South Africa fast-tracks Indian visa process with TTO Scheme; sets 100K arrivals goal for 2025
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South Africa is witnessing a strong rebound in Indian arrivals, reaching 80% of pre-pandemic levels with over 75,000 visitors in 2024. Aiming to increase the number, South Africa govt. has now introduced the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), where the accredited travel operators can directly process visa applications, reducing turnaround time to a maximum commitment of three days. Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australia, and Middle East, South African Tourism shares more with T3.
South Africa has made significant progress in recovering its Indian inbound tourism numbers post-pandemic, reaching almost 80% of pre-Covid numbers. In 2024, the country has already welcomed approximately 75,000 Indian travellers, reaching nearly 80% of pre-COVID levels when arrivals stood at around 100,000. “India has outperformed many Asian and Pacific markets in terms of recovery, underlining the market's resilience and potential. Our aim is to close this calendar year with 1,00,000 Indian tourist arrivals,” said Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australia, and Middle East, South African Tourism.
He shared that out of all the major revenue generating markets including US being on top, India currently ranks as the fifth-largest source market for South African tourism, with substantial potential for growth.
Out of the total 75,541 Indian tourists who visited South Africa last year, about 22.6% were from New Delhi, reaffirming the capital’s strong outbound potential. 77% of New Delhi travellers to South Africa showed a strong interest in shopping, while 21% were drawn to adventure activities. Bollywood and cricket—two of India’s greatest passions—continue to be at the core of our strategic outreach.
Recognising these demographics, South African Tourism strategically engaged New Delhi’s travel trade community through its annual roadshow and further strengthen the destination’s appeal in the market. Notably, the roadshow will now further move to Chennai and Mumbai.
TTOS: A leap towards ‘ease of visa’
India's outbound travel market is massive, with nearly 40 million Indians travelling internationally each year. However, South Africa currently attracts only a fraction of this number, signalling room for significant growth. For years, obtaining a South African visa was a time-consuming process, often taking up to 20 days due to backlogs at embassies. The requirement to submit multiple documents further complicated the procedure. However, South African government has now introduced the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), where the accredited travel operators can now directly process visa applications, reducing turnaround time to as little as 24 hours, with a maximum commitment of three days.
“Under the revised process, the number of required documents has been cut down from 8-10 to just four—passport, flight tickets, hotel bookings, and proof of funds. This significant reduction aims to eliminate administrative bottlenecks and encourage more Indian travellers, particularly those traveling for leisure, business, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) purposes,” Mancotywa told T3, adding that South Africa has seen a growing influx of Indian incentive travellers, and the new visa scheme is expected to further boost this segment.
The South African Department of Home Affairs, which conducted a rigorous registration process to shortlist the agents, is actively expanding TTOS in India with second phase expected to initiate soon. Initially, 65 tour operators, including 14 from India, were appointed under the scheme, shared Mancotywa. The first phase faced some administrative hurdles, which have since been resolved, paving the way for an expanded second phase.
“South African Tourism is also leveraging its annual travel trade event, INDABA, to train and certify more Indian tour operators under TTOS. Approximately 30-35 Indian operators will be participating in INDABA this year, where they will receive hands-on training on the scheme. Those not yet part of TTOS will have an opportunity to enroll and benefit from the programme,” he added.
The response for the scheme in China has also been strong. So far, 25 tour operators have been accredited under TTOS. China, says Mancotywa, is a big market, and SA Tourism plans to scale the efforts there, similar to India.
In addition to TTOS, South Africa had introduced an electronic travel authorisation system for Indian travellers, enabling online visa applications with approvals in just a few days.
Beyond these initiatives, South African Tourism continues the ongoing trade engagement with Indian travel operators. The popular ‘Learn SA’ program, which educates Indian agents about South Africa as a destination, will be back this year as well, marking its 11th edition.
Connectivity: The next big step
“Boosting air connectivity remains a key priority in driving higher arrivals from India to South Africa,” said Mancotywa, highlighting that while visa reforms are a major step forward, improving air access remains a critical factor in driving more Indian arrivals.
South African Tourism has been collaborating with Ethiopian Airlines on discounted fares and promotional campaigns to encourage travel. Additionally, for the first time, South African Airways participated in the Indian city roadshows to conduct market intelligence. Mancotywa informed that the South African Airways is exploring codeshare agreements with Indian airlines and is actively engaging with the Indian trade fraternity to assess the feasibility of direct flights between India and South Africa
“Although no official commitments have been made yet, these discussions mark a positive step toward improved connectivity,” he said.
Notably, South Africa is set to take over the G20 Presidency in 2025, with tourism playing a crucial role in strengthening global travel partnerships, including those with India.