The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, has explained why Afrobeats star Ayra Starr was initially denied a South African visa, saying she failed to submit the correct yellow fever certificate.Africans & Diaspora
Moroe said the incident occurred in February 2024 and not recently as portrayed in some reports, insisting the singer’s visa application was rejected solely because it did not meet the country’s immigration requirements.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, the envoy said Ayra Starr’s team submitted a yellow fever certificate issued by another country instead of one from Nigeria, her country of origin.
“One of the challenges was that they did not submit an appropriate yellow fever certificate. They submitted the yellow fever certificate of another country when they were supposed to submit the yellow fever certificate of their home country,” Moroe said.Entertainment News
The diplomat dismissed suggestions that the rejection was targeted at the singer or Nigerians, stressing that visa decisions are based strictly on compliance with immigration rules.
According to him, the issue was later resolved after officials met with Ayra Starr’s team to explain the necessary requirements.
“Subsequently, the matter was resolved amicably and they were granted a one-year visa to go and perform in South Africa in 2024, and I think that was what they forgot to mention,” he added.
Moroe insisted that celebrity status does not influence visa decisions, saying every applicant is treated equally under South African immigration laws.
“If you meet the requirement for a visa, whether you are a star or not, tall, short, black or white, if you qualify, you will get it. But if you don’t, regardless of who you are, the immigration section will uphold the immigration law of the country,” he said.
The clarification follows renewed claims that some Nigerian entertainers had been denied South African visas, fuelling speculation that the country had tightened entry restrictions on Nigerians.AfDB Partnership News
However, Moroe rejected the claims, insisting South Africa had not stopped issuing visas to Nigerians.
“Whether you are Ayra Starr or anyone, if you qualify, you will get it. The narrative that we have stopped issuing visas to Nigerians is false. We are not politicians; we don’t get into politics. Whether there are unrest or not, if you qualify for the visa, you will be given,” he said.
The Consul-General also disclosed that visa applications from Nigerians had increased in recent months, rising from an average of between 40 and 60 applications monthly to between 60 and 80.
