South Africa has taken a major step towards transforming the way international travellers enter the country with the official launch of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) -- a digital system President Cyril Ramaphosa says will make travel easier, faster and more predictable, while strengthening border security.
Launching the system at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, President Ramaphosa described the reform as far more than the introduction of a new digital platform, saying it represents the aspirations of the South Africa of the future.
“This is far more than the introduction of a new digital platform. It is a statement about the kind of country we are building.
“It is about making South Africa more open to opportunity, more welcoming to legitimate travellers, more secure for our citizens and more competitive in the global economy,” the President said.
The launch comes as government continues its programme of structural reforms aimed at removing barriers to economic growth, investment and job creation.
President Ramaphosa said the ETA would support tourism, trade, investment and the exchange of skills and knowledge, while simultaneously improving the integrity of South Africa’s borders and the country’s ability to manage migration effectively.
“The Electronic Travel Authorisation system will make travel to South Africa easier, faster and more predictable. It will encourage tourism. It will support trade. It will attract investment.
“It will facilitate skills and knowledge exchange, and at the same time, it will strengthen the integrity of our borders and improve our ability to manage migration effectively,” the President said.
From the border to the economy
President Ramaphosa placed the reform within the broader global competition for tourists, investors, students, conference delegates and highly skilled professionals.
He said unnecessary delays and cumbersome administrative processes could encourage people to choose other destinations, making visa reform an economic intervention rather than simply an immigration reform.
“Visa reform is not simply an immigration reform. It is an economic reform. It is a jobs reform,” the President said.
With unemployment, particularly among young people, remaining a major national challenge, President Ramaphosa said every reform must ultimately contribute to creating work and expanding opportunities for South Africans.
“The Electronic Travel Authorisation answers that question with a resounding 'yes',” he said.
He highlighted the economic activity that can flow from increased international arrivals, including hotel bookings, restaurants, tour operators, flights, conferences, exports and investment.
“More visitors mean more hotel bookings, more restaurants filled, more tour operators employed, more flights, more conferences, more exports, more investment, and more opportunities for South Africans to earn an income and build a better future,” he said.
A digital gateway to South Africa
The ETA forms part of the Department of Home Affairs vision -- Home Affairs @ home -- , which seeks to move towards a fully digital department capable of providing secure, efficient, accessible and world-class public services.
Under the new system, eligible travellers will be able to apply online from anywhere in the world without having to visit a South African mission or visa processing centre.
Applications are expected to be processed more quickly, with more predictable decisions and an improved travel experience.
The system was initially introduced in four strategic source markets including China, India, Indonesia and Mexico, in support of South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Presidency.
Government is preparing to expand the system to additional countries, while digital processing is expected, over time, to extend beyond visitor authorisations to work visas, study visas and other immigration services.
President Ramaphosa said the initiative represents the beginning of a much broader transformation of South Africa’s immigration system.
Faster travel, stronger border security
While the reform is designed to make lawful travel easier, the President stressed that greater efficiency should not be mistaken for weaker border controls.
“Let me be absolutely clear. A modern immigration system is not a weaker immigration system. It is a smarter immigration system,” the President said.
He said technology would enable government to obtain more information about travellers before they arrive, while strengthening biometric verification, identity management, risk assessment and border security.
“It helps us identify those who seek to abuse our immigration system, while making lawful travel faster and easier,” he said.
The President said the ETA would strengthen both economic openness and national security, in line with government’s Comprehensive Approach to Migration Management.
A border experience that reflects a modern South Africa
During his visit to the processing facilities, President Ramaphosa was taken through the ETA processing systems by Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato.
The demonstration included a tourist whose application was used to test the system. The traveller’s visible reaction to the speed of the process underscored the practical difference the new digital system is intended to make for people entering South Africa.
The demonstration provided a real-time glimpse of the experience government wants international visitors to have: a process that is efficient and digitally enabled, without compromising the country’s security requirements.
The President said the launch was fittingly being held at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa’s busiest gateway to the world and a place bearing the name of struggle icon Oliver Reginald Tambo.
“For many years, OR Tambo travelled the world to rally support for the struggle against apartheid. He carried South Africa’s hopes across continents.
“He took South Africa to the world. Today, through this new system, we are strengthening the way in which the world comes to South Africa,” the President said.
He said the system honours that legacy by ensuring that South Africa’s welcome is “not only warm, but also modern, efficient and secure.” The launch of the ETA comes at a time the country marks its Milestones of Freedom campaign, which is themed, "Honouring the Past. Delivering the Future". The year-long initiative, which was launched in June, promotes social cohesion, reflects on the nation's hard-won democracy, and pairs historical remembrance with active community service delivery.
Part of a wider reform programme
The ETA is being implemented as part of the broader structural reforms under Operation Vulindlela, which was established in 2020 to address longstanding constraints to South Africa’s economic growth.
President Ramaphosa said these constraints had affected electricity, logistics, telecommunications, water infrastructure, the ease of doing business and the immigration system.
He pointed to reforms across these areas as part of a comprehensive effort to remove barriers to growth, investment and job creation.
“These are not isolated reforms. Together, they are removing barriers to growth, investment and job creation. They are making South Africa a more competitive economy,” the President said.
He said the progress demonstrated that meaningful reform was possible when government worked with purpose, urgency and partnership.
Government working as one
The President said the success of the ETA would depend on close cooperation between the Department of Home Affairs, the BMA, the South African Revenue Service, the Department of Tourism, South African Tourism, the aviation industry, diplomatic missions, technology partners and the private sector.
He described South Africa’s borders as strategic national assets, where security, trade, tourism, logistics and economic development intersect.
“Our borders are not merely points of entry. They are strategic national assets. They are where security, trade, tourism, logistics and economic development come together. They demand that government functions as one integrated system,” he said.
President Ramaphosa commended the Department of Home Affairs, the BMA, participating government departments, technology partners and other stakeholders for their contribution to bringing the reform to life.
He said the achievement should give South Africans confidence that government’s reform programme is delivering measurable progress.
A new chapter in South Africa’s global footprint
President Ramaphosa said the ETA ultimately represents a vision for a South Africa that is simultaneously open and secure, a country capable of welcoming legitimate travellers,while protecting its borders and advancing its economic interests.
“Today’s launch is about much more than visas. It is about the future of our country.”
He said South Africa must be a country that welcomes the world with confidence, attracts investment, embraces innovation and ensures that public institutions are efficient, modern and responsive.
“This is the country we are building. It is a country that understands that economic growth requires both openness and security. It is a country determined to compete with the best in the world.
“Above all, it is a country committed to creating work, expanding opportunity and improving the lives of all its people,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
