The system aims to provide instant approvals, reduce delays, and enhance security through features like digital wallets and real-time tracking.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has reaffirmed that a new visa system will be up and running by the end of September this year. While the tourism sector saw nearly one million international visits in one month.
The system is a fully digital Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system designed to streamline visa processing and border entry for short-term tourists, as well as other categories of travellers.
She was speaking at the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting on Friday in Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga. The new system is part of the department’s plan to increase international visits in South Africa.
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Visa system
The meeting hosted tourism ministers from G20 countries, with the aim of finalising the action plan poised to drive sustainable tourism development in the countries.
It is understood that the visa system will be an AI-powered, smartphone-ready system. The system aims to provide instant approvals, reduce delays, and enhance security through features like digital wallets and real-time tracking.
The system was announced earlier this year as part of the Department of Home Affairs’ broader digital transformation strategy. However, De Lille believes this will be great for the tourism sector.
How the visa system works
All applications will be completed online and require scanning a passport and other documents, signing a declaration, uploading a selfie, and making a payment.
An AI system will verify the authenticity of the passport against the standards of the issuing country, utilising various security features.
The AI will also scan local and global security databases to confirm that the selfie matches the biometric data in the passport, thereby verifying the applicant’s identity.
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If approved, applicants will receive a digital visa immediately, complete with a secure QR code that can be saved in their smartphone wallet. Upon arrival at the airport, travellers will look into a camera to confirm that they match the selfie and passport biometrics submitted during the application process.
880 000 visits in one month
During her address, she highlighted the success the tourism sector has had in the past, with nearly a million international visits in July.
“Tourism contributes 8.5% to our GDP, with over 880,000 visitors in July alone, a 26% year-on-year increase,” she said.
“The sector supports over 1.5 million jobs directly and indirectly, from urban hotels to rural homestays. This is not just about numbers, it’s about livelihoods, families, and futures.”
Of all visits, 28% came from Africa (most from Lesotho, Malawi, and Mozambique), 15% came from Europe, with UK arrivals increasing significantly. Some came from North America, with the majority of visits originating from Canada. Australasia represented 46%, with a significant number from Australia and New Zealand.
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