Johnny Sexwale (centre) opens the new Auckland centre. Photo: Supplied / South Africa High Commission
The South African High Commission says long waits for passports and consular appointments are being fixed by a new Auckland facility.
Thousands of migrants had been forced to travel to Wellington, and delays meant some even flew home to get important documents.
High Commissioner Johnny Sexwale launched the VFS Global partnership last week, saying it was a "long overdue" project and would bring massive relief to thousands of South Africans living in New Zealand.
"This is a journey towards delivering efficient civic services to South Africans. The days of travelling great distances to the South African High Commission in Wellington are gone.
"We want to acknowledge the frustration of the South African citizens over a number of years. We have heard our community. We have responded - not only with words, but with action."
An immigration consultancy estimated the wait times to have been slashed from up to 12 months to three or four weeks.
The South African home affairs department is also transforming from a paper-based bureaucracy to a digital-first institution, Sexwale said, and was working on adding Smart ID applications to the service.
The new Auckland and Wellington VFS centre can deal with passport renewals, creates an online appointment booking system and offers extended opening hours.
First passport and ID applications can only be submitted at the South African High Commission in Wellington and documents still have to be collected in person, but Sexwale said more information on delivery options would be coming up.
"This initiative has been in the pipeline for several years, and when I assumed office last year, one of my immediate priorities was to address the growing need for consular services among our citizens. I am pleased that we are now seeing its realisation."
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