South Africa allows British nationals to enter the country for a period of 90 days on their UK passports without a visa. After the 90 day period is up, you can apply for a variety of visas, depending on the purpose and length of your stay in South Africa.
If you wish to extend your stay for only a short period, you can apply for a visitor’s permit. However, if you plan on staying for a long time, or even contemplate relocating, you can apply for a student, business, or worker’s permit, depending on the nature of your stay. There are different requirements for each type of visa, but those that are common to all include a properly filled out BI-1738 application form, a passport, a copy of your birth certificate, a medical certificate, and passport sized photos. Students must bring a transcript from the educational institution supporting them, while workers must bring proof of the contract with their sponsoring employer. While a visitor’s permit expires after three months, South African student visas are valid for the duration of the applicant’s educational programme and a worker’s visa expires together with the expiration of the job contract with the employer that has hired them.
The normal processing time for visa applications is 10 business days. Applications can be made either in person or by mail. All information included in the application form as well as other paperwork must be accurate, in order to prevent problems in processing.
3 months isnt a bad stay in length terms.