Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber today unveiled South Africa’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s Leadership Conference.
The ETA marks a major step in the Department of Home Affairs’ mission to deliver Home Affairs @ Home through digital transformation.
Powered by advanced machine learning, the system essentially replaces outdated, paper-based visa processes with a fast, secure, and fully digital platform.
South Africa launches digital ETA system
With the ETA, visa applicants can:
Apply online
Capture and submit biometrics.
Receive approvals in real time.
The platform is integrated with Electronic Movement Control System 2.0 (EMCS 2.0), which uses facial recognition technology at ports of entry.
Starting at OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports, the system will speed up arrivals through automated biometric checks, reducing queues while strengthening border security.
User acceptance testing is scheduled to start at the end of September. The first phase, beginning in mid-October, will allow G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico, four member countries whose citizens require visas to enter South Africa, to apply through the ETA when travelling to OR Tambo or Cape Town International Airport.
The second phase will open applications to all tourists from these same countries. Once fully stable, the system will expand to serve as the single entry point for all tourist visa applications worldwide.
In the years ahead, the ETA will also be broadened to include additional visa categories, with automated entry and exit through facial recognition technology extended to every port of entry.
A boost for tourism
Minister Schreiber emphasised that the ETA is designed to eliminate long-standing visa bottlenecks while improving security. He highlighted the success of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) pilot, which brought in more than 35 000 additional tourists from China and India in just seven months.
