March 27, 2025 | By Anita Jain Shah

South African Tourism (SAT) is accelerating efforts to make travel easier for Indian tourists by expanding the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). Introduced to streamline visa applications, TTOS is now in its second phase, with plans to appoint more travel operators across India.

The Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), initiated by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, aims to streamline visa processes for travellers by collaborating with select tour operators. As of January 2025, a total of 65 tour operators from South Africa, China, and India have been enrolled in the program, following a thorough inter-departmental vetting and screening process.

At present, 14 TTOS agents have been appointed by the Department of Home Affairs of South Africa, a number significantly lower than the initial target of nearly 100 agents. With the expansion, SAT India is inviting more Indian travel companies to apply and become part of this exclusive network, ensuring faster visa approvals and a seamless travel experience for their clients.

“The Trusted Tour Operator Scheme is an important step in making travel seamless and ensuring a hassle-free visa process for Indian tourists,” said Mitalee Karmarkar, Head of Marketing, Communications & Public Relations: India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East at South African Tourism.

How TTOS Benefits Indian Travellers
The TTOS initiative simplifies and accelerates the visa process by allowing approved travel operators to submit visa applications on behalf of their clients with minimal documentation. This reduces the paperwork burden for Indian travellers and significantly improves approval times, making South Africa a more accessible destination.

“We are projecting that India will actually outperform some of our key markets, such as Australia, especially with the visa issues now being resolved,” said Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australia, and the Middle East at SAT.

With more TTOS agents in place, visa processing is expected to become even faster, attracting more Indian tourists for both leisure and business travel.

How Indian Travel Companies Can Apply for TTOS
SAT India is actively seeking more travel operators to be part of the TTOS network. Indian travel companies interested in becoming an approved TTOS agent can now approach South African Tourism India to learn more about the eligibility criteria and application process.

The expansion of TTOS is crucial in ensuring that visa delays do not become a bottleneck in achieving SAT’s goal of surpassing pre-pandemic Indian arrival numbers in 2025.

Direct Flights and Connectivity
While direct flights between India and South Africa remain under discussion, Ethiopian Airlines currently offers a seamless one-stop connection with a short stopover of just two hours. This route has become a preferred choice for Indian travelers, providing smooth connectivity to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

With the TTOS expansion and enhanced connectivity, South Africa is positioning itself as a hassle-free, easy-to-reach destination for Indian tourists.

Looking Ahead: A Fast-Track Future for Indian Tourism to South Africa
The growth of TTOS in India is expected to be a game-changer for South African tourism. By increasing the number of TTOS agents, Indian travellers will experience:

✔ Faster visa approvals
✔ Less documentation hassle
✔ Easier access to South Africa

For Indian travel companies, this is an opportunity to offer exclusive, priority visa services to their clients by becoming a part of the TTOS network. With SAT India taking aggressive steps to expand TTOS and improve connectivity, South Africa is poised to welcome record-breaking numbers of Indian tourists in the coming years.

Few of the approved TTOS Agents in India are: MakeMy Trip (India) Private Limited, SOTC Travel Limited, Kesari Tours Private Limited, World Travel Studio HNV Private Limited, One Above Destination Management Services Private Limited and Get It Fast Travel Services.