BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE– Nearly 1000 emaSwati are officially recorded as holding legitimate immigration permits in South Africa, placing Eswatini among the 10 African countries with the highest number of documented permit holders in the neighbouring country.
Figures disclosed by the South African Government in Parliament show that 961 emaSwati were recorded on the Department of Home Affairs’ Visa Adjudication System (VAS), providing an official picture of emaSwati who have regularised their immigration status in South Africa.
The data covers permits recorded on the system between November 24, 2014 and August 24, 2026.
The figures are particularly significant given the close social and economic relationship between Eswatini and South Africa, with thousands of people regularly crossing the border for employment, education, business, family commitments and other purposes.
According to the parliamentary disclosure, 105260 foreign nationals were recorded as legitimate immigration permit holders in South Africa during the period covered.
Of these, 56614 were nationals of African countries, representing approximately 53.8 per cent of the total.
Eswatini’s 961 recorded permit holders place the Kingdom 10th among African countries listed in the figures.
Zimbabwe dominates the list with 23218 permit holders, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 7306 and Nigeria with 5242.
Somalia is fourth with 3961, followed by Ethiopia with 1749, Lesotho with 1578, Cameroon with 1573, Kenya with 1035, Ghana with 980 and Eswatini with 961.
Taken together, the figures show that emaSwati account for about 1.7 per cent of the African nationals recorded as legitimate immigration permit holders on the system.
OFFICIAL IMMIGRATION STATUS
For emaSwati, the disclosure is important because it separates people who have gone through South Africa’s formal immigration processes from the wider and often contentious debate surrounding undocumented migration.
Holding a legitimate immigration permit means a foreign national has been recognised within South Africa’s immigration administration under an approved legal status.
The figures do not, however, represent every emaSwati who travels to or spends time in South Africa. Eswatini and South Africa share extensive economic, family and social ties, while many emaSwati enter the neighbouring country for shorter periods under applicable travel arrangements without necessarily becoming immigration permit holders.
The 961 figure should therefore be understood specifically as the number reflected in the disclosed Home Affairs permit data rather than the total number of emaSwati who visit, work, study or conduct business in South Africa.
ESWATINI MAKES AFRICA’S TOP 10
Eswatini’s position in the top 10 is notable considering the Kingdom’s population is considerably smaller than that of countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana.
It also underlines the importance of South Africa to emaSwati as the Kingdom’s largest neighbouring economy and one of its closest destinations for opportunities beyond the border.
For families with relatives living, studying or working in South Africa, proper immigration documentation provides greater certainty when dealing with authorities and accessing services permitted under their particular immigration status.
The parliamentary figures also provide useful evidence that a substantial portion of foreign nationals residing in South Africa have entered and remained in the country through recognised legal processes.
IMMIGRATION UNDER SPOTLIGHT
The disclosure comes as immigration continues to dominate public discussion in South Africa, particularly around undocumented migration, employment opportunities, pressure on public services and border management.
Against this backdrop, the Home Affairs statistics draw an important distinction between documented foreign nationals and people who may be residing in the country without the required immigration status.
South Africa has also been moving towards modernising its immigration administration, including greater digitisation of visa and permit processes and expanded use of technology and biometric verification.
Authorities have simultaneously been working to address longstanding visa and permit backlogs and improve the speed and integrity of immigration processing.
For Eswatini, the latest parliamentary disclosure provides a clearer official snapshot of lawful migration into its closest economic neighbour.
With 961 emaSwati appearing among legitimate permit holders, the Kingdom has secured a place among Africa’s top 10 countries represented in South Africa’s immigration permit records — highlighting both the depth of cross-border movement and the importance of remaining properly documented when living beyond the country’s borders.
(Courtesy Pic)
