South Africa is set to revolutionise its immigration processes by phasing out paper-based visa applications and introducing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber at a tourism industry conference.
The ETA platform will allow travellers to apply online, submit biometrics, and receive approvals in real time, replacing long-standing manual procedures. It will be integrated with a new Electronic Movement Control System (EMCS 2.0), which incorporates facial recognition technology at ports of entry.
OR Tambo and Cape Town International airports will be the first to adopt the system, with testing beginning at the end of September. The rollout will occur in phases:
- October 2025: G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico will be the first to use the system.
- Post-November 2025: Tourists from those countries will be added.
- Beyond 2026: The system will extend to all visa-requiring nations and later cover additional visa categories.
The South African government says the ETA will cut queues, improve security, and eliminate visa bottlenecks that have historically hampered tourism growth.
“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,” Schreiber said.
He noted that the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme pilot has already added over 35,000 tourists from China and India in just seven months and expressed optimism that the ETA could “turbocharge” arrivals in 2026 and beyond.
The government also confirmed that automated entry and exit based on facial recognition will eventually be rolled out to all ports of entry across the country.
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