The system will be officially unveiled by Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber at the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s annual conference.
According to the government, the platform will initially process tourist visa applications for short stays of up to 90 days.
By the end of September, the system will go live at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport, before gradually expanding to other ports of entry and additional visa categories.
Minister Schreiber has described the initiative as a critical step toward eliminating inefficiencies and fraud: “Over time, the ETA will be expanded to more visa categories and rolled out at more ports of entry. This scale-up will continue until no person can enter South Africa without obtaining a digital visa through the ETA.”
A shift from paper to digital
The ETA builds on promises made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his February State of the Nation Address, where he pledged to digitize immigration processes.
However, questions remain about the future of South Africa’s existing e-Visa portal, which currently serves over 30 countries.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether the ETA will replace or operate alongside the e-Visa system, raising concerns over possible duplication for travelers.
Africa’s need for openness
While the ETA aims to strengthen security and streamline border processes, experts say South Africa’s move also highlights a broader challenge: African countries remain less open to each other than to the rest of the world.
Intra-African visa restrictions have long been cited as a barrier to deeper trade and tourism links.
Greater openness, facilitated by modern systems like ETA, could help African nations unlock the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Easier cross-border movement would not only boost tourism but also support small businesses, regional logistics, and labor mobility, which are all essential for building competitive economies on the continent.
The bigger picture
South Africa’s ETA may be a milestone for its tourism and border security, but its broader significance lies in setting a regional precedent.
As African countries digitize entry systems, the real opportunity lies in aligning these policies to make cross-border travel smoother for African citizens.
If deployed strategically, ETA systems could help turn Africa’s longstanding vision of free movement, and by extension stronger intra-African trade, into a practical reality.
