South Africa’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has rejected 6,126 fraudulent applications after processing more than 216,000 applications, as Home Affairs rolls out a biometric immigration system designed to detect fraud before travellers reach the country.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the system, officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, marked a major step towards modernising South Africa’s visa and immigration system.
“Today’s launch of the ETA represents a quantum leap forward for our country’s immigration system,” Schreiber said.
The ETA was initially piloted during South Africa’s G20 presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. Since then, it has processed 216,204 applications.
Schreiber said the system was designed to support tourism, investment and legitimate travel while strengthening the government’s ability to detect visa fraud and illegal immigration.
Travellers applying for an ETA must create a profile on the Home Affairs website, verify their cellphone number and email address using one-time PINs, scan their passports and upload a selfie.
The platform uses biometric technology to compare the passport photograph with the applicant’s facial photograph to confirm they are the same person.
It also automatically scans the passport against more than 40 parameters to establish whether it is an authentic document.
After payment has been made, automated risk analysis is used to identify indicators of fraud or other risks.
If the application is approved, the traveller will receive the ETA within 24 hours and can store it in a digital wallet on their smartphone.
Schreiber said the system had already demonstrated its ability to identify fraudulent applications.
“6,126 fraudulent applications have already been identified and rejected,” he said.
The rejected applications included cases involving fraudulent passports, manipulated documents and other indicators of fraud.
The ETA is linked to the Border Management Authority’s upgraded Electronic Movement Control System, known as EMCS 2.0, at international airports.
The system uses facial verification when travellers arrive to confirm that the person presenting themselves at the border is the same person who received authorisation to travel to South Africa.
“In other words, Mr President, the face of the traveller becomes the key that determines whether they may enter, rather than a physical document which can be manipulated,” Schreiber said.
The system is also expected to reduce immigration queues, with dedicated ETA counters already being used to speed up processing.
Schreiber said the next step would be to integrate the ETA and EMCS 2.0 with electronic gates, or e-gates.
He said this would eliminate the need for manual passport stamping and allow facial recognition technology to process South African citizens and foreign travellers using the ETA more quickly.
The ETA will also allow Home Affairs to detect potential overstayers in real time.
When a traveller leaves South Africa, their face will again be verified at the departure counter. If their departure has not been recorded within the permitted period, Home Affairs will be able to warn them that they are at risk of overstaying and prosecution.
“If that warning is not heeded, the security features of the ETA enable immigration enforcement steps to be taken,” Schreiber said.
He said the technology was already operational.
“Importantly, ladies and gentlemen, none of this is hypothetical. All of these features are live in this airport and others as we speak,” Schreiber said.
The ETA will initially be available to travellers arriving at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport and Lanseria International Airport.
Home Affairs plans to expand facial recognition and EMCS 2.0 to land and sea ports of entry in the coming months.
The ETA will progressively become compulsory for short-stay travellers from countries whose nationals require port-of-entry visas to enter South Africa.
Visa-exempt travellers will also be able to use the system voluntarily for faster processing on arrival or to apply for an additional stay of up to 90 days.
Schreiber said the ETA also allows legitimate travellers who enter South Africa for up to 90 days to apply for a further 90-day extension, in line with the Immigration Act.
He said this could help increase tourism revenue by allowing lawful travellers to extend their stays without the bureaucracy associated with the previous process.
The ETA is not intended to remain a digital system only for tourists and short-term visitors.
Schreiber said Home Affairs planned to turn it into the central platform for an end-to-end digital immigration system.
The department will expand the platform to process more complex visa categories, including study, spousal and work visas.
The ETA forms part of Home Affairs’ broader reform programme to use technology to make services more accessible and reduce the need for people to visit physical offices.
More than 400 bank branches across the country already offer digital smart ID replacement services through a partnership between Home Affairs and the banking sector.
Schreiber said more than 500,000 South Africans had used the service to replace lost smart IDs or fraud-prone green ID books.
By the end of the year, the service is expected to include first-time smart ID applications, passport applications and home delivery.
Home Affairs is also developing a digital identity system that will allow South Africans to access digital versions of their identity credentials on their smartphones.
Schreiber said the department was processing public comments on draft regulations governing the digital ID system while also working on a prototype.
He said the broader reforms were aimed at creating a system that was secure and efficient while remaining welcoming to legitimate travellers and investors.
“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 that we must attract to generate growth and jobs,” Schreiber said.
