What all travellers need to know about SA's new visa system

IN A BOLD move towards modernising the country’s immigration framework, South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, announced a comprehensive digital visa system that will soon be mandatory for all entrants to the nation.

- ZAMANDOSI CELE

Presenting his budget for the upcoming financial year, Schreiber stated: “No person will be able to enter South Africa without first obtaining a digital visa through the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation),” marking a significant shift in how the country manages immigration.

The launch of the ETA is set for the end of September, ahead of the G20 leaders’ meeting in Johannesburg in November.

According to Schreiber, the ETA will digitalise the entire visa process, enhancing efficiency and combating corruption that has plagued the traditional paper-based system.

“The endpoint of all of these reforms,” Schreiber explained, “is to enable both South Africans and legitimate visitors to apply for and obtain enabling documents online, including in digital format, from the comfort of their own homes.”