The decision to set up the new facilitation centers and contract their running out to a private company had been informed “by none other than our commitment to improve efficiencies and turnaround times,” he added.
The Department of Home Affairs has already introduced such centers in a number of its high-volume missions abroad – including its missions in China, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria – where it had previously struggled to cut down on lengthy queues and prolonged turn-around times, Gigaba said.
Gigaba said:”We have visa facilitation centers at quite a few of our high-volume missions abroad, and they have been working fairly successfully … contributing, I might add, to the success of our tourism stats over the last few years. It is this good practice that we hope to roll out in South Africa.”
New Zimbabwean permits announced by South Africa and New Zimbabwean permit applications will also be dealt in Vfs global offices.
