Indonesia and South Africa have officially implemented a mutual visa-free policy, with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka announcing the “no more visas needed” agreement at the Indonesia–Africa CEO Forum in Johannesburg, a concrete follow-up to last October’s bilateral meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and President Cyril Ramaphosa at Merdeka Palace.
Gibran emphasized that removing visa requirements will significantly boost business mobility, accelerate investment projects, strengthen economic ties, and open new tourism flows between the two countries, receiving strong applause from South African business leaders who welcomed the expanded connectivity.
He highlighted Indonesia’s commitment to increasing investment in South Africa—particularly in agribusiness and energy—while offering Indonesia’s industrial capacity, skilled workforce, manufacturing networks, and access to the ASEAN market as strategic advantages for deepening cooperation with Africa.
During the forum, Gibran also expressed appreciation for the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding on strategic industries, reiterating that Indonesia sees Africa as a rapidly growing region that is “full of potential,” stating that “Africa is the future, and Indonesia wants to build that future together with Africa” as the continent becomes increasingly influential in shaping the global economy.
The announcement was made during Gibran’s first official visit to South Africa, where he represented President Prabowo at the G20 Summit on November 22–23 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, accompanied by top Indonesian officials including Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Kadin executive Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono, and Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir.
