South Africa is preparing a significant change to its ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). The Ministry of Home Affairs is proposing to charge 500 rand for the electronic processing of applications, approximately €26. However, as of August 4, 2026, this fee is not yet final and does not create any new obligations for French tourists staying less than 90 days.
This issue deserves close attention from travel agencies and tour operators. The project is part of the gradual rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, which Pretoria intends to extend to visa-required travelers.
Summary
South Africa: What the 500 rand fare actually covers
The Department of Home Affairs published a draft at the end of July 2026 proposing an electronic processing fee of 500 rand for applications made online.
According to the South African trade press, notably BusinessTech, these fees would apply to the ETA as well as other visa and permit applications processed digitally. The fee would therefore be an application processing charge, and not a new general tourist tax levied on every visitor entering South Africa.
The text stipulates an entry into force on August 17, 2026. This date, however, remains conditional upon the outcome of the ongoing regulatory procedure. The public consultation is scheduled to end on August 11.
For the French, nothing changes at this stage
This is the most important point for French distribution: a traveler holding a French passport is currently exempt from prior visa requirements for a tourist stay of less than 90 days in South Africa.
France Diplomatie confirms this rule in its official information updated in July 2026. A 90-day residence permit is issued upon arrival in South African territory.
It would therefore be incorrect today to tell French customers that they will have to buy an ETA for 500 rands for their next trips to South Africa.
The South African ETA primarily concerns visa-required markets
The South African government launched its ETA in October 2025. In May 2026, Home Minister Leon Schreiber confirmed that the scheme was then working for tourists from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
President Cyril Ramaphosa set a broader target in his State of the Nation address on February 12, 2026: to extend the ETA to all countries whose nationals require a visa and to allow digital processing of tourist applications within a stated timeframe of 24 hours.
The government also plans to gradually extend the scheme to more international points of entry.
Why some travelers might pay 925 rand
The 500 rand fee would not necessarily replace existing visa fees. For nationalities also required to pay the current visitor visa fees, the two amounts could be combined.
BusinessTech reports a total of 925 rand in some cases: 500 rand for electronic processing plus 425 rand for visa fees.
For those subject to visa requirements but exempt from consular fees, only the 500 rand electronic processing fee may be charged.
This distinction is important: there would therefore not be a single fee of 500 rands automatically covering all entry formalities to South Africa.
Going digital can also reduce certain costs
The project does not necessarily imply a cost increase for all affected markets. BusinessTech indicates that the ministry is comparing the future digital system with the procedures currently carried out through outsourced providers.
In the example provided by the administration, some applicants currently face 1,550 rand in service provider fees plus 425 rand in visa fees, totaling 1,975 rand. With digital processing costing 500 rand and the same visa fees, the total would drop to 925 rand.
This is a calculation provided by the South African administration. The actual cost will depend on the traveler's nationality, the type of application, and any applicable exemptions.
The South African ETA is still in the deployment phase
The official ETA portal is already accessible online. The South African government has repeatedly confirmed in 2026 that the system is expected to gradually become the digital channel used for an increasing number of visa applications.
In May, Leon Schreiber indicated that new nationalities would be added and that other visa categories would then be integrated into the system.
However, no comprehensive timetable detailing the opening to each nationality has been published to date.
What agencies need to remember by August 4, 2026
For a French client leaving for South Africa in the coming weeks, the official formalities still do not provide for a mandatory ETA for a tourist stay of less than 90 days.
The amount of 500 rands should be presented as a proposed fee for the electronic processing of the relevant applications, and not as a new entry tax applicable to all travellers.
The next checkpoint will be the end of the public consultation, scheduled for August 11, 2026, followed by the possible publication of a final text specifying the tariff, its effective date and its exact scope.
For tourism professionals, best practice therefore consists of maintaining the current formalities for French clients while monitoring upcoming publications from the Department of Home Affairs. At this stage, announcing a "mandatory ETA costing €26 for South Africa" would be factually premature.
Update as of August 4, 2026: The 500 rand fee remains a proposal. Holders of French passports are still exempt from prior visa requirements for tourist stays of less than 90 days.
Sources
- https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/867641/new-r500-visa-fee-coming-to-south-africa/
- https://eta.dha.gov.za/
- https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/2026StateOfTheNation
- https://www.gov.za/news/speeches/minister-leon-schreiber-home-affairs-dept-budget-vote-202627-ncop-19-may-2026
- https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/minister-patricia-de-lille-welcomes-announcement-electronic-travel
- https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/afrique-du-sud/
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