The Department of Home Affairs has gazetted a Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship
Immigration Indaba 
The Department of Home Affairs has gazetted a Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection that aims to modernize South Africa’s migration system while safeguarding national security. Unlike the previous version, this draft retains South Africa’s commitment to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention but introduces a strict “First Safe Country” principle to prevent asylum shopping by rejecting applicants who passed through other safe countries. The proposals prioritize digital transformation through a new “Intelligent Population Register” and Digital ID system, alongside economic reforms like the introduction of Remote-Work and Start-Up visas and a merit-based Points-Based System for granting citizenship. Public comments on these proposed changes are open until 31 January 2026.
Here is the link to the document
