First unveiled in March 2018, South Africa is preparing to roll-out an e-visa system that will make it easier for tourists to enter the country thanks to the online capture of visa applications and biometric information.<\/p>\n
Speaking to BusinessTech, Department of Tourism spokesperson Blessing Manale said that the e-visas are in the final stages of testing and will be trialled in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
“We have been informed that they are currently testing system software, back of the office, data security and integration,” he said.<\/p>\n
He added that South Africa’s visa regime had previously been one of the constraints for tourism, and the roll-out of the e-visas will be beneficial for both tourists and for the local economy.<\/p>\n
“They provide predictability, people will be able to stay longer in South Africa, people will be able to study etc.”<\/p>\n
“The realisation of the visa regime will literally allow us to double our tourism numbers internationally.”<\/p>\n
“Most countries operate under the principle of reciprocity meaning that if a country gives certain visa privileges, they must be returned,” he said.<\/p>\n
“However, it is part of the department’s strategy to relax these rules for countries such as New Zealand and Australia because South Africa stands to benefit more from tourists from these countries.”<\/p>\n
Manale said that the system will also save people a lot of time as they spend much less time at airports and waiting for administration approval.<\/p>\n