Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will next Wednesday officially launch his country’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at OR Tambo International Airport in a move aimed at modernising border management and boosting travel and trade across the region.
The ETA, piloted during South Africa’s G20 Presidency, will serve as the cornerstone of the country’s new digital immigration system and the flagship reform of the Department of Home Affairs’ digital transformation programme.
In a statement on Thursday, the Presidency (South Africa) said the system combines advanced biometric verification, machine learning and the upgraded Electronic Movement Control System, eMCS 2.0, to create a modern digital immigration ecosystem.
The goal is to strengthen border security while making travel to South Africa faster, simpler and more secure for legitimate travellers.
“The reform will enhance South Africa’s competitiveness as a destination for tourism, business and investment, while supporting more efficient and secure border management,” said the Presidency in the statement.
“The launch marks a significant milestone for both the Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority (BMA). The programme will feature the official launch by President Ramaphosa together with Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, followed by a live walkthrough and a guided tour led by BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato.”
The timing is notable for Zimbabwe and South Africa, which share the busiest land border in SADC at Beitbridge. Zimbabwe has already moved ahead with similar digitisation.
Already the country’s Department of Immigration has completed setting up an Online Border Management System (OBMS) at Beitbridge, which is now up and running.
It is understood that the two systems will complement each other, cutting delays, improving security and supporting regional integration at the continent’s busiest crossing.
Regional Immigration Officer for the southern region, Mr Joshua Chibundu, said recently that the system captures travellers’ bio-data, flags persons of interest and auto-generates days for visitors — 30 days for holiday, seven for business and three for transit.
In addition, automated gate systems, or eGates, have been introduced to allow holders of new biometric passports to enter or depart with minimal human interaction.
Beitbridge handles an estimated seven million travellers annually, with nearly 1 200 trucks, 200 buses and 2 100 light vehicles daily. With automation and traffic separation, commercial cargo is now cleared in under three hours and ordinary travellers in under 30 minutes, provided documents are in order.
