Two new visa application centres have opened in Chengdu and Guangzhou, China, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has confirmed.
This is a result of the new regulations that require visa applications to be made in person, creating a significant expense for those who do not live near a South African embassy or visa centre.
Four visa applications centres for South Africa are now open in China – the first two are in Beijing and Shanghai.
April tourism stats revealed that tourist arrivals from China had declined by 34% for the first four months of 2015 compared with the same period last year. The total overseas arrivals were also down by 11% year to date, while overseas arrivals for April were down 24% year on year.
