South Africa Department of Home Affairs

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has been the site of two major policy moves in early April 2026. On 1 April 2026, the DHA issued Immigration Directive 7 of 2026, extending the lawful stay of foreign nationals with pending visa, waiver or appeal applications until 30 June 2027 — a 15-month window that superseded the earlier 30 March stay-authorisation concession. Directive 7 also restored exit-and-reentry rights for waiver applicants who had been pinned in place since March. Two days later, on 3 April 2026, Cabinet approved the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, presented by Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber. The White Paper introduces a points-based migration system, names dedicated visa categories for remote work, start-ups and skilled workers, sets up an Electronic Travel Authorisation programme, and adopts a First Safe Country Principle for asylum seekers.

The DHA processes passports, identity documents, citizenship and all immigration documents for South Africa and has faced persistent criticism over processing delays, corruption and staff capacity shortfalls. The Digital Nomad Visa launched in 2024 requires applicants to demonstrate a minimum monthly income of R65,000 (approximately €3,200). The department's processing backlog has disproportionately affected visa-dependent foreign nationals; the March–April 2026 directives are operational patches rather than structural fixes pending the White Paper reforms.

The White Paper architecture — if implemented — would represent the most significant overhaul of South African immigration law in two decades. The gap between the White Paper's ambition and the department's operational capacity is the central tension: Schreiber has named the destination, but the DHA's track record suggests implementation will lag by years, not months.