BUA Boss Denied Entry to South Africa Despite Visa

Rabiu, the founder of BUA Group, experienced a denial of entry into South Africa in 2025 despite possessing a visa, which had expired by one day. This incident occurred when he arrived at the immigration checkpoint at Cape Town for a mining conference after traveling from Lagos.

Rabiu described the situation as frustrating, noting that he and his team were held at the airport for several hours while efforts were made to resolve the issue. Ultimately, he was asked to return to Lagos.

He expressed discomfort regarding the treatment of African travelers compared to foreign visitors, who were allowed to enter South Africa without a visa. This experience was shared during a session at the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda, which was attended by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and other business leaders and government officials discussing Africa's economic growth and future.