The Department of Home Affairs has launched a groundbreaking digital platform to fast-track the processing of visa applications for individuals attending major international events.
The new Meetings, Exhibitions, Events and Tourism Scheme (MEETS) serves as a catalytic visa reform designed to boost South Africa’s standing as a leading global destination for international conferences, exhibitions, sporting tournaments and major cultural and entertainment events.
For the first time, MEETS introduces a secure avenue to process high-volume, time-sensitive group visa applications linked to international events hosted in South Africa.
“By cutting red tape and accelerating secure visa processing through technological reform, MEETS ensures that when the world chooses South Africa as a host, our visa system is ready.
“Through MEETS, we are ensuring that our visa system becomes a competitive advantage that helps attract even more conferences, exhibitions, sporting tournaments and cultural events that create jobs and stimulate economic growth,” Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said on Tuesday, in a statement.
From major music concerts and global trade gatherings such as Mining Indaba, to World Cup tournaments and international academic conferences, South Africa regularly hosts events that attract high volumes of international participants.
These large-scale events often require entire teams, performers, delegates and technical staff to travel together within strict timelines.
“Global events move quickly, and host nations must be ready to respond with equal speed. Through MEETS, Home Affairs is modernising visa processing to support large delegations in a secure and coordinated manner, unlocking greater economic impact from every event hosted in South Africa.
“Instead of fragmented processes and uncertainty, MEETS enables streamlined online submissions tailored for major international events, ensuring that high-volume applications can be processed efficiently when every second counts,” the Minister said.
He emphasised that the launch of MEETS marks another decisive step in the department’s journey of digital transformation.
“By modernising our visa system, we are positioning Home Affairs as an economic enabler that supports tourism, investment, and allows for job creation. The events sector is a powerful driver of growth, and MEETS ensures that our visa regime matches South Africa’s ambition to host world-class international gatherings,” the Minister said.
Domestic event organisers with a proven track record in the sector are invited to submit expressions of interest to join the MEETS visa scheme, subject to qualifying criteria, by visiting https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/meets.
Accredited organisers will enter into a formal Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs to regulate participation and governance of the scheme. The gazette is available here: https://www.dha.gov.za/images/gazettes/54210_25-2HomeAffairs.pdf.
-SAnews.gov.za
