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South Africa passes nomad visa regulations into law
South Africa’s digital nomad visa regulations have officially been passed into law. This follows the publication of draft regulations in February after calls for the public to share feedback and comments that will shape the official outcome of the visa.
The passage of the law means that the country will start issuing digital nomad visas which will target nomads earning at least R1 million ($53,000).
The visas will significantly improve the current situation where nomads spend an average of $2,000 monthly on accommodation, food, local transportation, work-related expenses, and leisure activities.
The passage of the digital nomad visa did not come without controversies as citizens either supported it with the reason that it would improve the country’s tech ecosystem or fought it on the grounds that it could lead to an influx that would result in a high cost of living.
Public opinion was not considered in the final draft that was passed, leading to concerns.
“Although the confirmation of [the] digital nomad visa is great news, the same questions asked almost two months ago [when regulations were announced in February] remain unanswered,” Andreas Krensel, founder of immigration firm IBN Immigration Solutions, was quoted by Techcabal.
Meanwhile, some parts of the country’s legislature have to be amended if the digital nomad bill is to become law. These include tax exemption for foreign employees working for less than six months in the country as well as the proposed tax administration bill.
South Africa is the fifth African country to offer digital nomad visas to position itself as a global hub for digital nomads.
The others are Cape Verde, Namibia, Mauritius and Seychelles.
