinal’s historic rise as the first American pope was met with elation across his former school community.
Students and faculty remembered him not just as a religious leader but as a humble and compassionate mentor.
Leo was born in Chicago and graduated with a degree in mathematics from the University of Villanova in Pennsylvania in 1977.
He also studied religion at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
In 1982, he received a doctorate in church law from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome before being sent to serve in a Catholic mission in Peru.
In 2023, he became prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key Catholic administrative body, based in Rome
He succeeds Pope Francis who died on April 21. The late pontiff made Prevost a cardinal in September 2023.(AA/NAN)(www.nanne
The election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, has ignited pride and celebration at St. Rita of Cascia High School, where the new pope once served as a teacher.
The 69-year-old Augustinian cardinal’s historic rise as the first American pope was met with elation across his former school community.
Students and faculty remembered him not just as a religious leader but as a humble and compassionate mentor.
Leo was born in Chicago and graduated with a degree in mathematics from the University of Villanova in Pennsylvania in 1977.
He also studied religion at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
In 1982, he received a doctorate in church law from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome before being sent to serve in a Catholic mission in Peru.
In 2023, he became prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key Catholic administrative body, based in Rome
He succeeds Pope Francis who died on April 21. The late pontiff made Prevost a cardinal in September 2023.(AA/NAN)
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