South Africa and Rwanda Agree to Lift Visa Restrictions
South Africa and Rwanda have taken a significant step toward normalising bilateral relations, with both countries agreeing to resume visa access for Rwandan nationals within 12 months. The announcement was made on 17 June in Pretoria, where International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola met his Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe. Lamola confirmed that South Africa would move to lift its ban on Rwandan ordinary passports, citing Rwanda's modernised visa regime - which includes visa-free and visa-on-arrival dispensations - as a model worth noting as South Africa reviews its own immigration framework.
The two ministers also agreed to relaunch the Joint Commission on Cooperation, scheduled to convene in Kigali in the first quarter of 2027, and confirmed that Rwanda had lifted its ban on South African agricultural produce, in place since the 2017 listeriosis outbreak. Discussions covered cooperation across trade, tourism, health, education, and security. The diplomatic reset follows a period of tension in 2025, when relations were strained over South Africa's military deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both ministers emphasised that the bilateral bond between the two nations remains strong, with Nduhungirehe describing it as "unbreakable."
Source: Citizen
