Monday, July 28th, 2025
The South African travel industry will soon experience the “most important changes” with the launch of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, which will be implemented by the government by September 30, 2025. It starts with a tourist visa (or Tambo International and Cape Town International) for travelers entering through South Africa's major airports. With plans to grow the system for further visa categories and entry exbupoints, ETA aims to increase efficiency and streamline the processes international passengers experience when traveling worldwide. This development illustrates yet another step taken to introduce the SA immigration system in the 21st century, a shot in the arms of the country positioning itself as a major tourist destination.
Earlier this year, the South African Home Minister announced a groundbreaking move that will revolutionize the country's immigration system with the introduction of electronic travel approvals (ETAs). This new digital visa system is designed to streamline the visa application process, eradicate the corruption that often comes with paper-based immigration systems, and increase overall efficiency. Implementation of this system is widely seen as a positive progression for the country's immigration framework.
The ETA is expected to go into operation by the end of September 2025, and will initially focus on tourist visas for travelers who have arrived at two major South African gateways, or two major gateways, Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport. Although the first phase will focus on these entry points, the government plans to expand its system to cover other visa categories and additional entry ports as the project progresses.
To support the upcoming launch of the ETA, the Minister outlined two new digital visa initiatives during the July 2025 budget vote debate.
Screen Talents and Global Entertainment Scheme (Stage) Conferences, Events, Exhibitions Tourism Scheme (Conference)
Stage: Empowering the film and television industry
The stage is specifically designed for the film and television production sectors, with its main goal being to simplify the visa process for international film production companies. South Africa's traditional paper-based immigration system has long been a bottleneck for the industry, delaying the arrival of the talent and crew required for film projects. In stages, production companies can apply for a visa via the digital portal, and can receive visa approval within hours if they do not need to submit face-to-face on overseas missions.
This innovation comes as a timely solution to recent set-offs. South Africa has already lost significant film production from major streaming platforms due to visa delays, with an estimated revenue loss of R400 million. By making the process faster and more efficient, the stage helps South Africa maintain valuable filmmaking opportunities and position the country as a top candidate for international cinematography.
Meet: Enhance your sport, event and entertainment visa process
Meanwhile, the Meets Initiative is tailored for professionals in sectors such as music, events, sports, entertainment and theatre. The purpose of this program is to modernize the visa application process for international attendees at major conferences, sporting events and exhibitions in South Africa.
For years, international event organizers have struggled with long processing times and administrative hurdles when applying for visas to speakers, athletes, performers, and representatives participating in South African events. Meets attempts to address these issues by providing an online application system that reduces processing time. Meets will remove one of the major barriers to hosting such events, as the organizers of well-known events such as the SA20 Cricket Tournament and the World Rugby Sevens, as they can expect smoother and faster visa approvals for athletes and event staff.
More streamlined South Africa
The introduction of stages and conferences represents a proactive approach by South Africa's Ministry of Home Affairs (DHA), which not only simplifies the visa process, but also positions the country as a premier destination for tourism, sports and global events. These reforms could have a significant economic impact that will boost sectors such as film production, tourism, sports and cultural events by making South Africa more accessible to more attractive and international visitors and professionals.
Both initiatives are expected to reduce the complexity facing foreign tourists, particularly artists, filmmakers and athletes, as they try to enter the country. These reforms could also lead to increased foreign investment, job creation, and greater awareness of South Africa at the global stage.
Despite these promising developments, uncertainty remains. Details on how stages and meetings will actually be implemented, including new visa categories that may emerge under these initiatives, have not yet been fully clarified. With the ETA released in September 2025, stakeholders in the film, events and tourism industry are looking forward to more specific information on how these programs actually work and whether they will address existing issues in the South African immigration system.
The South African travel industry has undergone a major overhaul in September 2025 with the introduction of an electronic travel approval (ETA) system. The digital visa initiative, which initially focused on tourists arriving at Tambo and Cape Town airports, aims to streamline the process and increase efficiency.
South Africa's move towards ETAs, stages, and fulfilling digital visa systems marks important advances in modernizing the immigration process. These initiatives could streamline the entry of travelers and experts, boost South Africa's global appeal as a location and destination for sports and events, and contribute to economic growth. Although exact implementation details have not been seen yet, the direction is undoubtedly positive and the country is looking to benefit from these changes in the near future.
