The South African Government has denied claims that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and members of her team were denied visas to enter the country, asking those making the allegations to provide evidence to support their claims.
South Africa’s Consul General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, made the clarification in an interview on Friday, July 31, 2026, saying immigration authorities had no record of any visa application or rejection involving the singer or her entourage.
He urged those alleging visa denial to submit the names of the affected persons and their visa application reference numbers to enable the mission verify the claims.
“The immigration authorities said they were not aware of the application or the rejection. What will assist us is if those making these allegations provide the names and reference numbers of Ayra Starr and her team so we can verify what happened,” Moroe said.
The reaction followed calls by some Nigerians, including former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, for the Federal Government to apply the principle of reciprocity when processing visa applications from South African artistes.
Akpoti Uduaghan had argued that if Ayra Starr and her team were indeed denied visas, Nigeria should respond with similar measures until Nigerians and Nigerian entertainers receive fair treatment in South Africa.
Investigations indicate that in February 2024, Ayra Starr and members of her team were reportedly unable to secure South African visas ahead of scheduled performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The concert organisers, Steyn Entertainment, had at the time attributed the cancellation of the shows to visa denial, apologising to fans and announcing refunds for purchased tickets.
Despite those reports, Moroe maintained that there was no official record confirming the visa applications or their rejection.
Efforts to obtain a response from Ayra Starr were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
