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Visitor visa — prescribed activity over 90 days

South AfricaCulture, faith and volunteering

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in South Africa Read the five questions ↓

What exact activity, role or purpose qualifies?

Under regulation 11(4) as substituted with effect from 1 December 2018, the prescribed activities for a visitor's visa under section 11(1)(b)(iv) are: (a) work conducted for a foreign employer under a contract that partially requires activities in the Republic, relating to teaching at an international school; films and advertisements produced in South Africa (e.g. actor, cameraman, hairstylist, make-up artist, lighting and sound engineer); a foreign journalist seconded by a foreign news agency; a visiting professor, lecturer or academic researcher; an artist who wishes to write, paint or sculpt (with a portfolio of previous work); a person in the entertainment industry travelling through the Republic to perform; a tour leader or host; or a religious leader of a recognised religious organisation or denomination; (b) accompanying the holder of a visa under section 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 22 as that holder's spouse or child; and (c) testifying as a state witness in a criminal case, on application initiated by the relevant Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

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What organisation, institution, religious body, charity, teacher or host must support the activity?

The Regulations set no general institutional-host rule; each of the nine activities instead rests on a contract with a specific foreign employer. Two name a host directly: teaching must be 'at an international school', and journalism work must be for a foreigner 'seconded to the Republic by a foreign news agency'. For the artist, tour-leader and entertainment activities, no institution, teacher, religious body or charity is named.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The Regulations do not state what organisation, if any, must sponsor a religious or volunteer placement, since no such activity is separately defined.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.

What proves the placement, role, affiliation, experience or cultural/religious/voluntary activity?

As a visa exceeding three months, this route additionally requires a police clearance certificate on top of the ordinary visitor's-visa documents: a statement or documentation detailing the purpose and duration of the visit, a valid return air ticket or proof of reservation, and proof of sufficient financial means shown by a bank statement covering the last three months. For the artist activity specifically, the Regulations also require a portfolio of the applicant's previous work.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The Regulations do not describe what specific proof of activity, invitation or affiliation is required for the other eight listed activities besides the artist's portfolio.
  • The Regulations define 'proof of sufficient financial means' to include cash available to the applicant, but state that the amount shall not be less than the amount determined annually by the Minister by notice in the Gazette; that notice was not located in this run, so no minimum figure is asserted.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.

Can the person receive salary, pocket money, accommodation, meals or reimbursement? Can they undertake other work?

Regulation 11(4) frames every one of the nine activities as 'work conducted for a foreign employer', so remuneration from that existing foreign employer is inherent to the category, not a separate benefit such as pocket money or accommodation; the Regulations state nothing about either. The work is expressly work that 'partially' requires activities in the Republic under a contract that already exists abroad, not open-ended local employment, and the Regulations do not say whether any other, unrelated local activity is permitted.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The Regulations do not state whether family members may accompany the holder on this route, or whether locally sourced income, as opposed to the existing foreign employer's pay, is allowed.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.

How long can they stay, can they change host/activity, can family accompany, and can the status be extended?

The underlying permission is a visitor's visa exceeding three months, so extension follows the general visitor's-visa rule: an application under section 10(7) of the Act is made on Form 10, in person, at any office of the Department, no less than 60 days before the visa's expiry (or, if the visa was issued for under 30 days, at least seven working days before expiry), with an affidavit that the applicant complied with the existing visa's terms.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The Regulations do not state a separate maximum duration for these nine activities, or whether the holder may change host, employer or activity while the visa is valid.
  • The Immigration Regulations, 2014 were captured as published on 22 May 2014; later amendments to them, including the amendment that inserted regulation 18(12) and (13) referred to by the 2024 points-based system notice, were not captured in this run and could have changed this text.
  • Immigration Regulations, 2014 (GN R413, Gazette 37679, 22 May 2014)
    (8) An application for an extension contemplated in section 10(7) of the Act shall- (a) be made on Form 10 illustrated in Annexure A, as the case may be; (b) be accompanied by an affidavit by the applicant attesting to having complied with his or her existing visa, the terms and conditions attached thereto and the laws of the Republic; and (c) be submitted in person at any office of the Department no less than 60 days prior to the expiry date of his or her visa and if the visa was issued for less than 30 days, not later than seven working days before the expiry of the visa.
  • Immigration Regulations, 2014 (GN R413, Gazette 37679, 22 May 2014)
    (2) An application for a visitor's visa exceeding a period of three months shall, in addition to complying with the requirements of subregulation (1), be accompanied by a police clearance certificate.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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