Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, has described the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system as revolutionary for South Africa’s immigration management.
The Minister was speaking at the official launch of the ETA system led by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.
The system combines advanced biometric verification with automated risk analysis, delivering both enhanced security and faster processing for legitimate travellers.
“Today’s launch of the ETA represents a quantum leap forward for our country’s immigration system, both by unlocking economic growth through tourism, investment and legitimate travel, and by landing a decisive blow against visa fraud and illegal immigration,” Schreiber declared.
The system uses automated risk analysis to identify indicators of fraud at a “speed and scale no human could achieve”
“If the application is approved, the traveller will receive their ETA within 24 hours, which they can then store directly in the digital wallet on their smart phone.
“Once an approved traveller arrives at the immigration counter, they are again required to look into a camera, where biometric verification enables us to confirm that the person standing at our border is the same person who received authorisation to travel to our country.
“In other words: the face of the traveller becomes the key that determines whether they may enter, rather than physical documents that can be manipulated,” the Minister explained.
Some 216 204 applications have already been processed since the pilot began during South Africa’s G20 Presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
Crucially, the system identified 6126 fraudulent applications that were subsequently rejected, including cases involving fraudulent passports and manipulated documents.
“That is the future of immigration in South Africa: a system that is modern and uncompromising when it comes to security, but welcoming and efficient when it comes to the travellers and investors we must attract to generate growth and jobs.
“That is why the final component we built before today’s launch is the capability for legitimate travellers who enter South Africa for up to 90 days to apply through the ETA to extend their stay for up to a further 90 days, as stipulated by the Immigration Act.
“This feature alone is likely to significantly boost tourism revenues, as it enables lawful travellers to extend their stay without the hassle and bureaucracy of the past,” Schreiber stated.
Over the coming weeks, the department will inform the embassies of countries as they are systematically added to the ETA.
“The system will initially be available for travellers who arrive at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, and Lanseria International Airport.
“With our airports fully equipped, we will turn our attention to land and seaports over the coming months to roll out facial recognition and EMCS 2.0 at all ports of entry,” Schreiber said.
Work also continues to “expand the platform also to process more complex visa categories, including study visas, spousal visas, and work visas”.
“By the time this work is complete, South Africa will have one of the most sophisticated, efficient and secure digital visa and entry/exit systems anywhere in the world.
“[The] ETA is the embodiment of our commitment to the vision of turning South Africa into a world leader in smart and secure migration management and digital government,” Schreiber concluded.
Speaking at Wednesday’s launch, President Cyril 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.
READ | South Africa ushers in ETA to make international travel easier, more secure
“This is far more than the introduction of a new digital platform. It is a statement about the kind of country we are building,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
