Foreigners would no longer need to apply for transit visas for South Africa, the home affairs department announced on Thursday.

"I have decided to suspend the requirement for transit visas for all countries," minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said in a statement.

"In the meantime, I will commission a study into international best practices relating to transit visas."

The study, to be completed by September, would look at the impact of such visas on the country's economy and security.

The minister also announced an intention to extend the two-year limit for intra-company staff transfer work permits to five years.

This would require a legislative amendment, which should be finalised by year-end.

Mapisa-Nqakula said revisions became necessary due to problems in executing the amended Immigration Act, "particularly in relation to the attraction of skills and foreign investment".

She has received inputs from chambers of commerce and business representatives. This revealed that transit visas, used to protect the country's borders, were having an impact on the profit margins of airlines operating in South Africa.

Transit visa requirements for citizens of certain countries were reintroduced in December last year. As for intra-company transfer permits, the minister said she agreed the two-year limit was too short.

An amendment was required to the Immigration Act to extend the period.

"We will ask Cabinet and Parliament to deal with this matter before the end of the year," the minister said.

"In the meantime, interim measures will be put in place to assist multi-national companies."

Mapisa-Nqakula also announced that work was progressing well to identify skills required in the country in order to develop on permit quotas.

A workshop to this end is to be held on July 5, where the departments of trade and industry and labour would present a list of scarce and critical skills for discussion.

"It is envisaged that I will be able to publish the next list of quotas in September," the minister said.

Sapa

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