Over 6 000 travel applications were rejected as fraudulent as South Africa launched its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
The digital system is being introduced as the government seeks to modernise immigration controls and strengthen border security, while making South Africa more accessible to legitimate tourists, investors, and other travellers.
The system, designed to screen eligible travellers before they enter the country, comes against the backdrop of longstanding challenges in the country’s immigration system, including irregular migration, fraudulent documentation, corruption, and administrative backlogs.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the new system was already helping authorities identify fraudulent applications, with 6 126 applications rejected after fraud indicators were detected.
“6 126 fraudulent applications have already been identified and rejected, including cases involving fraudulent passports, manipulated documents, and other indicators of fraud,” Schreiber said.
