Zambia is seriously considering waiving visa requirement for Germany nationals entering the country in a bid to boost tourist arrivals.
And the Germany government has pledged increased technical and financial support towards the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in which Zambia will be a beneficiary.
Speaking during a live interview with Germany television, in Berlin yesterday, Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo said government will soon make a pronouncement on the proposed change of visa restrictions on Germany tourists entering Zambia.
“In Zambia, we have a new government which is seriously reviewing legislation and regulations in the tourism sector and the visa regime is one of those that are being seriously addressed,” she said.
She said Zambia wants a situation in which Germany nationals will enter Zambia without any visa restrictions.
Ms Masebo said government is determined to diversify Zambia’s economy from being entirely dependent on copper and agriculture to tourism which she said has a massive potential for job creation.
“The PF government has put tourism as a priority that should create jobs and help government also generate revenue,” she said.
The Tourism and Arts Minister also announced that tourists moving between Zimbabwe and Zambia during the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly will not be subject to visa restrictions.
“As co-hosts of the UN-WTO, Zambia and Zimbabwe have agreed that tourists moving between two countries will not be subject to visa restrictions,” she said.
And the Germany government has pledged increased technical support to the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA).
Speaking during the same live television interview, Germany State Secretary Hans-Jurgen BeerFeltz announced that his government will increase financial support considerably to KAZA to 50 million Euros.
“Turning visions into reality is what we do in our development cooperation work,” he said.
Mr BeerFelt said his government will support countries in the KAZA region to boost their tourism.
The KAZA area spans five Southern African countries of Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
During the television interview, Mr BeerFelt also handed over 15.5 million Euros to KAZA for the countries tourism activities.
ZANIS
I took a big business to Turkey and Cyprus and those makaka’s never waived my visa fee. Why should we do that to the Germans?
When other countries are making it harder to enter ,we the Africans want to please the Muzungus. nonsense.
GERMANY HAS TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS EVEN ADMIRED BY US. BY THE WAY DON’T UP TO THIS TIME KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TURKEY AND GERMANY? I THOUGHT THAT WAS GRADE 6 SOCIAL STUDIES.
These PF only deals with controversial countries.
Lock up your daughters!
Sure I know what you mean.
Only parents like you who have not taught their daughters properly should be afraid. You are these young Zambian girls who resides in Germany and is married to an old rich white man who used to live in these tourists towns like Livingstone.
FOR WHAT? DO YOU THINK GERMANS ARE ITALIANS?
This corrupt prostitute of INJUSTICE Minister Wynter (Cold heart) Kabimba, thinks she is tourist in Germany. Honestly their better & competent Zambians gallant corrupt free Women who can represent Zambia at this forum than corrupt Masebo?
She is just cutting deals & making allowances as she has done before without even Dictator Sata getting worried as he did when he appointed Masebo as Livingstone Mayor in the MMD when Sata was a machete wielding man as Minister without portfolio.
Masebo has ended up sending her son at the Foreign Mission in Japan with in tandem with evil & lustrous greed man Wynter Kabimba
PF is running Zambia as their small business
PF bloggers from foreign missions will start blogging using govt computer/internet in defense of these political vultures
SHAKA OZ please stop insulting women in public!This is un-Zambian and un -African.Your language is pathetic and full of bittterness.Let Masebo do her work and wait for another defeat of your tribal regional party in 2016.With this kind of hooliganism your party will never rule Zambia.What if it is your mother being insulted how would you feel?Muleichindikako guys.Your comments are inrresponsible,unreasonable,childish and foolish!!
#3.1 Life is a journey
U PF cadre stop using Zambia govt internet/computer to blog here. Zambian mission in Canada is meant to represent Zambia not PF criminals like Masebo nor u
U sound like your Moron liar Dictator Sata who is telling lies that he wants to ban Online internet bcoz they are insulting women which is a blatant lie like u headless chicken
Masebo is a politician just like any politician in Zambia, being a woman does not shield her from her criminal nor evil activities she is engaging in
Masebo appointed Kabimba on ZAWA board & is engaged in ZAWA corruption activities & Zambians are waiting for a tribunal to prosecute her
So how u MORON evil PF kaponya who is in foreign mission bcoz u are a relative of Masebo, u are also an accomplice in this corruption.
Munnee, your comments are out of line. Why insult a lady in this manner? How would you feel if its your mother, Sister or Wife. Have respect for our women.
#3.3 THE PRINCE
We are sick of u PF kaponyas u crooks who always change names here on the blogs because u are criminals who are misusing & abusing govt internet/computers in foreign missions just to protect your relatives rotten corrupt politicians like Masebo & Kabimba who are stealing from govt using cover companies & failing to answer questions at the Anti Corruption Commission in Zambia
U are “#3.1 Life is a journey” this time & “#3.3 THE PRINCE” but just the same PF kaponya misusing govt internet
U have to know that Masebo is not just a woman but a politician who is corrupt should be judged as a corrupt politician & same scrutiny like any other Zambian politician like the way your PF mad man evil minded Sata has mistreated Dora Siliya. Y haven’t u criticise Sata?
I believe we should not just defend women anyhow you people.This woman is aprostitute!
3.2 ulichipuba.first of all, stop insulting our women. secondly, i dont know about Australia but internet is free in canada. Almost everyone has a place where they can use the internet. There are cafes that offer internet for free and there are public library that offer free internet. this is 2013 so wake up wee mwana wambwa. your stupid useless father should have taught you that we never are to insult women.
#3, DID YOU SLEEP WITH HER FOR YOU TO CONCLUDE THAT SHE IS A PROSTITUTE? HAVE SOME GOOD MANNERS FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU ARE A SON OF A PROSTITUTE DON’T THINK EVERY FEMALE YOU SEE IS ONE. HOW CAN MASEBO BE A PROSTITUTE, NZELU MONGA RB, IWE MAMBALA.
The best tourists in the world are the Japanese. Next are Canadians. The Germans? They will go to RSA where they can understand the cousin language. The Dutch, will go to Far East. The British are Ok, but they dont spend much. They also like structured holidays where everything is predictable. The Swiss, would rathey you came to them!
I think they are following the UNWTO report on tourists by spending.
According to the report, it turns out money is a very good predictor of travel. It was estimated that in 2009, German travelers shelled out a whopping $80.8 billion while outside their country, followed by the United States ($73.1 billion), the United Kingdom ($48.5 billion), China ($43.7 billion) and France ($38.9 billion). Rounding out the top ten were Italy, Japan, Canada, Russia, and the Netherlands.
1) Germany
2) United States
3) United Kingdom
4) China
5) France
6) Italy
7) Japan
8) Canada
9) Russia
10) Netherlands
But you could be right about best travellers.
A phiri Anabwela you are right, I saw this report too, thats what they are following…I live in German and Germans really like to travel alot…they spend alot of money on that, just hope it will be positive for mother Zambia..cos these people love things done orderly…in short they are particular,..
Chinese are new biggest tourist group with lots of money to spend. We really need to appeal to them.
The Chinese have the new money and the Japanese are broke at the moment…gone are the days when London and Paris was full of Japanese tourists. Today its the Chinese running the show!!
Goog luck competing with east african tourist powerhouses who already have visa free tourism,more developed transport hubs and well oiled marketing machinery.Seriously rethink of far better incentives,mama.
and btw,clean up our towns too coz tourists are picky,sensitive people.
So becuase East Africa have a developed tourism system, we should not develop ours? This one of the most retrogressive thinking in this century!
@5.1pakanta….. you have selective amnesia and chose to ignore my call to RETHINK OF BETTER INCENTIVES……isn’t that clearly a call to develop ours? You’re the one with retrogressive thinking.
SO, NDIYE BUTUMBUKA BOSA NKALA NANZELU, KA? IN YOUR OWN SMALL HEAD AND THINKING WE SHOULDN’T OR WE SHOULD STOP TOURISM INDUSTRY?
And the issue of dual citizenship? Tired of been outernational.
So the Germans are much more important than the Zambians living abroad???? what I mean is that if you can allow foreigners to come to Zambia without VISA then why not give us dual citizenship????? very useless
#7 Pierdole
U are spot on man.
These PF Kaponyas are headless & have nor clue to be inclusive in the governing of Zambia, while successive Nigerian & West African governments have been inclusive to their nationals in the Diaspora, Sata & Injustice Minister Kabimba have been very nasty to zambians in the diaspora.
The problem is that illiterate Dictator Sata has inferiority complex & is insecure, he always thinks that Zambians in the diaspora are a threat to him just as he is suppressing opposition members now.
Sata only released Nevers Mumba when the Commonwealth Team jetted in Zambia to save his face upon the team leaving Zambia, Mumba will be taken back in Prison
BECAUSE YOU DON’T NEED A VISA AS A ZAMBIAN.
It is better to remove visa requirements so that tourists come and spend their money in Zambia than insist on visas that will make tourists shun Zambia,go elsewhere and spend their money there.I think most people would rather go where they are not asked for visas than where they are being asked for visas.In any case does Zambia have embassies in most europian cities from where tourists can be issued with visas or tourists must first travel to their capital cities where the Zambian embassies are for the visas before they travell to Zambia?
@Life is a journey
No Zambian is against the PF govt giving free visas to other nations but this should start from within. Zambians in the diaspora wants to be included in the new constitution for dual citizenship but Sata & Kabimba are against all this but they sent Masebo to go & promote for other people than Zambians.
So if i become a German national & renounce my Zambian citizenship, it will be easy for me to come in Zambia without needing a visa? That is nonsense!
Just a note to the writer….the country is called Germany the citizens are called Germans.
and by the way Shaka the way you write is a reflection on you……not the minister!
JAW, WELL SAID.
Please CONSIDER , CHINESE ALSO
Spot on….the British and other European countries are bending backwards for the Chinese new money!
THE CHINESE WHO DEVELOPING OUR COUNTRY MUST BE THE NUMBER ONE FOR NO VISA REQUIREMENT. WHAT’S WRONG WITH ZAMBIAN GOVT THINKING?
Germany assistance qualitative, Chinese assistance very, very poor in quality.
how about just opening up for everyone to penetrate
As far as I know, whether its Japanese or German tourist, they will not come if the country’s human rights record is a suspect. You can waive as many visas as you want but if your citizens that have opposing views are locked up without due process, if their freedoms of expression, association and movement are constantly monitored or prevented , if Ministers who are the custodians of these freedoms on behalf of the people, are seen to be passionately championing and exploiting ethnic tensions, these tourists would rather spend their money in cold Siberia. They will think u share a platform with Boko Haram and the Taliban.
True humans rights is a big issue. This SYLVIA should read what German newspapers are writing about the shameful situation in Zambia. Those Zambians in Germany am not talking about “Die Bildzeitung” but Die zeit, FAZ,newspaper with sense not gossip, well read their online blog you will be surprised
WHICH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION, BONDATE CAPTAINTANGLE?
tzambias human rights record is excellent as far as the international community is concerned. The local bickerring fuelled by the poor oppositional is a normal cry of a bitten child, everyone understands.
Most Germans are law abiding citizens and allowing them in Zambia visa free is acceptable. They say if a German is about to cross the road and the pedestrian crossing light shows red even when there is no sign of cars on the road, they usually wait for the green signal to cross. We welcome them because we need their money but if we want to buy durable German engineered products, are ordinary Zambians welcome in Germany? Visas need to be managed carefully otherwise giving rich people unlimited access to our country and resources could be abused as the minister herself once said that animals where being flown out of the country undetected. Europeans arrived in Africa armed with bibles in their hands and when they left, we had the bibles and they had taken our Land.
Am having mixed feelings about this but you know what I trust our system, at least here the people coming to Zambia will be registered what you Zambians are now doing to yourselves be warned and lock up your children what some Germans do in Philippines etc. Will soon be in Zambia too if you don’t watch out. furthermore your SYLVIA has been misled not the visa is the problem for us Germans,its what your offer us as tourist, is not good and too expensive. I can go to Kenya,Namibia,south Africa for 800€ to Zambia you want 1500€ for a useless programm of Africa. No Germany has ever had visa problems I always get my visa at the airport between 20-40$
With the happenings in Zambia no German is coming there. Zambia you have been sleeping for long the tourist business is gone
WHERE DO YOU LIVE FR33DOM? NO ONE CROSSES THE RED LIGHT EVERYWHERE IN (REAL) EUROPE AND THE UK. NOT EVEN US WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF MADNESS. UNLESS MONEY IS DRILLING YOUR POCKETS. IT’S ONLY IN ZAMBIA WHERE YOU IGNORE TRAFFIC REGULATIONS.
OF COURSE I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT GERMANS BEING THE MOST DISCIPLINED NATIONALITY. BUT THE ANALOGY USED IS INDICATIVE OF SOMEONE WHO SEEMS TO HAVE NOT LIVED OUTSIDE ZAMBIA AND HAS JUST READ PERIODICALS. PARDON ME IF I AM WRONG.
@Umpire above. Agreed. Tourists are a very sensitive bunch of folks. Before they visit a country especially in Africa, they interrogate its profile ESPECIALLY on human rights. The only way one measures the “civilization” of a nation, is how the government treats its citizens who do not agree with it. The most important waiver in my view would be one of removing draconian laws like the public order act that is selectively applied. Zimbabwe and Zambia are unfortunately not doing very well in this area.
ZAMBIA HASN’T GOT ANY BAD NAME ON HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AND IT MAY NEVER HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE TIME. IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THE KK DAYS.
Ease Visas to most good countries; let their citizens Get visas on arrival at a substantial amount. Also consider an option to let travelers apply for VISAS Online. We can have secured website with a payment gateway to allow payment using Credit / Debit cards. WAY TO GO ZAMBIA.
My child, a Zambian was charged $50 because he had a passport of a Western country.that will not be the last time he will be charged, yet I am a Zambian.
Remain Zambian am always experiencing discrimination at the Lusaka airport because of been black and non Zambian national.
…And how much do you pay for your travel to Zambia? You choose to relinquish your Zambian citizenship at your own risk therefore be mindful that when you return to your homeland flashing a foreign passport at the airport, you will be treated as such – a foreigner. Dual nationality should never be a reason for anyone not to travel to their country of birth you should do this regardless. Even as a dual national, your foreign nationality will not protect you from Zambian laws because your Zambian nationality would take precedence. If your child is born outside Zambia, there are provisions in the current law that deals with this. I fully support dual nationality but let’s not make our own nationality inferior because we’re citizens elsewhere. This is why GRZ is not in a hurry to amend…
@ZambianDualNational be told that some of us our parents left Zambia to KK’S TIME,so we are not born in Zambia, like me I have never been a Zambian NATIONAL since birth AM AN EU CITIZEN AND AM ABOVE 30 , NO you DON’T treat us as foreigners, because of the nationality, IF WE WERE TREATED AS FOREIGNERS LIKE WHITES YOU HAVE TO knee down for US TOO LIKE the whites with the same nationality like me YOU ARE TREATING THEM
YOU SEE THE PARADOXE? So What is the motivation to TREAT US BLACKS BAD and knee for the whites WITH THE SAME NATIONALITY LIKE US/ME? Be real in your thinking. WHAT YOU DO TO US ARE THE SAME PROBLEMS BLACK-AMERICANS ARE FACING *RACISM /DISCRIMINATION *
It’s down to parental choices and then your own decision at 21. My father moved to the UK pre-independence but none of us are Brits because our parents chose differently. I am Zambian by choice so it’s a personal decision to be a citizen at some point in your life. I have relations born in various countries who choose to be Zambian and others born in Zambia who have chosen other nationalities. Not sure about this racial discrimination at airport business as there were more whites in the Zambian queue than blacks on my trip in and various family members were in different lines. Actually we were shuffled in to same line at some point and immigration were stellar and yes we were shelling out fifty bucks for some kids we hope get dual at some point.
@Whitehead, if you are looking for preferential treatment at the airport just because you have a foreign passport then you must be having a laugh. I also left Zambia when Kaunda was still president but I have been back home on my Zambian passport every year. If your parents are Zambian then why don’t you apply for Zambian residency to avoid paying visa fees? Just because you hold a foreign passport and your parents are Zambian is not an automatic qualification for preferential treatment. I don’t think I have ever seen an immigration officer at the airport kneeling down for anyone.
Relaxing visa requirements just for UN-WTO is a welcome development, not only for Germans but all nationalities. Beyond UN-WTO, it is unnecessary unless it is done on reciprocal basis in favour of Zambians as well. Relaxation of requirements shouldn’t extend to reducing or scraping the visa fees because ordinary Zambians living abroad are already paying various exorbitant entry fees through the nose in terms carbon tax, compulsory insurance, toll gate even if there are no toll gates, council levy, etc. Moreover, that is the only benefit Zambia gets from these guys because they don’t like leaving any penny in Africa. Let us also not continue allowing visitors to sleep at Intercity, Soweto market, selling Salaula which they donated to us because they go back with their money untouched.
Ba minister please reconsider. If one can manage to pay over $700 for the air ticket, they can surely afford $25 visa fee. No need to do that. If anything then reduce it by an attractive low. Remember that’s the little revenue the country needs to fix roads etc. think outside the box please. If you have recently talked to tourists, most complain about the poor infrastructure and not the visa fees.
Sure that 25-45€ I truly afford 🙂
Moreover these European tourists buy these expensive all inclusive safari packages from Travel operators based in their countries who have already negotiated down the deals to the bone with the Zambian Lodge owners and car hire companies.
Waive for Americans as well!
We do have the potential to make money through tourism. If waiving off visa requirements for Germans can help then go ahead but its sad because they would never do that for Zambians.
Also lets not just concentrate on foreigners. Many Zambians would like to take holidays in other parts of the country but the treatment we give each other is discouraging.
Our tourism sector needs to work on unbiased customer service. Take L/stone for example, Some tour operators have a reputation of only giving good service to ‘non black Zambians’. At some restaurants you can end up being completely ignored when a white person walks in. Make each person who has chosen to try your service want to come back regardless of colour or background. it shouldn’t even matter coz they are paying after all, jus…
That is what am talking about discrimination on your own people. DON’T you know what those whites say about you behaving like that, treating them like kings&/queens? ask us who grow up with them. AFRICANS HAVE SOME PRIDE PLEASE THE USA PRESIDENT IS BLACK HELLO WAKE UP STOP THIS KNEELING DOWN ATTITUDE IS DISGUSTING
THIS IS WHERE SANDIE’S CREATIONS IN LUSAKA SCORE A FIRST. CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY IS SECOND TO NONE. SANDIE MUST START UP A CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY TRAINING SCHOOL. THEIR SERVICE AND ENVIRONMENT IS 5 STAR.
To all the Germans if you support abuse of human rights then come to Zambia for your vacation,If you support corruption and lack of accountability then come to Zambia.My message to all tourists is vote with your dollars go to destinations with respect to human rights
DON’T worry we are not coming nothing interesting in Zambia apart from the good weed in chibolya. Better I go to Namibia at least the speak German,or south Africa they speak Afrikaans (familiar to Dutch)or Kenya beautiful safari not Zambian please. The tourist sector slept too long in Zambia even Zimbabwe is better than Zambian to be honest,with the Victoria falls Zimbabwe makes more money than Zambia.
What’s the logic behind waiving visa for Germans? Will waiving of visas to them encourage them to visit Zambia than to their preferred choice Namibia and RSA? The problem in Zambia is that we don’t even know what the tourist actually sends on the ground; in Europe they know how much money is added to the local economy in local shops every year by the tourists. If a tourist visiting Zambia has paid for an all inclusive package in their home countries and doesn’t drink alcohol I doubt if the Lodge owner will make any additional money from cross selling.
The Europeans tourists will always come to Africa that’s the old money we should be attracting the new money from the affluent Chinese and Indians. We have to be more innovative and creative in implementing our strategies.
JAY PATEL , I presume your son is Indian, thus why the charge, but since u mention that he is zambian of which i assume its the mother then formalies his citizenship at the age of 18, to be either indianor zambian
Is there a reciprocity arrangement here or is it us under the illusion that there will be a flood of German tourists to Zambia?
#ZambianDualNational and Anyoko: I am not Zambian and my son was born here and is Zambian because I am Zambian. No crime in my son holding a passport from here. My son needs to be given Zambian passport without losing his passport from here. What is the point of my son paying visas when he is Zambian who will invest more in Zambbia than these German tourists? That is why we don’t develop as Zambians because we have bad laws for our own people
YOU confuse me! you say “I am not Zambian” but your son should be Zambian because you are Zambian????? 🙂
I get what you are trying to say but the wording is funny lol
My apologies. I am Zambian
Has GRZ sorted out the yellow fever issue with South Africa, Because UN delegates will be surprised to find out that they cannot transit Via SA to return home.
if a tourist is hurting for $50 then thats not a tourist we need mwe. he is too poor to be travelling overseas, whats next we should give him hotel and food for free? why stop just on the visa?
Good move, thousands of Germans come to Namibia because of the history, so they can include Zambia and they spend a lot.
Tourism is big business. Target EU countries and cash flow will improve dramatically. Add China and other Asian Tigers Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and you consolidate the cash flow. Include BRICS Brazil, Russia and South Africa on fast track list to maximize profit. However, special security arrangements are necessary to avoid international criminality. Also, prepare tourists and operators for huge influx to avoid simple avoidable accidents. This means intensive language lessons and cultural films with hot lines and rescue capability.
dont be stupid…if you give a chinese no visa entry, the whole china will move to Kalinga linga and matero
LoL
Waiving Visas should be a bilateral move.. ot one sided ba Masebo!
Any update on this???