South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has launched an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system that allows eligible Indian citizens to obtain digital travel clearance online within 24–48 hours. The ETA—valid for tourism, short business visits and family trips of up to 90 days—replaces the traditional visa sticker and is automatically linked to the traveller’s passport. Initially, the programme is limited to arrivals through O. R. Tambo (Johannesburg), Cape Town and Lanseria International Airports, but officials said additional ports of entry would be phased in once the pilot stabilises. Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Mexican nationals are the first beneficiaries; expansion to other markets is planned for 2027. The fully digital workflow—account creation, biometric selfie capture, fee payment and real-time status tracking—should drastically cut lead-times compared with the current paper-heavy visitor visa that can take two to four weeks via VFS centres. For Indian corporates exploring South Africa’s mining, fintech and renewable-energy sectors, the change means executives can schedule short-notice site visits without couriering passports. Travel managers, however, must ensure applicants hold passports valid for at least 30 days after departure and at least two blank pages, as South African immigration will still stamp entry and exit endorsements. Importantly, the ETA does not permit employment; any assignment involving remunerated work continues to require a separate work visa. Airlines have welcomed the move: IndiGo confirmed it will codeshare additional seats on partner carriers’ Mumbai–Johannesburg services once ETA passenger numbers pick up. Meanwhile, South Africa Tourism’s Mumbai office plans Hindi and Tamil social-media campaigns explaining the new process to first-time visitors.
Source: The Economic Times
