south africa 10 year visa to nigeria
Durban, South Africa Pixabay

South Africa is improving its visa application process by issuing long-term visas of up to ten years to Nigerian businessmen.

The move is in line with the country's message that it is "open for business" and is working to ease the struggles that Nigerians face when trying to obtain a South African visa.

Bobby Moroe, the South African Consul General, announced at a roundtable with the Lagos business community, Monday, that the offer places South Africa ahead of other countries in Africa. Ntakuseni Lambani, head of immigration at the Consulate in the commercial capital, was also in attendance at the event.

"I am happy to announce to you that the government of South Africa has been reviewing its visa processes and a lot of improvements are being recorded. Today we can say that henceforth, we will be able to issue 10-year multiple entry visas to the business community in Nigeria," said Moroe, as reported by Business Day.

"It is expected that with the offer of long-term visas, the number of applications will drop, and this should in turn cut the turn-around time for visa application," he added.

The Consul General further insisted that the feedback on the recently introduced three-year visas has been positive.

South Africa is also offering Nigerians the opportunity to immigrate under the country's critical skill work visa. Those who work in South Africa for up to five years and meet all the requirements will then be allowed to apply for full residency status, Legit Reported.

Nigerians have been finding it extremely difficult to obtain a South African visa lately, with the application process becoming more like a bureaucratic nightmare. In many cases, by the time applicants finally hear back from the consulate, the purpose of the visit would have elapsed.

Also, business leaders have continuously voiced their opinions about the inhumane treatment they suffer while applying for South African visas. It is anticipated that the new offer will reduce the amount of pain and suffering caused by the process.