The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says it will introduce an ‘online traveller declaration system’ that all travellers need to comply with.
The new system will simplify passenger movement at South African airports, SARS said, and will come into effect from 1 November 2022.
The system aims to collect travel information and, in return, grants a traveller pass via email, said SARS.
It requires that all travellers �` including South African citizens and residents, children and infants �` leaving or entering South Africa by air complete the declaration. SARS said that once completed and submitted, travellers will receive a pass before they board.
The new online system will be rolled out in all South African international airports, starting with OR Tambo International Airport from 1 November, and then to others in the first quarter of 2023, the revenue service said.
“Upon arrival in South Africa, there will be instructions at the airports that will guide and inform travellers what to do next,” it said.
Currently, in terms of the declaration of goods at the airport, all people who arrive in the country are required to complete a Traveller Card (TC-01) if they have something to declare �` the card is then used alongside your passport in the customs process.
Some goods that are required to be declared include things such as:
• Products purchased or acquired abroad
• Goods remodelled or repaired

abroad
• Anything prohibited or restricted, or controlled under any law
When departing from South Africa, residents are further required by SARS to register valuables before their trip �` this can be done at the customs office in international departures before handing luggage in.
However, tourists to South Africa can reclaim Value-Added Tax (VAT) on the goods bought during their visit to the country, added SARS.
SARS has been beefing up its tax policy and working with other institutions to ensure stricter compliance with tax law. The latest Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) annual report showed that over R41.6 million in penalties was imposed by SARS on certain people and businesses over 2021 �` many of which were instances of non-compliance.
SARS has a history of keeping tabs on taxpayers. In mid-September, Tax Consulting SA noted that the taxman can track a person’s flights as part of stricter emigration processes.
Nikolas Skafidas, a tax expert from the group said that expatriate taxpayers awaiting approval for their non-resident status might have their flights tracked into and out of South Africa by the tax authority.
He said that flight details could possibly be used by SARS when questioning the validity of an applicant’s claim that they intend to reside outside of South Africa permanently.
www,samigration.com V.4478

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In recent years, South Africa has seen a significant influx of immigrants from various African countries, as well as other parts of the world. This has raised important questions about the country`s immigration policies and their impact on job creation for both locals and immigrants. The South African immigration system, like many other countries, is a complex and ever-evolving process that aims to balance the country`s economic needs with its social and cultural interests. Let`s take a closer look at how this system intersects with job creation in South Africa. The South African government implemented the Immigration Act of 2002, which outlines the country`s immigration policies and procedures. Under this act, foreigners are required to obtain a visa or permit to enter, work, or study in South Africa. The type of visa or permit required depends on the intended purpose of the individual`s visit and their country of origin. V.5312
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Due to system downtime and load-shedding, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) lost nearly 141,000 hours of Smart ID application and production time between the 2019/20 and 2022/23 financial years. Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed this figure in a recent response to questions raised in Parliament by Democratic Alliance MP Adrian Roos. Motsoaledi provided a breakdown of smart ID production and application hours lost to technical difficulties and load-shedding per province for each financial year from 2019/2020. These disruptions hit home Affairs offices in the Eastern Cape the hardest, with over 34,000 hours to rotational power cuts and system downtime. Mpumalanga offices lost the next-highest number of hours at 17 V.5313
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Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has said the public has shown great support for the final White Paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection which appeared in the Government Gazette on Wednesday. Briefing the media, he addressed what he saw as a long-overdue need to replace an outdated Citizenship Act, as well as enact proposed changes to existing legislation. V.5306
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