Visa Operator Data Shows Expat Ties Drive SA Travel
Diaspora links keep outbound visa volumes steady in 2026
South African outbound travel in 2026 is being sustained less by tourism and more by the pull of established expat communities abroad, according to operational data from visa processing operator VFS Global. The company, which handles visa applications in more than 170 countries including South Africa, held a media roundtable to unpack the trends it has processed over the course of the year, and its figures point to a delivery pipeline running at near-full capacity despite economic pressure.
The core operational metric is volume. VFS Global reported that the total number of visa applications processed across all categories, covering tourist, business, student and other visa types, had already reached 70 percent of 2025 volumes to date in 2026. In practical terms, the frequency with which South Africans are travelling abroad has changed little compared with last year. That stability is notable given the country’s cost of living crisis, a context in which luxuries such as overseas travel would normally be deferred.
Where those applications are going helps explain why throughput has held up. The operator’s data shows positive trends in application volumes for outbound travel to the UK, Australia and Canada, three countries that rank among the highest in the world for the size of their South African expat communities. The UK and Australia hold first and second place respectively, while Canada ranks sixth. Schengen destinations such as the Netherlands and Denmark are also seeing positive application trends.
The community sizes behind those flows are substantial. The UK hosts upwards of 235 000 South Africans living or working there, Australia roughly 230 000, and Canada as many as 52 000. The Netherlands sits just below Canada, with an expat community of roughly 42 000. For the operators processing these applications, the pattern suggests that visiting family and friends, alongside business, education and tourism, is doing much of the heavy lifting in keeping application volumes steady.
Hariprasad Viswanathan, COO for Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, framed the demand in operational terms. “South Africans continue to demonstrate a strong appetite for international travel, whether for business, education, tourism or visiting family and friends. As demand grows, it is essential that applicants rely only on official information sources and plan their applications well in advance, particularly during peak travel periods,” he noted.
Meanwhile, visa processing itself has been under heightened scrutiny in 2026. The Department of Home Affairs has shown an increased desire to roll out digital services, and there has been more attention on how visas are processed and on who is entering and leaving the country’s borders. That combination of digitalisation ambitions and oversight places the application infrastructure, and the companies operating within it, at the centre of whether travel demand can actually be served. VFS Global’s role as the facilitation layer between applicants and destination countries makes its processing volumes a useful barometer of whether the system is keeping pace.
The broader picture that emerges is one of resilient delivery against a difficult backdrop. Geopolitical tensions have risen, yet the application pipeline to traditional diaspora destinations has not weakened. The expat connection appears to be a significant reason locals are still travelling in 2026, and the infrastructure built to serve that demand, from application centres to digital services, is processing volumes close to last year’s levels.
Whether that holds is the open question. As the cost of living becomes more untenable, it remains to be seen whether South Africans continue directing their travel toward established diaspora communities, or whether they choose other overseas destinations in order to stretch their rands further. For the operators handling the applications, the answer will show up first in the processing data, well before it shows up anywhere else. Further coverage of these trends can be found at https://htxt.co.za/2026/10/south-african-travel-in-2026-driven-by-expat-communities/
Q&A
How much of 2025's visa application volume had VFS Global processed by the time of its 2026 media roundtable?
Visa processing operator VFS Global reported that total applications across all categories, including tourist, business, student and other types, had already reached 70 percent of 2025 volumes to date in 2026.
Which destinations are driving South African outbound visa applications, and how large are their expat communities?
The UK and Australia rank first and second respectively for the size of their South African expat communities, while Canada ranks sixth. These countries showed positive application trends, with expat communities of over 235 000 in the UK, roughly 230 000 in Australia and as many as 52 000 in Canada.
What changes are underway in South African visa processing oversight?
The Department of Home Affairs has shown an increased desire to roll out digital services, alongside more attention on how visas are processed and who is entering and leaving the country's borders.
What did Hariprasad Viswanathan say about demand and applicant behaviour?
He said South Africans continue to show strong appetite for international travel for business, education, tourism or visiting family and friends, and urged applicants to rely only on official information sources and plan applications well in advance, particularly during peak travel periods.