Nearly two-thirds of South African consumers have used artificial intelligence to assist with shopping-related tasks, according to new survey data from Visa that points to a rapid shift in how locals interact with digital payment technologies. The Visa Spending Shift Survey, conducted by Morning Consult among a thousand South African adults in October 2025, found…
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber The department of home affairs plans to shut down all tourist visa processing at South African missions abroad, minister Leon Schreiber has announced, with all applications to be routed instead through the department’s Electronic Travel Authorisation system. Speaking at the release of a Special Investigating Unit interim report on Monday,…
Visa is working to integrate stablecoins into existing payment systems, seeing an opportunity to maintain its market leadership as these tokens gain traction, Visa’s head of crypto, Cuy Sheffield, said in an interview. Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies typically pegged to the US dollar, allow funds to be moved outside traditional banking systems. While their circulation has surged,…
Of Africa’s 54 countries, 36 are now subject to either travel bans or visa bonds by the United States. African states are the prime target of President Donald Trump’s latest round of travel restrictions, which he says are aimed at protecting national security and preventing visitors overstaying. The US State Department this week added several…
Rwanda has retained its position as the most visa-open country in Africa, according to the 2025 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). The country has held the top spot since 2023 due to its visa-free regime. ALSO READ: Rwanda retains top place in visa openness in Africa The top position was claimed jointly by Rwanda and…
Washington, December 3, 2025 — The United States government has temporarily suspended all visa applications from 19 countries, according to a statement released Wednesday. The move comes a week after an attack in Washington that killed two National Guard soldiers. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had already halted all asylum procedures last Friday….
The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, Odrek Rwabwogo, has questioned the continued use of restrictive visa requirements across African states, arguing that such barriers undermine the continent’s integration and economic growth goals. Speaking during the International Business Week at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Rwabwogo asked why a Ugandan still needs…
US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a staggering US$100 000 fee on new H-1B visas is a spectacular own goal for America and its technology industry. It is a hammer blow to the very sector that built Silicon Valley’s dominance. For South Africa, though, the move opens a small but potentially meaningful window: an…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he sits next to a “Trump Gold Card” sign, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Sept. 19, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters Major technology companies and foreign governments are rushing to respond after President Donald Trump late Friday announced plans to impose a…
IN SHORT: A Facebook post claims that at a high-profile forum on African development in August 2025, Japan announced a plan to resettle migrants from Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Mozambique. This is false – what was announced was a plan to promote cultural exchange and partnerships. A post circulating on Facebook claims that at the…
