The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has developed fairly sophisticated procedures to checks on business permit or visa holders for compliance with their visa or permit conditions. Starting with in-depth desktop research to verify location and appearance of business premises, company registration, SARS compliance etc., the DTI establishes whether the business is up and running and, in fact, conducting the type of business described in the investor’s business plan. The officials also conduct site visits in order to get an impression of the feasibility and success of the business, the staff complement etc. Investors should not be surprised if they receive a call from the DTI and should accommodate the officials as much as possible. It is important that the DTI gets to see the many legitimate and successful businesses run by non-South Africans as the officials have been quite frustrated at the poor quality of businesses they have been visiting, which can have a negative impact on their recommendation policies and attitude towards investors.