As South Africa prepares for the full rollout of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), feedback from the pilot phase suggests, while the system has worked smoothly for some travellers, technical and communication challenges remain.
A Chinese travel industry professional reported problems with the SMS verification process following the system update on August 1.
Upon registering, users receive a one-time-password (OTP) required to activate the account. Applicants using mainland China mobile numbers (+86) have reportedly been unable to receive the OTP and thus activate their accounts. The newly introduced verification process now appears to be preventing otherwise eligible applicants from accessing the official ETA platform.
According to feedback from the Chinese travel trade, the problem appears to extend across multiple mobile network operators rather than being limited to a single provider.
The situation has also reportedly created opportunities for intermediaries offering verification services using South African mobile numbers with some applicants charged fees to complete the registration process. If accurate, this creates an unnecessary financial burden on travellers and undermines the principle of equal access to the official ETA system.
While the OTP incident seems isolated to mainland China numbers, the ETA system has presented further challenges to Indian tour operators.
Indian travellers
Amisha Sheth, Founder and CEO of Bliss Travels, reported that the application process is significantly hampered by poor communication and support systems.
“The biggest issue we have experienced is not necessarily only the application process but the lack of visibility once an application has been submitted. When there is a delay or an application does not progress as expected, there is very little clarity about what is happening.”
Sheth said applications are not consistently processed within 24-48 hours, as promised for Indian travellers, and emails seeking clarification or assistance are often not answered.
For travel advisers handling international travel, this poses a major operational problem because clients need to make decisions about flights, hotels, safari lodges and other non-refundable arrangements.
Sheth recommended that the ETA process should include a clear tracking system showing the status of every application as well as automatic notifications when an application is received, being processed, delayed or approved. She also asked for a clearly defined customer support channel responding promptly to enquiries.
“The ETA is a good concept but technology alone doesn’t make a travel process seamless. The support infrastructure around it is equally important. If travellers perceive the entry authorisation process as uncertain or difficult, it can become a deterrent – particularly when there are competing destinations offering relatively straightforward entry procedures.”
Smitra Srivastava, Co-Founder and Director of Chalo Africa Inc, said clients have not reported any major issues with the application process although using the ETA system presents practical difficulties. Several airlines do not seem to be aware of the existence of South Africa’s ETA system while ETA processing booths are sometimes offline at Cape Town International Airport, resulting in long queues at immigration.
Srivastava also noted the need for the ETA system to include children as many travellers holiday as families.
Positive feedback
However, the experience has not been uniformly negative.
Jimmy Rawal, CEO and Product Director for Adler Tours and Safaris, finds no issues with the ETA system: clients receive their mandatory SMS verification during the application process and approval within four to six hours, which is significantly faster than the reported 24-48 hour timeframe.
“Overall, our experience has been exceptional. This is one of the most efficient and user-friendly ETA platforms we have used. We encountered zero technical or operational glitches.”
