The Presidency has clarified a misunderstanding on Nigerian citizens being eligible to apply for a visa to enter South Africa without a passport, explaining that applicants would be required to submit a certified copy instead.
President Cyril Ramaphosa gave opening remarks at the SA-Nigeria binational commission on Tuesday about the simplified visa process for Nigerian nationals.
This after he expressed his desire to see more Nigerian products on South African shelves and, to facilitate this, Ramaphosa said qualifying Nigerian businesses would be granted a five-year, multiple-entry visa to make trade easier.
In addition, Nigerian tourists would now be able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport, Ramaphosa said.
While his remarks sparked outrage on social media, with some calling for Ramaphosa’s removal, the Presidency said there seemed to be a misunderstanding of Ramaphosa’s remarks.