- Kenya is pushing SA to lift strict Visa requirements for Kenyan nationals.
- South Africans get Visa for free on arrival in Nairobi.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday embark on a State visit to Kenya with deportation of Kenyan illegal migrants expected to dominate the talks.
Relaxation of strict Visa requirements for Kenyans visiting SA will also be central in the talks between Ramaphosa and President William Ruto.
Ramaphosa has been invited by Ruto to discuss a range of issues including continental affairs.
The visit will include a business forum focusing on trade and investment between Kenya and South Africa.
South Africa’s Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed to the media about the visit in Pretoria.
“According to the World Bank, Kenya is east Africa’s largest economy and gateway to the region with a GDP that stands at over 110 billion US dollars as of 2021. Kenya is South Africa’s largest trading partner outside of the SADC region, making South Africa the biggest seller of goods to Kenya on the continent,” he said.
Magwenya said the visit is also aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries.
Last year, president Ramaphosa and Kenya's then President Uhuru Kenyatta started talks to relax visa restrictions for Kenyans visiting South Africa.
However, this was on condition that Kenya takes back thousands of its citizens who accessed South Africa illegally.
The deal places responsibility to block illegal migrants to South Africa on Kenya.
Visa restrictions have remained a thorny issue for the two countries for years and include Sh5,350 processing fee.
The Visas take at least five days to be processed by the South Africa government.
In the strict requirements, Kenyans applying for Visa must also provide proof of sufficient funds and return flight air tickets.
South African nationals, on the other hand, have it easier getting a Kenyan Visa for free on arrival to the country.