The South African Government has denied claims that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and members of her team were denied visas, urging those making the allegations to provide evidence as Grammy-winning artiste Tyla removed Lagos from her 2026 world tour schedule.

South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, said immigration authorities had no record of any visa application or rejection involving Ayra Starr or her team.

Speaking in an interview on Friday, Moroe asked those alleging visa denial to submit the names of the affected persons and their visa application reference numbers for verification.

“The immigration said they were not aware of the application or the rejection. But what will assist us is if the people who are making these allegations will send us the names and reference numbers of Ayra Starr and her team; if they were rejected and why they were rejected, so that we can double-check,” he said.

The controversy follows calls by some Nigerians, including former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for the Federal Government to review visa applications from South African artistes under the principle of reciprocity.

Akpoti-Uduaghan had argued that if it was confirmed Ayra Starr and her team were previously denied visas, Nigeria should respond with equivalent measures until Nigerians receive fair treatment in South Africa.

In February 2024, organisers of Ayra Starr’s planned concerts in Johannesburg and Cape Town announced the cancellation of the shows, attributing the decision to the alleged denial of visas.

Steyn Entertainment had stated that visas were denied despite efforts to secure entry permits for the singer and her team.

Meanwhile, Tyla has removed Lagos from the itinerary of her world tour after announcing earlier this week that she would perform in the city on December 22.

A check of the singer’s official tour website on Friday showed that the Lagos concert had been removed, while performances across Europe, North America, Cape Town and Johannesburg remained on the schedule.

Neither Tyla nor her management has explained the change.

The development followed widespread criticism from Nigerians over her silence on recent xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians in South Africa.

Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, had threatened to mobilise supporters to stop the concert, while media personality Do2dtun urged Nigerian immigration authorities to deny Tyla and her team visas.

An online petition calling for the singer to be barred from performing in Nigeria until attacks on Nigerians cease also gathered thousands of signatures.

The cancellation further sparked hostile reactions on social media, with several South African users making inflammatory comments calling for the expulsion of Nigerians from their country.

Reacting to the development, former Nigerian Consul to Cameroon, Rasheed Akinkuolie, said removing Lagos from the tour was unsurprising given the diplomatic tension between both countries.

He argued that cultural exchanges were inappropriate under the current circumstances because of security concerns and urged the South African Government to compensate Nigerians who lost lives, businesses and property during xenophobic attacks.

Akinkuolie also called for the dispute to be resolved through dialogue but warned that Nigeria could consider stronger measures if the attacks persist.

On Tyla’s cancelled Lagos show, Moroe said the South African mission had not received any formal notification from the organisers.

“On Tyla, we have not received any formal complaint or notification from the promoters, although we have also seen reports on social media, so we cannot confirm or deny them,” he said.

Despite the tensions, Moroe maintained that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa remained cordial, citing recent engagements between officials of both countries.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has renewed its demand for compensation for Nigerians who lost property during the recent xenophobic attacks and urged South Africa to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the Early Warning Mechanism to prevent future incidents.