Andrew Stegmann

Biometric delays: Hundreds of frustrated passengers queue for hours yet only four officials on duty

Cape Town – The peak holiday period is looming and if these travellers’ complaints are anything to go by, foreign visitors are not in for a warm welcome.

Passengers arriving at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg have been especially hard hit due to new Biomtric capturing systems rolled out by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for all non-citizens coming into the country. Its implementation and roll out was initiated in January 2016 but as of late complaints about too few officials or lack of training and discord in the administration process have escalated.

While a number of tourism bodies and heavyweights are engaging the DHA to find a solution to the apparent bottlenecks created, the Board of Airline Representatives South Africa (BARSA) is now calling for the immediate suspension of biometrics for the duration of the December holidays – as passengers continue to bear the brunt and expense of the situation.

‘3-hour wait – Utterly insane’

British traveller Peter Gyoury told Traveller24 in an email, “I have travelled many times to South Africa over the last 10 years. NEVER have I experienced immigration queues like I did arriving in to OR Tambo on Friday October 7th. “I had to wait to three hours to clear immigration after arriving from a 10.5 hour flight from London.”

According to Gyoury, an estimate six international flights arrived “almost at the same time, yet they have minimal immigration staff working (on a Friday of all days). This is mind boggling and creates the worst impression for first time visitors and such a long flight, imagine after a 15 hour flight from the USA. Utterly insane.”

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Andrew Stegmann

What Home Affairs’ hi-tech solutions will mean for tourists

Cape Town – Travel agents say that although Home Affairs’ new hi-tech departmental contact centre is a step in the right direction, it’s simply “not enough”.

Home Affairs recently launched a new departmental contact centre that will bring immediate resolutions to customers’ queries. Travellers who have applied for an unabridged birth certificate can track the progress of their application by quoting their ID number to the operator at the centre, who will be able to see exactly what is delaying the application and when it will be ready.

“Sure, this is a positive development, but I’m not sure how effective it will be for travellers as the process remains the same,” says Mark Buck, MD United Europe. “It’s like going to a restaurant and knowing you have to wait 20 minutes for your pizza, but now you can get an update from the waiter every five minutes about how long it’s still going to take.”

“These new developments are simply a distraction from the real issue, which is why are the requirements to produce a UBC even in place?” adds Otto De Vries, CEO of the Association for South African Travel Agents (ASATA).

Says De Vries: “Our position remains unchanged and the expectation is to see the removal of the requirements, as it is not standard practice and can’t be proven to deal with the issue of child trafficking.”

Theresa Szejwallo, MD Travel Corporation and Trafalgar South Africa, agrees and says that making the process easier and simpler is a small advantage for the South African traveller. However, like De Vries, Szejwallo explains that the truth is that the requirements for unabridged birth certificates remains an important deterrent for travellers to and from South Africa.
Andrew Stegmann

Suspend peak season biometric capturing, urges industry association

The Department of Home Affairs must suspend of biometric capturing at South Africa’s airports for the duration of the peak season, said the Board of Airline Representatives South Africa (Barsa).

A shortage of trained immigration officials capable of capturing biometrics is leading to lengthy delays for international travellers, even causing them to miss connecting flights.

“The decision by the Department of Home Affairs not to employ additional immigration staff due to budget constraints will need to be re-assessed before December,” said June Crawford, Barsa CEO. She adds that a new shift system has compounded the problems. “The DHA has taken the decision to revert to a 12-hour, four-group system because they can no longer afford transport for their officials.”

Crawford said Barsa would continue to seek ways through various stakeholders to find a solution to this ongoing problem. “The tourism industry is under duress during the busiest time of the year. In our view, the suspension of biometrics until after the peak season would be a short-term solution allowing for all parties to discuss the best way forward.”

Craig van Rooyen, Director of Tour d’Afrique, said he expected travel during the December period to be “majorly” affected by long queues at the airport and says the company has advised its international agents to allow a longer period between connections, working on three hours instead of two.

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Andrew Stegmann

10 Things You Should Know About The Recession In Nigeria

Nigeria, the second largest economy in Africa, has a population of 167 million people making it the most populous country on the continent. The West African nation is also the second-top producer of oil in Africa, after Angola. It has been in an economic crisis since 2014 and slipped into a recession this year.

Below are 10 things to know about the economic recession in Nigeria.

Oil prices slide

The global fall in oil prices in mid-2014 pushed the economy into crisis. Oil is Nigeria’s leading export commodity and accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s annual budget. The fall in prices was compounded by militant attacks on its oil-rich Niger Delta region. The militants damaged Chevron offshore facility and an underwater Forcados export pipeline.

Investor fears

Nigeria received a record decline of capital importation as investor fears grew due to the recession. In the second quarter of the year, the country recorded a $647.1 million in capital importation, a fall of about 75.7 percent for a similar period in 2015.

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