The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe, has categorically denied that immigration authorities possess any record of a visa application or rejection involving Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr and her team. Moroe, speaking in an interview published by The Punch on Saturday, insisted that unverified allegations should be set aside until concrete evidence is provided.
The denial lands amid a firestorm of controversy ignited by the announcement of Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla's APOP World Tour. The tour originally listed Lagos as the sole Nigerian stop, but after intense public outrage over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, the Lagos date has now been quietly scrubbed from the official schedule.
Consul-General Demands Visa Application Details
Moroe stressed that he could not confirm what he could not verify, and he called on those repeating the visa refusal claims to submit the full names and visa application reference numbers of the affected individuals. This, he said, would allow the South African mission to conduct a thorough investigation into whether any such applications were actually made. He also cautioned against allowing misinformation to damage the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.
The controversy has triggered a wave of reciprocal sentiment, with numerous Nigerian public figures calling on the Federal Government to bar South African artists from performing in Nigeria. The debate has been further fueled by the memory of Ayra Starr's cancelled concerts in South Africa in February 2024.
The 2024 Ayra Starr Concert Cancellation Revisited
At the center of the current dispute is an incident that occurred in February 2024. Steyn Entertainment, the organisers of Ayra Starr's scheduled performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town, suddenly cancelled the shows. The company's Managing Director, Dale De Ruig, announced that visas had been denied “despite exploring every avenue possible,” and promised that full refunds would be processed through Quicket within seven business days.
That cancellation, which was widely covered in both Nigerian and South African media, has become a rallying point for those demanding reciprocal treatment. Politicians and celebrities alike have used it to argue that South African artists should not enjoy the Nigerian market while Nigerian talents face difficulties entering South Africa.
Nigerian Figures Urge Government Action
Among the most vocal opponents of Tyla's Lagos concert was activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, who threatened to physically block the event through his “Ratel Movement.” Writer Solomon Buchi urged Nigerians to reject the tour, citing Tyla's silence during attacks that, in his words, cost Nigerians their lives, businesses, and livelihoods.
Singer Jaywon took a particularly harsh stance, describing any Nigerian who would attend the concert as an “illegitimate citizen.” On-air personality Do2dtun also added his voice to the opposition, while Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central Senatorial District escalated the matter to the federal level.
The senator formally asked the Federal Government and the Nigeria Immigration Service to deny Tyla and her entourage entry into Nigeria, invoking the principle of reciprocity and directly referencing Ayra Starr's reported visa ordeal. Former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole also weighed in, calling for a review of all visa applications from South African artists seeking to perform in Nigeria.
Tyla Removes Lagos From APOP Tour Schedule
The mounting pressure appears to have had an immediate effect. Checks conducted on Friday, July 31, 2026, confirmed that Tyla's Lagos concert date had been removed from her official APOP World Tour website. The rest of the tour schedule, including dates in Europe, North America, and South Africa, remained unchanged.
Neither Tyla nor her management had released an official statement regarding the removal as of the time of this report. The sudden disappearance of the Lagos date has led to widespread speculation that the schedule change is a direct response to the public backlash and the calls for reciprocal action from Nigerian officials and celebrities.
The situation continues to develop, and it remains unclear whether the Lagos concert will be reinstated or officially cancelled. What is clear is that the visa controversy involving Ayra Starr has reignited a broader conversation about the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa and the cultural exchanges between the two nations.
