ActionSA says official Home Affairs figures raise serious questions about how thousands of foreign-owned businesses are operating in South Africa despite only 33 business visas being approved last year.
Questions are being raised about the enforcement of South Africa's immigration laws after Home Affairs revealed that only 33 business visas were approved during the 2025/26 financial year, despite tens of thousands of foreign-owned businesses operating across the country.
The figures were disclosed in a parliamentary reply to ActionSA MP and Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni, who asked Home Affairs to provide the number of business visas approved, rejected and granted waivers over the past five financial years.
According to the reply, Home Affairs approved just 204 business visas between the 2021/22 and 2025/26 financial years. The annual breakdown shows 39 approvals in 2021/22, 42 in 2022/23, 44 in 2023/24, 46 in 2024/25 and 33 in 2025/26.
The Immigration Act requires foreign nationals seeking to establish businesses in South Africa to obtain a business visa and, in most cases, demonstrate a minimum capital investment of R5 million.
