A recent Constitutional Court ruling has been hailed as a significant victory for South Africans living overseas, allowing them to retain their citizenship even after acquiring a second nationality.
The advocacy group Operation Watershed, which represents South Africans abroad, welcomed the judgment, calling it a crucial step toward ensuring continued engagement in the country's civic life. Under the previous law, South Africans who took on foreign citizenship without first obtaining approval from the Minister of Home Affairs automatically lost their South African citizenship — often without notice.
Hayley Reichert, a UK-based member of Operation Watershed, described the court's decision as a "major win" for citizens who live, work, or study abroad. “Many were turned away from foreign missions when trying to register to vote, only to be told they were no longer South African,” said Reichert. “We looked into the Citizenship Act and identified the issue. That’s when we sent our findings to Haniff Hoosen, who was the DA's Shadow Minister for Home Affairs at the time.”
Reichert, originally from Durban, said the impact of the previous law was devastating for thousands. “I've met tens of thousands of South Africans who were heartbroken. Some had their passports destroyed in front of them and were told — often quite harshly — that they were no longer citizens,” she recalled.
She added that many had little choice but to proceed with acquiring foreign citizenship due to expiring visas, saying the process of obtaining the required retention letter could take months or even years.
The Department of Home Affairs has announced that a new online portal to facilitate the updated citizenship process will go live next month.