South Africa urgently needs a system for issuing holidaymaker-working visas (HMWV) to the 18-35-year-old foreign traveller if the country is to compete globally as a viable tourist destination, says Neil Burns, chairperson of the local industry body Backpackers Tourism South Africa (BTSA).
"We need to see beyond the flawed economics and sentiment that says all foreigners working in South Africa take jobs from locals. They don't, they create additional jobs through their spending power, transfer skills and experience and ultimately become our ambassadors abroad. We're talking about making the pie bigger," he says.
BTSA is a not-for-profit organisation representing over 130 backpacker outfits across South Africa who between them employ in excess of 1500 people directly and earn combined revenues estimated to exceed R65-million per annum.
Based on statistics from Australia and the UK where similar HMWV systems are already in place, Burns estimates the contribution to GDP by backbackers could be boosted by a minimum of R720-million annually with substantial spin-offs for the providers of backpacking accommodation and the thousands of related businesses.
"The legislation regarding visas is currently with the relevant Parliamentary Portfolio Committee and we have a small window in which to make our case. We hope the Home Affairs and Tourism ministries will take heed of our call early in the new year before the legislation is cast in stone and a great opportunity lost," says Burns.
The BTSA proposal is a system that will allocate 35 000 12-month HMW visas initially at a cost of R500 per visa to candidates who can prove they have R20 000 available cash and who meet acceptable criteria.
To ensure the integrity of the system BTSA proposes the criteria require candidates to agree to leave South Africa after 12 months, accept they may not work longer than three months for any single employer, enter South Africa within six months of issue, have holidaying as their main reason for visiting, and who agree that any work they do is to support themselves while on holiday.
The United Kingdom offers HMW visas for £60 and Australia for AU$145 with similar criteria. Visas are sold by designated agents and in the Australian example can be obtained online by ITA travel agents via Galileo.
Burns says BTSA has identified an IT solutions provider to undertake a similar issuing system for South Africa. Recipients will receive a number that they produce when they present their passports on arrival. At this point a check on the system verifies the number and the passport holder and a visa is issued in the travellers passport.
