The South African government has denied reports that Nigerian music star Ayra Starr and members of her team were refused visas to enter the country, challenging those making the allegations to provide evidence.
Speaking on Friday, South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, said immigration authorities had no record of any visa application or rejection involving the singer.
“Immigration authorities are not aware of any application or rejection involving Ayra Starr or her team. If those making these claims can provide the names of the applicants and their visa reference numbers, we will verify the matter,” Moroe said.
The controversy follows renewed calls by some Nigerian public figures for the Federal Government to adopt reciprocal visa measures against South African artistes if it is established that Ayra Starr was previously denied entry into the country.
The calls stem from reports that the singer’s scheduled performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town in February 2024 were cancelled after her team allegedly failed to obtain South African visas.
At the time, concert promoter Steyn Entertainment attributed the cancellation to visa issues.
“Despite exploring every possible avenue, visas were not granted to Ayra Starr and her team. We regret the inconvenience caused to fans, and all purchased tickets will be refunded,” the organisers had stated.
Efforts to obtain a response from Ayra Starr were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from the schedule of her upcoming world tour, further fuelling tensions surrounding cultural exchanges between both countries.
The Lagos concert, initially scheduled for December 22, disappeared from the singer’s official tour itinerary, although other international dates remained unchanged. Neither Tyla nor her management has publicly explained the decision.
The planned concert had sparked criticism from some Nigerians, who accused the singer of remaining silent over recent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in South Africa.
Some public figures and social media users had called for Nigerian authorities to deny Tyla and her entourage entry into the country, while an online petition opposing the concert gathered thousands of supporters.
Commenting on the development, former Nigerian Consul to Cameroon, Rasheed Akinkuolie, said the current diplomatic atmosphere between Nigeria and South Africa made cultural exchanges difficult.
“Relations between both countries remain strained, and this is not the best time to organise cultural events because of possible security concerns. The issues surrounding attacks on Nigerians should be addressed through dialogue, while victims deserve compensation,” he said.
Reacting to reports of Tyla’s cancelled Lagos concert, Moroe said the South African mission had not received any formal communication from the organisers.
“We have only seen reports circulating on social media. We have not received any official notification from the promoters, so we cannot confirm or deny the reports,” he stated.
Moroe, however, maintained that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa remained cordial, noting that recent engagements between officials of both countries reflected efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has reiterated its demand for compensation for Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa and called for the implementation of the bilateral Early Warning Mechanism designed to prevent future attacks.
A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigeria expected South Africa to honour its commitments under the agreement and take concrete steps to protect Nigerians residing in the country.
The latest developments come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts by both countries to address tensions arising from recent xenophobic incidents and immigration-related concerns.
