South Africa’s fully digital electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system for short-term tourist visas will go live by the end of September, according to Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber.
The ETA, which will initially apply to visa applications for stays of under 90 days, was first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address in February. It is part of government’s broader plan to digitise visa and border entry processes.
Schreiber said the ETA, overseen by the Border Management Authority, will be rolled out at major international airports. “Over time, we will expand the ETA so that every type of visa application is processed only through this AI-based system to eliminate fraud and inefficiency forever,” he stated in a Facebook post.
While key technical details remain under wraps, speaking to Tourism Update, Schreiber confirmed that the list of eligible nationalities will be announced at the time of the official launch. “It would be premature to discuss the finer details as this will all be revealed at the go-live launch in September.
“Testing and refinement continues in the background ahead of the launch in September. The system worked flawlessly during a live demonstration for President Ramaphosa last week,” Schreiber said.
AI will play a central role in streamlining the application process. “The ETA will include world-class cybersecurity systems and live monitoring by AI-powered risk engines.” Applications are expected to be processed in a matter of hours,” Schreiber said.
Home Affairs has indicated willingness to work with industry stakeholders to ensure awareness of the rollout. “We would be very happy to work with the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism to promote the ETA abroad,” said Schreiber. “We believe this is a game changer for the tourism industry.”
