The government will embark on a visa digitisation programme to make it easier for skilled people to invest in the country and to grow tourism.
Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has since assuming office emphasised the importance of digitisation to transform the home affairs department, which has already announced measures to facilitate the entry of skilled people into SA.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his state of the nation (Sona) address in the Cape Town city hall on Thursday night that the government would launch the electronic travel authorisation system to enable a secure, fully digital, visa application process.
“This system will use artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to reduce the scope of corruption and enable rapid turnaround times for tourist visas,” Ramaphosa said.
The government would also harness the power of technology to improve government operations.
“We will invest in digital public infrastructure to give South Africans access to government services any time, anywhere through a relaunched gov.za platform,” Ramaphosa said.
“At the heart of this transformation will be the implementation of a digital ID system. These measures will in the end transform the relationship between citizens and government and create one government which is accessible to every person at a touch.”
Ramaphosa said the department of home affairs had cleared more than 90% of a backlog of more than 300,000 visa applications. Moreover, the tourism sector was growing rapidly with almost 9-million tourists visiting SA in 2024.
In a statement issued after the address, Schreiber welcomed Ramaphosa’s endorsement of the progress, reform and digital transformation at the department of home affairs.
“As the custodian of all identity, civics and immigration services, home affairs is the linchpin for the digital transformation of government,” Schreiber said.
“Our five-year vision to deliver Home Affairs @ Home, as announced in September last year, is built entirely around the digitisation and automation of all services and processes, in alignment with the president’s announcement.”
Schreiber said during the next 12 months the department would build the first components of digital ID to eliminate identity fraud, expand social and financial inclusion and ensure access for all “at a touch”.
Schreiber said the electronic travel authorisation system announced by Ramaphosa would be driven by AI and machine learning to automate tourist and short-stay visas.
Reforms
Also this year, the trusted tour operator scheme would be introduced to boost tourism from the burgeoning source markets of China and India.
“I am grateful for the president’s support for our digital transformation agenda.
“We have already hit the ground running, and the president’s Sona announcements will help us to further accelerate our implementation of these game-changing reforms,” he said.
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