Visa approved but refused to be issued

It doesn't make any sense, the situation is if decision is pending then it will not be considered overstay until your decision will be made.

If DHA Pretoria has approved then no one can change at regional office until and unless there is some reason they have told you.

By the way how do you know that Visa is approved? normally decision is made at Pretoria and then dispatched to regional office but you can't tell whether it is approved or not until you will be at regional office to collect.

I will suggest you to contact some immigration lawyer for correct opinion as now a day lot of things are changed.

That's what I thought as well, but I've been informed the laws considering overstay have changed. I'm not sure if this has been put into effect.

I know the Visa status is approved as both offices have confirmed this for me. However, it is just the physical paper work that is "lost" in the mail that is preventing them from issuing the permit.

In the meantime, I have a new work opportunity that I'm going to loose and have to worry about how I get this permit that I'm waiting a year for to reflect this new job instead of the old job! I mean they have really put my life in a stand still!

If visa is approved and paperwork is misplaced it DHA's headache. If both the offices are saying it is approved then how can it be overstaying. It seems strange, an immigration lawyer can assist you better.

You better do something and fast! Once I was leaving South Africa. At the airport lady has scanned my old visa and asked of I had paid my overstay penalty? I showed her my valid visa, she then went somewhere with my passport and 15 minutes later they let me go to the plane. Surprise was waiting for me 2 weeks later: I was refused entry to South Africa because of previous overstay!!! Nobody looking at your passport and listening to your story. They got record in computer and you are not welcomed person. They took my bags, my cellphone (they allowed me to make one call to my husband), I have spend a day behind the bars at the airport and very same evenind was sent back to London. Lucky my husband is self-employed, he bought ticket on same flight and we went together to London. There at the embassy we explained situation and I was issued new visa. 10 or so days later on arrival in South Africa I was arrested again. Lucky my husband was with me and after hours at the airport Home Affairs office we were finally let in.
Just wanted to tell my story that you dont think that your permit issue will sort out itself.

We are immigration lawyers. You can speed this up through a court order or a demand letter to the DHA, which we can draft.

Alternatively you have to wait until the visa has arrived at your local office.

Unfortunately it is exactly as Shana wrote - if you atempt to leave, you WILL be considered undesirable and banned from re-entering. This is the new process. Once you leave, you are allowed to apply to overturn the decision (which by the way is usually granted - I had some friends that did that). Best is not to leave and wait for the outcome.

Shana - when did you find out that your permit has been granted? For me it took more than 3 months fo it to be delivered from Pretoria to Germiston (roughly 60 km...)
If it's less than that, I suggest that you just keep calling. If it's a lot more than that - get a legal assistance.