Overview
- User acceptance testing is scheduled for the end of September, and the system is not yet live as of September 19.
- The first phase opens in mid‑October for G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico arriving at OR Tambo or Cape Town International Airport.
- Government statements outline a second phase after the November G20 leaders meeting that will extend applications to tourists from those four countries.
- The system uses machine learning with passport authenticity checks and face‑matching to produce rapid outcomes, with approvals held for one to two hours for additional security verification.
- Facial‑recognition border control via EMCS 2.0 will start at Johannesburg and Cape Town airports, with longer‑term expansion planned and projections of up to one million extra visitors and 80,000–100,000 tourism jobs.