South Africa · Business residence

Business visa

South Africa's business visa is a temporary-residence route for a foreign national establishing or investing in a business, subject to capital, local-employment and compliance conditions.

Published by World Investment Migration Association in policy release WIMA-POL-2026-10-02.

WIMA is not a government authority and does not issue visas, residence permits or citizenship. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authorities before acting.

Accountable publisher and responsible body: World Investment Migration Association
Recorded pre-publication checks: Required fields, source links and claim citations checked for this release; no external peer-review claim is made.
Separate substantive reviewer: None appointed or claimed for this release
Published: 2 October 2026
Last verified: 2 October 2026

Status at the release cut-off

Three separate status dimensions

Legal status, intake status and operational status answer different questions and should not be combined into a single label.

legal

In force

Section 15 of the Immigration Act and regulation 14 provide the route framework. [1] , [2]

intake

Accepting applications

The trade department publishes a current Visa Recommendation System for business-visa recommendations. [3]

operational

Operating

The responsible trade department provides an online recommendation process and current guidance. [3]

Eligibility

The applicant must establish or invest in a qualifying business, obtain the required trade-department recommendation, and meet registration and compliance requirements. [1] , [2] , [3]
At least 60% of the total staff complement must be South African citizens or permanent residents, subject to the statutory and regulatory detail. [1] , [2]

Investment or income mechanism

The published prescribed capital contribution is ZAR 5 million. A reduction or waiver may be available for specified businesses or sectors through the responsible recommendation process. [4] , [3]

Residence and family conditions

Family: Not established [1] , [2]
Work: The holder may work only in the business for which the visa was issued, subject to its conditions. [1]
Presence: Not stated [1] , [2]
Duration: Up to three years under regulation 14. [2]
Renewal: Further temporary permission may be sought if the route requirements continue to be met; this record does not establish a standard renewal term. [1] , [2]
Later outcome: Not established [1] , [2]

Limitations and cautions

A published reform proposal is not treated as enacted law in this record.
Sector recommendations, professional permissions and company registrations remain separate requirements.

This record is descriptive, not legal, tax or investment advice. Confirm the current position with the responsible authorities.

Official sources

Immigration Act 13 of 2002, updated text Department of Home Affairs Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Act 13 of 2002, s. 15
Immigration Regulations 2014, updated text Department of Home Affairs Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A1 Regulation 14
Business facilitation and Visa Recommendation System Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier B1
Financial or capital contribution in respect of a business visa Government of South Africa Accessed 2 October 2026 Evidence tier A2