What Trump’s first State of the Union address could mean for Africa

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Donald Trump on Wednesday for the first time since his inauguration on January 20th addressed a joint session of the Congress on the state of the nation. The address which had on record more applauds than points was titled ‘Renewing the American Spirit’ even though it was basically a repetition of everything he has been saying since he made his intention to run for the presidency known in 2015.

Donald Trump took his time to roll out his achievements in the past 30 days, while also stating what he intends to do in the nearest future. In all of this, Africa and the black world appears to have a little bearing on the plans of Donald Trump. Everything, if any, he would be doing appears to be more orthodox. As he has been stating, Trump’s policies are almost entirely focused on America.

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Replacement of South African Police Clearance Certificate (SAPCC) Procedure

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Following the notice of the South African Police Clearance background checks to be done by the VFS on 01 October 2016, the Department of Home Affairs has announced that the new system has been put on hold until further notice.

The Department of Home Affairs, in its endeavour to streamline processes and as part of the continuous service delivery improvement and efficiency, had planned to replace the South African Police Clearance requirement with the online biometric background checks linked to the South African Police Service database in the application process for temporary residence visas and permanent residence permits at VFS Global Visa application Centres within South Africa.

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Don’t get caught napping! Take advantage of the strong Rand

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The Rand is enjoying a fantastic rally and is now frequently dipping below 13.00 to the US Dollar. With Euro and Pound weakness thrown into the mix, it’s clear that this is a good time to be offshoring some of your Rands. Good times, unfortunately, rarely last very long. However, while that sun shines we must make as much hay as possible. Below are three ways you can make smart use of the strong Rand.

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UPDATE: Visa Exemption for Russian and South African Citizens

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After several months of debating, The Department of Home Affairs and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, have finally come to the conclusion of allowing South African- and Russian citizens to be visa-exempt when entering the respective country(ies).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated that –

“Under the Protocol’s provisions, citizens of Russia and South Africa travelling without the intention of working, studying or living in the other country’s territory, are free from visa requirements.” 

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Visa-free Travel for South Africans to the EU Still on the Table

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In September 2016, The Department of Home Affairs’ Minister, Malusi Gigaba proposed visa-free travel for South Africans to the European Union (EU).

The measures that were proposed, include the feasibility of multiple-entry visas for South African business travellers to the EU and full exemptions for South African leisure travellers.

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