Introduction
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is undergoing a significant transition, moving toward a digital-first model for immigration and civic services. “Home Affairs @ Home” aims to shift core services online, reduce manual processing, and improve turnaround times for a wide range of users, including foreign nationals, naturalised citizens, and South African families.
The government intends to modernise how it manages both identity and immigration. While the direction of travel is encouraging, many practical challenges remain.
What Has Changed
At the centre of the reform programme is the DHA’s push to digitise high-volume services. A previous example of this was the rollout of Smart ID cards and passports, which are increasingly available via South Africa’s retail bank network. Nearly 3.6 million Smart IDs have now been issued, and for the first time, naturalised citizens and permanent resident holders can access these credentials.
In parallel, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system is expected to launch in late 2025 for selected tourist travellers. The system will allow visitors to apply online and receive approval within seconds, using machine learning to verify identity and detect potential fraud. While initially limited to air travellers entering through Cape Town and OR Tambo International Airports, the system is designed to scale across visa categories in future.
The Digital Verification System, which allows instant identity checks by both public and private institutions (such as banks and government departments), has also seen a marked performance improvement. What previously experienced error rates of up to 50% now operates at under 1%, with verification results available in less than a second.
Lastly, the Department has made meaningful progress in clearing a backlog of over 300,000 visa applications. Temporary concessions remain in place for those still awaiting final outcomes, but the scale of the clearance effort signals a stronger administrative grip than in previous years.
A Step Forward, But Not a Seamless One
Despite this momentum, applicants continue to face real difficulties when using the system. Walk-ins, long queues, and erratic office procedures persist at many DHA branches, particularly for services not yet fully digitised or for users who cannot access the internet reliably. Floor management remains inconsistent, and crowd control is often left to chance.
System instability and outages also continue to disrupt service. While the upgraded digital systems perform well under ideal conditions, their reliability varies across locations. Applicants may still encounter network downtime, failed uploads, and backlogged follow-up requests.
Perhaps most concerning is the absence of clear communication. The DHA has yet to develop a unified, public-facing update system for processing timelines, policy changes, or system issues. This leaves many users vulnerable to misinformation, or worse (and quite common), to fraudulent agents posing as Home Affairs officials.
Policy Reform Requires More Than Technology
We welcome the direction of reform. A digital-first model is appropriate for South Africa’s long-term immigration needs and is in line with global best practice. However, policy reform cannot be reduced to software upgrades alone.
A fully functional digital immigration system depends on several additional layers: 1) a trained workforce that understands how to manage both the front end and back office; 2) a legal and regulatory framework that supports online adjudication; and 3) a clear set of rules and expectations for applicants navigating the system.
At present, some of these elements are still missing. The transition from analogue to digital has not been universally smooth, and without active policy stewardship, there is a risk of widening the gap between applicants who can afford private help and those who cannot.
What Employers, Travellers, and Families Should Expect
For those applying for Smart IDs, passports, or visas, especially under the ETA system or the new STAGES and MEETS categories, the early signs are positive. Turnaround times are improving, and the systems are more responsive than before.
However, applicants must continue to prepare thoroughly. This includes ensuring documentation is complete and current, anticipating potential system delays, and having a clear understanding of what digital processes still require manual follow-up. Employers planning staff relocation should build in buffer time for processing and remain alert to updates from the DHA, as launch dates and procedures can shift.
Policy Direction Promising; Implementation Needs Support
For clients across sectors, digitisation can unlock smoother movement, quicker onboarding, and stronger compliance. But we also caution that reform is not linear. Many of the bottlenecks we see today, particularly around status extensions, document access, and appeal timelines, stem from gaps between digital policy and administrative execution.
The success of these initiatives, both recently-begun and newly suggested alike, will require not just upgraded systems, but ongoing investment in capacity, transparency, and public communication. We continue to work with clients to anticipate where the system is moving and how best to navigate it.
Written by Andreas Krensel, Senior Director, Africa and Europe