The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe, has disclosed that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr’s visa application was initially rejected because she submitted an incorrect yellow fever certificate.

Moroe said the incident occurred in February 2024, contrary to recent reports suggesting that the singer and her team had recently been denied visas to South Africa.

Speaking in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the diplomat explained that the certificate submitted by Starr’s team was issued by another country instead of Nigeria, which did not meet the immigration requirement.

He said the issue was later resolved after the South African mission engaged with the singer’s team and clarified the documents required for the application.

According to Moroe, Starr was eventually granted a one-year visa and travelled to South Africa to perform in 2024.

The Consul-General stressed that South African immigration authorities do not give special treatment to applicants based on their celebrity status.

He said every applicant must meet the country’s visa requirements before being granted entry, regardless of whether the person is a celebrity or an ordinary traveller.

Moroe also dismissed claims that South Africa had stopped issuing visas to Nigerians, describing the reports as false.

He said visa applications from Nigerians had increased, noting that monthly applications had risen from between 40 and 60 previously to about 60 to 80.

The clarification followed renewed concerns over claims that Nigerian entertainers were experiencing difficulties obtaining South African visas.

Meanwhile, the South African Consulate in Lagos recently issued visas to five Nigerian DJs travelling to South Africa for an event.

One of the DJs, Solomon Akinkunmi, confirmed that he received a one-year visa, while the other four were issued three-month visas.