Home Affairs has revealed its plans for a new digital visa system for people visiting South Africa and its timeline for rolling out the system.
The new system, known as the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), is intended to speed up visitor travel authorisation, improving the country’s tourism sector.
The announcement came during Thursday’s Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s Leadership Conference, where Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber presented the new system.
“The ETA is set to eliminate visa barriers that have suppressed South Africa’s tourism potential for many years, while simultaneously revolutionising the security of our immigration processes,” said Schreiber.
He said that the ETA system will position South Africa as a country with an immigration system that is rapidly modernising, embracing innovation, and becoming a leader in digital transformation.
“Instead of long queues, paper forms and inefficiency, from now on, the first impression tourists will get of South Africa will be when they apply online for an ETA,” he said.
The ETA system is planned to begin the first phase of its planned rollout in mid-October.
Before this, the system will begin with user acceptance testing at the end of September.
The first phase of the rollout focuses on G20 delegates from the four G20 member countries that require visas (China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico) arriving at OR Tambo and Cape Town international airports.
The second phase, planned for November 2025, will open applications to all tourists from the above four countries.
“Once the system is stable, the ETA will be expanded to become the single entry-point for tourist visas from all countries that require visas to visit South Africa,” said Home Affairs.
The ETA system will also be integrated with an upgraded Electronic Movement Control System, ensuring seamless arrivals through automated biometric checks and minimal queuing.
“Over the coming years, the ETA will be expanded to other visa categories, with automated entry-and-exit, based on facial recognition, to be rolled out to all ports of entry,” said Home Affairs.
Online visa schemes
The department has been testing various online visa schemes for those coming to the country for specific purposes in 2025.
This includes the likes of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS), which allows vetted tour groups to use the online system to submit their clients’ visa details.
Along with this, there is the Meetings, Events, Exhibitions, and Tourism Scheme (MEETS) and Screen Talent and Global Entertainment Scheme (STAGES).
These are aimed at attendees of major conferences, sporting events, exhibitions, and other global events and for entertainment professionals, respectively.
Regarding STAGES, Schreiber noted that South Africa lost the chance to host a massive Netflix production, estimated at R400 million, before the scheme was introduced.
Both STAGES and MEETS have been welcomed by the industry, with Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) national chairperson, Rosemary Anderson, noting that it was refreshing to see such a practical step being taken.
Anderson also noted that schemes such as STAGES and MEETS are powerful economic enablers that signal the world that South Africa is truly open for business.
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