South Africa is implement an end-to-end digital system to ease the visa process for tourists and to tighten security around its immigration processes.

Launching its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) platform in mid-August, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the system had been piloted during South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025 to facilitate movement of delegates from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. The system has since processed more than 200 000 visa applications, with its safety features having identified and rejected 6 126 fraudulent applications, including cases involving fraudulent passports, manipulated documents and other indicators of fraud.

Engineering News reports that the system will over time become compulsory for short-stay visitors from countries that require port-of-entry visas to South Africa. At the same time visa-exempt travellers will be able to use the ETA voluntarily, to access the faster ETA queue on arrival and if they want to extend their stay to 90 days.

As the ETA uses biometric verification, international airports in South Africa have been required to upgrade their electronic movement control systems. Once all airports are equipped with the upgraded system it will be rolled out to all ports of entry,

‘ETA is not designed to be just a digital visa for tourists and short visits. Our aim is to turn it into the single-entry point and central platform for an end-to-end digital immigration system, where all visa categories are processed through biometric and machine learning technology,’ Schreiber said.

Complex visa types that will be included are study, work and spousal visas.

Applicants need to register on the ETA platform, then upload copies of their passport and photographs. The system will able to verify the identity of the travellers, and if approved, the ETA will be issued within 24 hours and can be stored in the user’s digital wallet.

18 August 2026
Image: Freepik