R500 ETA Fee Could Hit African Travel

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has proposed a R500 fee for travellers who use its Electronic Travel Authorisation system, adding a new charge to the country’s digital border rollout. The draft regulations were published on July 27 by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber and are open for public comment until August 11. The proposal covers travellers from visa-required countries who must use the ETA as the system expands, and it also says visa-exempt travellers who choose to use the platform would pay the same fee. The department says the charge is needed because the system has so far run without recovering its operating costs. ### What exactly is South Africa proposing to charge? The July 27 draft notice proposes “a processing fee” of R500 for each ETA application submitted through the online platform. The department said it is adding payment functionality after initially launching the system without the ability to collect fees online. The government notice says the ETA was introduced in October 2025 to support travel processing during the G20 Summit period and has remained in operation for nationals of certain participating countries. (gov.za) The same notice says visa fees for the first countries on the system were temporarily waived because online payment was not yet integrated. ### Who uses the ETA now, and who could be affected next? (gov.za) South Africa’s official ETA site says the system is a digital authorisation for eligible travellers from visa-required countries visiting for tourism or visitor purposes, without a traditional visitor’s visa. The site also says visa-exempt travellers can apply voluntarily for an ETA to speed processing at the border. The current registration page limits applications to citizens of China, India, Indonesia and Mexico arriving through OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport or Lanseria International Airport. (gov.za) Minister Schreiber said when he launched the system in September 2025 that those four countries would form the first phases of the rollout before a wider expansion to all countries that require visas to visit South Africa. (eta.dha.gov.za) The July 27 draft notice says the next phase will make the ETA compulsory for travellers from non-visa-exempt countries included on the platform. It also says the system will be optional at first for visa-exempt travellers, but those who elect to use it would still be liable for the R500 fee. ### Why does the proposal matter for African travellers? The draft regulations do not single out African nationals by name. (eta.dha.gov.za) But the proposal matters for travellers from African countries that are not visa-exempt for South Africa, because they could be brought into the ETA system as the rollout widens. Visa-exempt African travellers could also face the fee if they choose to use the ETA for faster border processing, because the draft notice says optional users would be charged. (gov.za) That means the proposal reaches beyond travellers who currently need a traditional visa and could affect regional visitors depending on how broadly the platform is expanded. ### What reason has Home Affairs given for the fee? (gov.za) The government notice says the ETA has been operating as “a fully subsidised service” and calls that arrangement unsustainable. The department says it needs to fund operational maintenance of the system as it adds online payment and prepares for broader use. President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his February 12, 2026 State of the Nation Address that the ETA would be extended to tourists from all countries that require a visa to visit South Africa, with applications processed digitally within 24 hours, according to the draft notice. (gov.za) The department says it is now ready to deliver that commitment. ### What happens next, and when would the fee start? (gov.za) August 11, 2026 is the deadline for public comments on the draft regulations, according to the proposal and immigration law firm Fragomen’s summary of the consultation. Several reports citing the gazetted draft say the planned commencement date is August 17, 2026, if the measure is adopted after consultation. (gov.za) The next formal step is Home Affairs’ review of submissions filed through the channels listed in the government gazette. If the department proceeds, the R500 ETA processing fee would become part of South Africa’s broader digital visa and border-control rollout under Minister Schreiber. (gov.za) (fragomen.com)