South Africa’s New ETA: What Safari Travellers Need to Know
Getting a South African visa used to mean an embassy appointment and a nervous wait. Since August 2026, many travellers just need a phone and a selfie. Here is who needs South Africa’s new ETA, what it costs, how to apply and the airport detail that catches safari travellers out.
Getting a South African visa used to mean an embassy appointment, a folder of printed bank statements and a nervous wait. Since 12 August 2026, for many travellers, it takes a phone and a selfie.
South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, is now officially live. If you are planning a safari or a glamping trip for 2027, it may change how you prepare, or it may not affect you at all. It depends almost entirely on the passport you hold. Here is what the ETA is, who needs it, what it costs and the few details that matter for a bush trip.
Entry rules change. Everything below was checked in October 2026 against Home Affairs announcements and South African news coverage. Always confirm on the official portal, eta.dha.gov.za, before you travel.
What is South Africa’s ETA?
The ETA is a digital travel permit linked to your passport. You apply online, upload a photo of your passport, take a live selfie for facial verification and pay the fee. If you are approved, the authorisation sits against your passport electronically, and a camera at immigration confirms you are the person who applied.
It was piloted during South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025 for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico, then officially launched by President Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport on 12 August 2026. Home Affairs is now adding the remaining visa-required countries in stages.
The ETA covers short visits for tourism, holidays and seeing family. It does not allow you to work.
Do you need an ETA for your safari?
| Your passport | Do you need an ETA? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-exempt countries (including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan and most of the EU) | No | You can still visit for up to 90 days without a visa. You may apply voluntarily to use faster ETA lanes, but you pay the fee. |
| Countries that need a visitor visa, already added to the ETA | Yes | The ETA replaces the paper visitor visa process for short tourist stays. |
| Countries that need a visitor visa, not yet added | Not yet | Apply for a standard visitor visa for now. The ETA becomes compulsory once your country is added. |
Home Affairs has not published one complete list of countries with dates, and countries are being added progressively. Check the portal or your nearest South African embassy for your nationality.
How much does the ETA cost?
The ETA carries an electronic processing fee of R500 per application, roughly $30. Travellers who would normally need a visitor visa also pay the R425 visa fee, which brings the total to about R925 per person. Each traveller needs their own ETA, including children, so a family of four should budget for four applications.
Pay by card on the portal and go by the amount shown at checkout, since fees can be updated.
How to apply, step by step
- Go to the official portal at eta.dha.gov.za and create a profile. You will verify your email and phone number with a one-time PIN.
- Photograph your passport information page. Use the passport you will actually travel on.
- Add your trip details, including where you are staying. Have your camp or lodge address ready.
- Take a live selfie for facial verification. Good light and no glasses help.
- Pay the fee and submit. Home Affairs says most outcomes arrive within 24 hours, and many come back much faster.
Tip: use only the official .gov.za portal. Lookalike sites that charge extra to “process” applications are common wherever electronic visas launch, and they look convincing.
Which airports accept the ETA?
This is the detail most safari travellers miss. At launch, ETA entry was set up at OR Tambo (Johannesburg), Cape Town International and Lanseria, with King Shaka in Durban also named in launch coverage. Land borders, seaports and other airports still use standard visa documents while facial recognition is rolled out more widely.
For most safaris this is fine. You land in Johannesburg or Cape Town, clear immigration there, then take a domestic flight to Hoedspruit, Skukuza or Kruger Mpumalanga International for your camp. It matters more if you are:
- Coming in from Victoria Falls, Botswana or Mozambique on a regional flight that lands straight at a Lowveld airport.
- Crossing a land border, for example on a self-drive from Botswana or Eswatini.
In either case, check with your airline or booking partner whether your entry point accepts the ETA, or arrange a standard visa if you need one.
Your pre-safari document checklist
The ETA is one item on a short list. For a smooth arrival:
- Passport validity: at least 30 days beyond the date you leave South Africa.
- Blank pages: carry at least two empty pages. Airlines check this and can refuse boarding without them.
- Yellow fever certificate: required if your trip starts in or passes through a yellow fever risk country. This catches people combining South Africa with an East African safari in Kenya or Uganda. Check the current list for Tanzania and Zambia.
- Travelling with children: carry each child’s birth certificate, and a signed consent letter from the other parent if only one parent is travelling. Rules have relaxed for foreign visitors, but having them avoids problems at check-in.
- Malaria: not a document, but worth planning before you fly. Greater Kruger is a low-risk malaria area. If you would rather avoid tablets altogether, see our list of malaria-free Big Five reserves.
First trip to the bush? Our first-time safari guide and safari packing list cover the rest.
What the ETA means for safari travel in 2027
For the visa-exempt traveller from the UK or the US, almost nothing changes. You land, you queue, you go to the bush. Once eGates are linked up at the main airports, an optional ETA may simply get you through immigration faster.
For travellers from countries that needed visas, the change is real. No more posting passports to a visa centre or taking time off for an appointment. That is good news for camps too, and it is one of the reasons South Africa’s tourism numbers are climbing. International arrivals were up 11.7% in the first eight months of 2026.
The practical takeaway: book your camp first, then sort your ETA two to four weeks before departure. Small tented camps fill months ahead for June to September 2027, while the ETA is usually approved within a day. See which camps are worth booking early in our guide to South Africa’s best luxury tented camps.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK and US citizens need an ETA for South Africa?
No. UK and US passport holders are visa-exempt for visits of up to 90 days. They can apply for an ETA voluntarily to use faster lanes, but it is not required.
How long does the South Africa ETA take?
Home Affairs says most applications are decided within 24 hours, and many are approved almost instantly. Apply at least a week or two before you fly in case you need to fix anything.
How much is the South Africa ETA?
The processing fee is R500 per person. Travellers from visa-required countries also pay the R425 visa fee, about R925 in total.
Can I use the ETA for more than one trip?
Yes. The ETA allows multiple entries while it is valid. The expiry date is shown when your application is approved.
Can I land at Hoedspruit or Skukuza on an ETA?
If you clear immigration in Johannesburg or Cape Town first and then fly domestically, yes. If you are flying internationally straight into a Lowveld airport, check with your airline, as ETA entry was first set up at the main international airports.
What is the official ETA website?
Apply only at eta.dha.gov.za, run by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs. Avoid third-party sites that add their own fees.
Paperwork sorted, now the fun part
Once the ETA is out of the way, the only real decision left is where you want to wake up. A river-view tent in the Timbavati, a star bed in the Karoo or a malaria-free camp in Madikwe are all a domestic flight or a short drive from the airport. Browse South Africa’s best glamping stays and see what is new for next year in Glamping Trends 2027.