Hi! And thank you for visiting Lagostojozi.com. My name is Akindele Olunloyo. I started the Lagostojozi blog in June 2014 as a passion project. The intention of creating this online platform was to assist Nigerians with quality, up to date information regarding doing business, visiting, working or living in South Africa as a law-abiding African immigrant. Launched initially as an online forum, it has since transformed into a full-fledged travel resources blog that addresses the immigration questions of both Nigerians and South Africans who wish to travel to South Africa and Nigeria, respectively.

It is the hope of this blog to bridge the immigration information gaps between Nigeria and South Africa.

As you are aware that travelling opens you to many opportunities – career, education, recreation, and even love! Nigerians and South Africans have the chance to explore all these options in each other’s countries.  Therefore, informed travel decisions are vital to take advantage of these opportunities and to have a memorable travelling experience. Through this platform, the Lagostojozi blog seeks to encourage better travelling decision-making from Lagos to Johannesburg and vice versa.

Who are we?

Lagostojozi is a travel blog that strives to inspire informed travelling decisions from Lagos to Johannesburg and from Johannesburg to Lagos. By making travelling to South Africa and Nigeria as accessible as possible for the citizens, the blog hopes to promote social cohesion among the citizens of these great African countries.

The Vision

To be the foremost travel and immigration blog on South Africa and Nigeria.

…Mission

Lagostojozi’s mission is to publish travel and immigration tips for Nigerians visiting, studying, working, or living in South Africa. And for South Africans doing the same in Nigeria.

Objectives of Lagostojozi

Find below practical objectives and goals of the Lagos to Jozi Blog:

1. To Provide Credible And Reliable Information About Tourism And Tourist Destinations In Both South Africa And Nigeria

Lagostojozi seeks to inspire Nigerians and South Africans to visit each other’s countries while arming these visitors with the necessary information needed for a memorable holiday experience. For example, notable tourist destinations in South Africa are located across its nine provinces. Some of South Africa’s attractions include the Kruger National Park, Table Mountain, the Apartheid Museum, and the Cradle of Humankind.

In 2019, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) disclosed that tourists from Nigeria made up the highest number of South African visitors from non-SADC countries in Africa. A total of 39,041 Nigerians visited South Africa for holidays in the year 2019.

2. To Promote Bilateral Relations Between Nigeria And South Africa.

Lagostojozi seeks to promote cordial bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa as well as social cohesion by encouraging peaceful and respectable friendships amongst Nigerians and South Africans.

Nigeria – South Africa Relations: A brief

Nigeria and South Africa enjoy rich historical and present-day connections. Both were former British colonies. They are also members of the Commonwealth of Nations and the African Union. Nigeria was a major contributor to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Substantial financial support and the granting of asylum to South African freedom fighters in Nigeria were among the many ways the Nigerian government helped fight the oppressive Apartheid regime.

After the crushing of the apartheid regime, Nigeria and the new South Africa established formal diplomatic relations, which led to integrating the people from both countries. Nigeria and South Africa officially established diplomatic relations on the 21^st of February, 1994. The Consulate General of Nigeria is based in Johannesburg, and the Nigeria High Commission is in Pretoria. The South African High Commission is also located in Abuja, while its Consulate-General is in Lagos.

3. To Provide The Nigerian and South African Travelers With Practical And Reliable Travel Resources Required For Their Journey

Lagostojozi strives to provide Nigerians and South Africans with practical and reliable ways to travel on a budget across their countries. The blog also aims to provide a rich platform with resources that cater to every aspect of the travelers’ needs.

Some of the information shared on the blog are tips for Nigerian and South African travelers, for example, South African visa application tips, Nigerian visa application guides, travel packing lists, trip planning, holiday ideas, travel insurance, cheap flight information, electronic flight reservations, instant flight bookings, accommodation information, and transportation information and services in both South Africa and Nigeria.

4. To Encourage Nigerians To Explore Educational Advancement Opportunities In South Africa

Lagostojozi seeks to encourage the Nigerian youth to explore educational opportunities in South African tertiary institutions. South African universities make up a significant number of the most highly ranked universities in Africa. 7 South African universities are featured in the QS World University Rankings of 2021. The universities are the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University, Rhodes University, and the University of Kwazulu-Natal.

These world-class universities offer Nigerian youths the opportunity to acquire quality education.

5. To Promote Professional Development, Trade And Commerce Between Nigeria and South Africa

Lagostojozi wants to encourage skilled Nigerians and South Africans to explore opportunities in each other’s countries. For example, South Africa continues to provide professional opportunities for competent Nigerians to ply their trade, while Nigeria also offers South Africans commercial opportunities. This blog strives to share more options for opportunities and also hopes that both governments will expand the scope of professional and commercial opportunities for citizens from both countries.

Trade and Investment Between Nigeria and South Africa: A Brief

Notable Lagos-based businesses are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Nigerian-based Dangote Group is a significant investor in the South African cement industry. Total bilateral trade between Nigeria and South Africa has exceeded $4billion.

South Africa’s main import from Nigeria is crude oil. And hundreds of companies are currently trading in Nigeria and South Africa; these consist of Nigerian companies, South African companies, and international conglomerates.  Examples include Shoprite, MTN, Dangote, Oando, and MultiChoice. Nigeria and South Africa continue to enjoy strong economic ties, despite the occasional tug-of-war between Nigerians and South Africans. These two countries are the primary power hubs in Africa.  Jozi (Joburg) continues to be a favourite African travel destination for Nigerians, either for business or for leisure.

A Wrap up

Lagostojozi is a travel blog that seeks to inspire informed travel between Nigeria and South Africa and to make traveling as accessible as possible to its readers.  It also strives to encourage Nigerians and South Africans to explore opportunities in each other’s countries.

Additionally, Lagostojozi aims to promote bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa.  This is expected to foster social cohesion and friendship among the citizens of both nations.