28 May The Department of Home Affairs’ Digital Transformation: What to Expect

In accordance with the South African government’s ‘Home Affairs @ Home’ initiative, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has been gradually shifting its civic and immigration services toward a digital model. In due time, the government aims to shift its core services online, reduce the need for manual processing, and ultimately improve turnaround times on applications.

This transformation is set to modernise the way that the government manages both identity verification and essential immigration services.

The DHA is currently in the process of improving its efficiency by eliminating unnecessary steps from applications, reducing redundant documentation requirements, and automating core functions, reinventing not only how services are delivered but also how the government operates.

The Digitalisation of DHA’s Civic and Immigration Services

The DHA’s continued commitment to digitalising high-demand services lies at the core of this reform programme. The accelerated distribution of Smart ID cards and passports is one of the government’s first milestones. Minister Schreiber has stated that the delivery of Smart ID cards has reached its highest level as of yet, with nearly 3.6 million Smart IDs that have been issued to date.

Additionally, the government has launched the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system in late 2025 for selected foreign tourists as the first step to streamlining immigration services. The ETA system is designed to simplify and automate the visa application process for eligible travellers.

Prospective visitors can apply online and receive approvals within moments, while the system’s integrated AI runs identity verifications and flags any potential fraud risks.

While this system is currently limited only to travellers entering through Cape Town and OR Tambo International Airports, it is intended to scale across all visa categories in the future.

DHA Faces Lingering Challenges

Regardless of the implementation of these new systems, applicants still experience difficulties when visiting the DHA. This is especially true for users who require services that are not available digitally and don’t have reliable access to internet services. Long queues, unpredictable office procedures, and unreliable communication continue to persist at many DHA branches.

While these new digitalised systems perform well under ideal conditions, their reliability varies across different locations, as system outages and instability continue to disrupt services. Although turnaround times on applications are steadily improving, applicants can still expect to encounter network downtime, failed uploads, and backlogged follow-up requests.

For further information on how the implementation of these new digitalised systems might affect your visa application, CONTACT our team of experienced immigration lawyers today.

At June Luna Immigration Attorneys, our extensive knowledge of the immigration system allows us to expertly guide you from beginning to end.