South Africans heading abroad urged to join safety registration service
The International Relations Department is urging South Africans travelling to other countries to sign up with the Registration of South Africans Abroad.
Officials say the register will assist citizens in emergency situations such as kidnapping, cross-border child abduction, natural disasters and potential hostage situations.
The department also says more than 800 South Africans are in jail overseas for offences committed abroad.
DIRCO's Chris Chetty says they're working in partnership with Correctional Services to have those who are registered returned to the country to serve their sentences.
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"We facilitate communication between the businesses and the families in South Africa - advising them of the status of their health and telling them if there are any new developments.
"The prison authorities gave us this information - in terms of shortening jail sentences and them commuting their prison sentences to come and serve in South Africa. We call it prisoner transfer agreement. We then communicate this to the family," he said.