South Africa grants Zimbabwe Exemption Permits 18-month lifeline until 2027

JOHANNESBURG – The South African government has extended the validity of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP) by 18 months, allowing holders to remain legally in the country until May 28, 2027.

In a notice published in the Government Gazette on October 7, 2025 (No. 53484), Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the extension through Minister’s Immigration Directive No. 21 of 2025, issued in terms of section 31(2)(b) of the Immigration Act.

The decision follows a directive from the Gauteng High Court, which instructed the Department of Home Affairs to conduct consultations with stakeholders before making a final determination on the future of the ZEP programme.

According to the notice, all existing ZEPs, set to expire on November 28, 2025, will remain valid until May 28, 2027. During this period, holders of the exemption permits are protected from arrest, detention, or deportation on grounds related to the validity of their documentation.

The directive further allows ZEP holders to enter and leave South Africa under the same conditions as before, provided they meet other immigration requirements.

It also allows them to apply for other categories of temporary visas without being required to produce a valid exemption certificate.

“The holder of an exemption certificate may be allowed to enter into or depart from the Republic of South Africa in terms of section 9 of the Immigration Act, read together with the Immigration Regulations, 2014, provided that he or she complies with all other requirements for entry into and departure from the Republic, save for the reason of not having a valid visa endorsed in his or her passport.

“No ZEP holder should be required to produce a valid exemption certificate, visa or an authorisation letter to remain in the Republic as contemplated in section 32(1) of the Immigration Act when making an application for any category of the visa for temporary sojourn in the Republic as contemplated in section 10(2) of the Immigration Act,” the directive stated.

Minister Schreiber noted that the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB), appointed in April 2025, has been meeting regularly to deliberate on both short-term and long-term solutions for Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa.

The board will continue consulting critical stakeholders during the extension period.

“Pending the conclusion of consultations, existing ZEPs shall be deemed to remain valid,” the Minister noted.

The ZEP programme, introduced in 2009 under different names, was designed to regularise the stay of thousands of Zimbabweans who fled economic hardship and political instability.

South Africa hosts one of the largest Zimbabwean diaspora populations, estimated at over a million people.