South Africa continues to be limited in how many people it can send for the holy Hajj pilgrimage.

Saudi authorities have set the quota for this year’s Hajj at 2500 despite announcing the return of the pilgrimage to pre-pandemic times. It means that South Africa can only send 1 368 more pilgrims this year from 2022.

Earlier this week Saudi Arabia’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry announced the removal of all Covid restrictions and that it will cater for pre-pandemic numbers. In 2019 about 2.5 million pilgrims performed the Hajj before the pandemic struck.