South Africa to register visitor phone numbers and SMS visa expiry alerts

South Africa's Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration is turning to telecommunications and digital systems to tackle illegal immigration and visa overstays. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said visitors will be registered electronically when they arrive at the country's border gates, with their telephone numbers captured as part of the process.

Key facts

• Who announced it: the Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration, with Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi briefing the media
• Where: Pretoria, alongside organisers of various anti-illegal immigration protests
• What is planned: electronic registration of arrivals at border gates, including their telephone numbers
• Reminder timing: an SMS 24 or 48 hours before the departure date, telling the visitor their visa dates are ending
• Linked measure: the issuing of RICA SIM cards
• Start date: not announced

What is changing?

Kubayi said the country's ports of entry, meaning its border gates, are being modernised so that a person arriving in South Africa can be registered on an electronic system. Along with the visitor's visa details, the system will record the telephone number they can be reached on.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration says it is targeting telecommunications as a way of dealing with illegal immigration. Kubayi said the government will also use the country's digital capabilities to make sure visitors do not stay past their visas.

How will the visa alerts work?

Under the plan, a message will be sent to the registered phone number 24 or 48 hours before the visitor's departure date. Kubayi said the SMS will say that the person's visa dates are ending and that they are required to leave the country.

Kubayi framed the measure as the beginning of an upgrade to border infrastructure, saying: "We've started to modernise our port of entry".

What role do SIM cards play?

Kubayi linked the telephone registration at the border to the issuing of RICA SIM cards. The briefing did not spell out further details of how the two systems will connect, or how the information will be used.

When will this start?

No start date, rollout schedule or cost has been announced. Kubayi said only that the modernisation of ports of entry has started.

What this means for travellers

Visitors arriving at South Africa's border gates should expect their telephone number to be registered electronically alongside their visa details, and may receive an SMS close to the end of their permitted stay. Anyone planning a trip should confirm the visa dates they were granted and make sure the contact number they present at the border remains active during their visit.

No further details, deadlines or implementation dates have been made public. Any additional announcements from the Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration are the next point to watch.