The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is trialling an e-visa application system, which is currently being tested with Kenya.
Visitors can apply online for entry into South Africa and the first visitor’s visa was issued to a Kenyan tourist who arrived on Sunday.
Siya Qoza, Spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, says the trial will allow government to test the resilience of the system. “At the end of the month, we will evaluate the project and look at which other countries to expand the e-visa system to,” says Qoza.
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South African Minister of Home Affairs, says the e-visa system is expected to include China, India and Nigeria in the pilot from early next year until March, due to the high number of visa applications from these countries.
“Electronic visas will boost the tourism industry by cutting turnaround times for the issuing of travel documentation while ensuring the information of applicants is secure,” says James Vos, Shadow Tourism Minister.
The online application for the e-visa is straightforward, with applicants answering questions by entering information such as their name, address, date of birth, and passport details.
