South Africa moves to resume visas for Rwandan passport holders within 12 months

South Africa has started the technical work needed to resume issuing visas to Rwandans travelling on ordinary passports, its new High Commissioner to Rwanda, Tinyiko George Hlungwane, said. The move follows an agreement between the two countries' foreign ministers and would end restrictions that have been in place since 2014.

Key facts

• South Africa has begun technical arrangements to restore visa issuance to holders of ordinary Rwandan passports.
• Foreign ministers Olivier Nduhungirehe and Ronald Lamola agreed in Pretoria on 17 June to resume visa issuance within 12 months.
• South Africa's visa restrictions on ordinary Rwandan passport holders date back to 2014 and have affected students and businesspeople, among others.
• Applications are expected to run through South Africa's new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
• The Joint Commission of Cooperation is expected to meet in Kigali in 2027.

What is changing?

South Africa's restrictions on visas for ordinary Rwandan passport holders, introduced in 2014, are to be lifted. Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, agreed in Pretoria on 17 June to resume visa issuance within 12 months and to revive the Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC).

Hlungwane said the decision itself was settled. In his words, "The decision to lift the ban has been taken"; what remains is the technical work of setting up the processing system.

When will visas resume?

No firm start date has been announced. Hlungwane said the government hoped the system would be ready within the agreed 12-month period, and that an announcement would follow once testing showed it was working without issues — possibly in December, possibly in June. He added that if the system continued to face problems, an alternative arrangement would allow Rwandans to apply for visas within the same timeframe.

How will applications work?

The technical arrangements are being worked out alongside South Africa's new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, which is being tested in selected countries. The system is intended to let travellers complete visa-related procedures electronically, reducing the need to visit consular offices. Hlungwane said testing was going reasonably well and that the glitches arising from time to time were being dealt with.

What else was agreed?

Preparations for the Joint Commission of Cooperation have begun, with government departments expected to identify areas for cooperation. Business representatives will take part, and the South African High Commission is already engaging businesspeople who could attend. The commission is also expected to provide a forum for discussing legal and security concerns, with justice departments and security agencies involved. The two ministers still have to agree on dates before a firm schedule is set.

Hlungwane said the wider push to improve relations reflected a recognition that African countries need to work more closely together, including through the African Union, regional bodies and trade and investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said South Africa's decision to deploy a new high commissioner was itself a sign of commitment, after strained ties and the departure of the previous ambassador, Mandisi Bongani Mpahlwa, in 2024.

What this means for travellers

Rwandans holding ordinary passports — including students and businesspeople — currently cannot obtain South African visas, and the source gives no date from which they will be able to again. Travellers planning trips should watch for the official announcement on the ETA system before making arrangements.

The Joint Commission of Cooperation is expected to meet in Kigali in 2027, though the dates remain to be agreed by the two ministers.