JOHANNESBURG – In a move that is expected to boost tourism, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced its second invitation to apply for a trusted tour operator scheme (TTO).
The department said tour operators who wish to apply will have 30 days to submit their application via a dedicated online portal that is accessible via the department's website.
Paper-based applications are not accepted.
The department said, as well as the initial intake, the application will be assessed by the inter-department team, which selects and selects successful participants using artificial intelligence tools.
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The first tourist visa application from China and India was processed through the scheme on February 12, 2025, said that requests to expand it have been flooded so that more tour operators can contribute to promoting tourism growth.
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The department said it was encouraged by a positive response. This confirms that major potential visa reforms will be retained to create more jobs by bringing more tourists to our coast.
In response to the interests presented to TTOS, Home Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber opened a second window for more tour operators to apply to participate in the scheme.
The department said additional upgrades have been made to the online platform that handles TTOS applications.
The invitation began on Friday (April 4, 2025), Minister Schreiber said:
“While future tourists from China and India have previously had to stand in long queues, submit paper applications and wait long enough to miss paper results, the digitization of this process through TTO means that even large group visa results will be issued within hours.”
Minister Schreiber added: “In the weeks since the TTO was launched, more than 2,000 tourists from China and India have come to our country because of the inefficiency of previous visas.
“What's even more encouraging is the trends in the applications we received.
“On the first day of operation on February 12th, 2025, 21 applications were received.
“Yesterday (April 3, 2025), this figure grew to 165 per day, showing no signs of slowing down.
“The intake of more operators will accelerate this growth even further. Home Affairs will provide a commitment to replacing manual, paper-based and secure visa systems with secure world-class digital infrastructure, driving economic growth.”
