South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber introduced a national Electronic Travel Authorisation to industry leaders, confirming a phased rollout that begins ahead of G20 events. User acceptance testing starts at the end of September, with the pilot going live in mid October for accredited delegates arriving from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico at OR Tambo and Cape Town International.
The department’s plan is to extend access to ordinary tourists from these four countries once the G20 leaders meeting concludes in late November. Officials say that, after stability is proven, the ETA will become the single front door for tourist visas from additional visa required markets, followed by other categories and ports of entry over time.
At its core, the platform moves applications online and uses machine learning to automate risk checks. Decisions can be issued digitally and linked to an upgraded Electronic Movement Control System, EMCS 2.0, that will apply facial recognition at airport e gates to reduce queues and manual inspection. It is a visible piece of a broader modernization drive that also includes a proposed points based visa system aimed at skilled workers.
The ETA is set to eliminate visa barriers that have suppressed South Africa’s tourism potential for many years, while revolutionising the security of our immigration processes.
Travel businesses are watching the tourism angle closely. South Africa’s Trusted Tour Operator Scheme trial has already added more than 35,000 visitors from China and India within seven months, according to the ministry, and the ETA is intended to accelerate those gains in 2026. The move also intersects with regional mobility debates, including a single visa initiative in Southern Africa that would simplify multi country trips.
There are still blanks to fill in. Authorities did not publish final fees, the definitive portal address, or how the ETA will interplay with existing e visa tools. For travelers, the promise is straightforward, fewer forms, faster outcomes, and shorter lines. For their part, policy watchers will note that tourism digitization is happening alongside other reforms, from a delayed digital nomad visa to new work routes, which together signal a shift toward service delivery over paperwork.
How the pilot will run
Mid October, online applications open for G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico, limited to arrivals at Johannesburg and Cape Town. After the November summit, the same pathway is expected to open to tourists from these markets, with more nationalities and entry points added later as the system scales.
What travelers will see at the airport
Arrivals lanes tied to EMCS 2.0 will use facial recognition for automated checks, with manual review as backup. The intent is to make the first impression digital and quick, not a paper line at the counter.