SA opens Permanent Residence gate for Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders

THE South African Government is expanding options for holders of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) to transition to mainstream permits as part of efforts to regularise their stay in the country.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza announced on Monday that migrants holding ZEPs may apply for permanent residence, noting that the permit was initially introduced as a temporary arrangement.

The ZEP, which was introduced in 2009, enabled thousands of eligible Zimbabweans to legally reside and work in South Africa.

With the permit typically expiring every three years and being subject to renewal, holders are now being encouraged to explore alternative visa options.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that applying for permanent residence remains a viable pathway, particularly for individuals who have established careers and settled lives in South Africa.

“The ZEP was a special permit issued to Zimbabweans under certain conditions and we have been renewing it over time. And even right now we have been calling on those holders of that permit to look at other legal pathways in which they may apply for permanent residence or any other form of permit, because the exemption permit itself was meant to be a temporary arrangement.

“But, rather if they seek to stay in the country they must apply for other forms of entrance into the country, including to apply for permanent residence and other permits.

“All those applications will be looked at on merit, it’s not going to be a blanket approach where you say all ZEP holders are now permanent residents. Each and every person should apply and then we determine if they qualify.”

The Deputy Minister further noted that economic migrants should pursue appropriate business or work permits rather than misrepresenting themselves as asylum seekers in an attempt to secure permanent residence at a later stage.

The announcement comes a few months after South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs extended the validity of the ZEP to May 28, 2027.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber announced the extension through Government Gazette No. 53484, issued under Immigration Directive No. 21 of 2025, which confirms that the permits will remain valid until May 28, 2027.

At the time, the Minister said the extension had been granted in terms of Section 31 (2)(b) of South Africa’s immigration legislation.