By Charmaine Ndlela
A total of 6,126 fraudulent applications have been rejected since South Africa began piloting its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced as the country officially launched the digital immigration system on Wednesday.
The ETA was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport and is being positioned as a major reform of South Africa’s visa and immigration system.
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The system has processed 216,204 applications since its pilot during South Africa’s G20 presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
Speaking at the launch, Schreiber said the ETA forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ broader “Home Affairs @ home” vision, which seeks to use technology to provide secure, efficient and accessible government services without forcing people to visit physical offices.
“Just over two years ago, we set out to fundamentally reform Home Affairs through our vision to harness technology in order to deliver Home Affairs @ home,” Schreiber said.
“The central idea of our reform programme, is simple: In the digital age, you should not have to go to just a handful of physical locations and fill in paperwork to access Home Affairs services.”
He said the ETA represented the third pillar of the department’s digital reform programme, following the digitalisation of civic services and the development of a digital identity system.
“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 said.
The digital system allows eligible travellers to apply online from anywhere in the world without visiting a South African mission or visa processing centre.
Applicants create a profile on the ETA platform, verify their cellphone number and email address using a one-time PIN, scan their passports and upload a selfie.
The system uses biometric technology to compare the passport photograph with the traveller’s facial photograph and scans the passport against more than 40 parameters to determine whether it is authentic before automated risk analysis is applied.
Schreiber said successful applicants could receive their ETA within 24 hours, marking a significant shift from delays associated with previous visa processes.
Once approved, travellers can store their ETA in the digital wallet on their smartphones.
When travellers arrive in South Africa, they are required to look into a camera at the immigration counter so biometric verification can establish whether the person entering the country is the same person who received authorisation to travel.
Schreiber said the upgraded Electronic Movement Control System, known as EMCS 2.0, had been introduced at international airports through collaboration between the Border Management Authority (BMA) and the South African Revenue Service.
“Unlike the BMA’s old movement control system, EMCS 2.0 is biometrically enabled to use facial verification to determine whether a traveller may enter the country, eliminating the scope for criminals to use fraudulent passports or visa papers,” he said.
“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.”
Schreiber said the next step was to integrate the ETA and EMCS 2.0 with electronic gates at airports.
“I would like to appreciate the collaboration that has started between ACSA, the BMA, Home Affairs and SARS, and to encourage the teams to urgently accelerate the work to integrate the ETA with the eGates,” he said.
“This will eliminate the need for, and fraud associated with, manual passport stamping, and enable us to use our new facial recognition capabilities to instantly process South African citizens and foreign travellers using the ETA into the country without any delays.”
The system will also give Home Affairs the ability to detect overstayers in real time.
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Travellers using the ETA will have their faces verified when they leave South Africa. If the system does not record a traveller’s departure within the authorised period, Home Affairs will be able to warn them that they are at risk of overstaying and prosecution.
Schreiber said the security capabilities of the ETA had already produced significant results.
“Since that small-scale pilot began, the ETA has already processed 216 204 applications,” he said.
“6 126 fraudulent applications have already been identified and rejected, including cases involving fraudulent passports, manipulated documents, and other indicators of fraud.”
“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,” Schreiber said.
The ETA also allows legitimate travellers entering South Africa for up to 90 days to apply digitally for a further 90-day extension, as provided for under 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 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, while countries are systematically added to the system. The department plans to extend facial recognition and EMCS 2.0 to land and sea ports in the coming months.
Schreiber said the department would progressively make the ETA compulsory for short-stay visitors from countries whose citizens require port-of-entry visas.
Visa-exempt travellers will also be able to use the ETA voluntarily to access faster processing upon arrival or apply for an additional stay of up to 90 days.
The minister said the department’s ambition extended beyond short-term tourism and business travel.
“The ETA is not designed to be just a digital visa for tourists and short visits,” he said.
“Our aim is to turn it into the single-entry point and central platform for an end-to-end digital immigration system, where all visa categories are processed through biometric and machine learning technology.”
He said the department would expand the platform to include more complex visa categories such as study, spousal 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,” Schreiber said.
The minister also announced that more than 400 bank branches across the country already offer fully digitalised smart ID replacement services through the department’s partnership with the banking sector.
More than half a million South Africans have used the service to replace lost ID cards or fraud-prone green ID books without paperwork, prior bookings or queues.
The department is also working towards introducing first-time smart ID applications, passport applications and home delivery through the digital banking platform, while a digital identity system is being developed to make digital versions of identity credentials available on citizens’ smartphones.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said the ETA would strengthen the country’s ability to manage legitimate movement across its borders while helping authorities identify fugitives and tackle irregular migration.
Masiapato said the BMA operates at 71 ports of entry across South Africa, including 10 international airports, nine seaports and 52 land ports.
“On that basis, we are very much glad that today we are launching the Electronic Traveller Authorisation, which will give us the mandate, at least in the front end, to make sure that we are able to seamlessly process legitimate people to come through into the country,” Masiapato said.
“It will also enable us to counter an attempt for individuals that might be fugitives running from other jurisdictions from entering our country illegally,” he said.
