The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, has clarified that Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr was initially denied a South African visa in February 2024 because her application included an inappropriate yellow fever certificate, not because of her nationality or celebrity status. Speaking in an interview with Punch, Moroe said the issue was later resolved after South African officials met with the singer’s team to explain the visa requirements.

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According to Moroe, Ayra Starr’s team submitted a yellow fever certificate issued by another country instead of the certificate from her home country, which is a mandatory immigration requirement. He explained that after the necessary documentation was corrected, the singer was granted a one-year visa to perform in South Africa in 2024. The envoy dismissed suggestions that South Africa deliberately denied the artist entry, describing recent online claims as misleading and capable of creating unnecessary division.

Moroe stressed that all visa applications are assessed strictly on immigration requirements, regardless of an applicant’s status or profession. He maintained that anyone who meets the requirements is granted a visa, while those who fail to comply with the regulations will be refused. He also rejected claims that South Africa had stopped issuing visas to Nigerians, revealing that applications from Nigerians have increased from 40–60 monthly in previous years to 60–80 per month, underscoring continued travel and engagement between both countries.