South Africa is turning to machine learning, biometrics and facial recognition to tackle one of its most politically explosive problems: controlling who enters the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will launch the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a digital visa system, at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, making it the centrepiece of Home Affairs’ technology immigration overhaul.
The move comes as anger over undocumented migration, porous borders and weak enforcement has fuelled anti-immigration protests, some of which have turned violent and strained relations with countries including Ghana and Nigeria.
“The ETA combines advanced biometric verification, machine learning and the upgraded Electronic Movement Control System (eMCS 2.0) as part of a modern digital immigration ecosystem that strengthens border security while making travel to South Africa faster, simpler and more secure for legitimate travellers,” the Presidency said in an August 6 statement.
Originally published by TechCabal.