New visa demand means big jump in cost and hassle for travellers to South Africa

Kiwis now need a visa if they want to admire South Africa's wildlife. Photo / 123RF

It's become more expensive for Kiwis to travel to South Africa for their holidays.

They are now scrambling to get a visa after South Africa slapped visa requirements, in a tit-for-tat move after a 20-year visa-free travel arrangement between the two countries.

It follows Immigration New Zealand denying entry to South African travellers without visas after a high number of "ineligible passengers" were trying to enter New Zealand using South African passports.

Immigration New Zealand found 39 fraudulent South African passports between July 2015 and June 2016 and 193 South African passport holders were denied entry between January and May this year.

The Department says that's a 38 per cent increase since last year.

New Zealand's visa requirements for South Africans came into effect last month.

The South African Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba told Fairfax that New Zealand's visa requirement had created "inconveniences" for South Africans.

He says that South Africa's visa policy is based on the principle of reciprocity, so the decision was made to withdraw the visa exemption enjoyed by Kiwi passport holders in response to Immigration New Zealand's actions.

Bret Thomas of House of Travel says people have to change their plans and head to the South African High Commission in Wellington to get the visa.

The policy will come into effect on January 16.

"At this stage there hasn't been any cancellations, but it will make it a little more difficult for people who are heading to South Africa and Southern Africa for their holidays," says Thomas.

"It's short notice and there are a number of people who are heading away in the next few weeks who will have to hurry up and get down to Wellington to get that visa and that's certainly a headache for people because they hadn't planned to go to Wellington.

"It certainly may have some impact on people planning to go to South Africa in the future."

The Travel Agents Association says a lot of Kiwis booked to travel to South Africa over the holidays have been caught off guard by the imposition of visa requirements.

Association chief executive Andrew Olsen says it's an unnecessary impediment for New Zealanders wanting to travel to South Africa.

"People who are based in Auckland, booked to fly out of Auckland, having to travel to Wellington for the visa is rather a large step, " he says.

"It's going to be a complication for the larger population of Auckland travellers.

"If you multiply that by a family who will all have to make personal representation that will be an impediment."

Olsen says South Africa establishing a satellite office in Auckland if they want to process a very unnecessary visa might make sense.

"The basis of it being instituted is simply a nonsense," he says.

"We haven't seen a very good reason why New Zealand travellers are being penalised.

"It's been made public why the New Zealand Government took its position on counterfeit passports, overstayers and so on.

"One prudent move did not require an imprudent reply."