With only six days to go before November 1, airlines in South Africa are urgently seeking clarification from SARS on its new traveller declaration system and traveller pass requirement, which is still presumed to be on track for implementation at King Shaka International Airport in Durban in November.

The plan for the pass caused a flurry of confusion in the travel and airline industry when it was first announced in October. SARS has subsequently clarified that the traveller pass is part of a campaign to digitise SA’s customs processes and is not linked to personal income tax. The system will also be fine-tuned after the pilot phase at King Shaka, SARS has said.

Airline bodies, the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (Barsa) remain in the dark. They have red-flagged administrative costs, the implications for existing customs agreements, and even that seat demand could be extinguished without adequate planning, consultation with the industry, and functionality checks.

George Mothema, CEO of Barsa, which represents international airlines operating into the country, told Tourism Update: “We are aware of the situation and have informed our members accordingly. We are in the process of arranging an urgent meeting with SARS to discuss this.”

Aaron Munetsi, CEO of AASA, said the association had already engaged the Minister of Tourism about SARS’ plans on the sidelines of the AASA AGM at Hermanus on the weekend of October 15, when it got wind of the plans. But as of Monday, October 24, the body had still not met with SARS about the system.

Munetsi said demand for travel to and from South Africa had flourished since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions but he now feared that the new requirements could steer visitors to other destinations. “It’s alarming.”

On Monday, Munetsi told Tourism Update: “AASA, representing most of the local and regional airlines, calls on SARS to engage with us on its envisaged Traveller Pass. We need a clear understanding of its intended purpose and to discuss the practicalities of its implementation and, crucially, any associated cost and legal implications, especially if airlines are to be involved with the collection, storage and sharing of traveller data with SARS. We also need clarification on the implications of the pass for airlines and their customers travelling to and from the other Southern African Customs Union or SADC member states.”

The posting of a notice on the SARS website about a new traveller pass, without any details of what the pass was for, sent shockwaves through the industry. It said the system was to be rolled out at OR Tambo first, starting in November, with the other international airports to follow in 2023. SARS then removed the notice and apologised to the industry for the pandemonium it had caused. It then emerged from SARS that this was a customs and excise procedure. Nothing more is known about how it will be administrated, except that it is now to be rolled out first at King Shaka International Airport in Durban.

AASA is waiting to see if there will be an administrative cost burden for airlines and if airlines will be required to check an app before passenger embarkation. Munetsi said on-board announcements might need to be updated, which would be onerous and cumbersome.

Brand damage

Munetsi insisted: “We are not saying that governments should not come up with whatever plans they have, but as brand South Africa we need to act together and we don’t want to end up with unintended consequences. If it is easier for our customers to go across the road, across the border, they will. There needs to be consultation with everyone on board. We can then engage with everyone and message everyone in our segment.”

Meanwhile, SATSA is taking key concerns raised by the industry to SARS. The inbound association said key questions received so far touched on the aim of the travel pass and implementation dates, processing times, whether the system was capable of managing large volumes, could be translated into other languages, had been developed by a reputable company, and what the process was if travellers didn’t comply.

Munetsi called on SARS for clear instructions. “An airline doesn’t want to risk the chance of being fined by the authorities,” he said, hoping that future consultation could iron out any kinks. Munetsi reiterated that the airline industry could ill-afford any speed wobbles after COVID-19. “We airlines used to be looked at as a privileged lot. But look at the number of jobs that were lost due to COVID-19” This business is cut-throat and the margins are razor thin.”

According to the last known update from SARS, travellers who choose not to use the online declaration portal on their mobile devices will be able to make use of self-service counters and paper forms.

SARS has also said that travellers who have not submitted pre-declarations will still be allowed to enter or leave the country but then face having to make a declaration at their point of entry (see here: SARS allays fears over ‘travel pass’ | Southern & East African Tourism Update).