The United Kingdom and South Africa’s business bond is set to grow as visas help smooth the way.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to build a truly global Britain, as the country leaves the European Union. One of the UK’s international relationships that are already thriving is that with SA.
Anirudh Pratap, Head of the UK and Europe at VFS Global –an outsourcing and technology services speacialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide – says that the economic relationship between the two countries is just as strong with £10 billion of trade, roughly evenly split between the two countries.
UK exports of goods and services have increased 25% over the last decade and SA’s exports to the UK have increased by over 5% on an annual basis over the same period.
“South Africa is the largest recipient of UK foreign direct investment in Africa, accounting for 30% of total UK foreign direct investment in 2014, worth £13.1 billion; 46% of South Africa’s global investment originates from the UK,” continues Pratap.
The UK remains a key market for SA, especially its agricultural exports, which account for over 20% of SA’s shipments of wine and 30% of its global fruit exports.
The UK is the largest destination in the EU for South African investment, accounting for 30% of its investments into Europe.
“These strong ties create a demand among South African organisations to employ UK citizens,” says Pratap.
While UK tourists do not require a visa for SA, business travellers do, mentions Pratap. The majority applying are British citizens requiring short- and long-term visas, and a wide range have been developed to suit all needs. This includes short-term work permits, with a variety of long-term visas available for those wanting to stay for more than three months in SA.
Pratap says there are also critical skills visas for those without a current job offer yet, who will be seeking employment based on their qualifications within a year of a visa being granted.
Other visas include intra-company transfer for those who are moving to South African branches of global firms, and volunteer visas where people come to work for NGOs or in the healthcare sector.
“Travel has been made easier between the two countries through improvements in the processing of visas. No one applying for a South African visa now needs to queue,” explains Pratap.
He continued: “In 2015, South Africa changed the requirement for visitors to apply for visas in person at South African embassies. Now, applicants can apply via application centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.”
Applicants can now opt for an SMS service, where an automated confirmation feedback message it sent directly to them during various stages of the visa cycle application, which has removed the need to chase the status of the application.
A VIP service is also available, offering assistance in completing forms and fast-tracking appointments.
There is also a service where travellers can collect their passport earlier than usual.
“Such services reflect the demands of today’s travellers, who want bespoke services to avoid paperwork and have their travel documents couriered to them at short notice. Where possible, they want to correspond via their smartphone or tablet. Improvements like these are ‘booster shots’ for trade, travel and tourism. Maintaining a smooth, responsive and personalised visa system is a vital condition for allowing the interchange of family, friends, tourists and business travellers between South Africa and the UK,” concludes Pratap.
