…new law requires travellers to register before crossing border
…many Basotho caught off guard as system takes effect
Mohloai Mpesi
THE South African Revenue Service (SARS) is facing criticism over the implementation of a new law requiring travellers to register online before crossing South Africa’s borders, with many Basotho saying they only became aware of the requirement on the day of their departure.
The new law, which came into full effect yesterday (1 July), requires all persons entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea or rail to submit an online declaration before travelling through the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS).
The move has drawn criticism from cross-border travellers and regional stakeholders, who argue that the requirement was introduced with insufficient public awareness and imposes new administrative burdens on citizens of neighbouring countries, particularly those from Lesotho who cross the border regularly for work, trade, education and medical services.
A source familiar with the rollout told the Lesotho Times that while the system had been under development for several years, the public awareness campaign ahead of its mandatory implementation was inadequate.
“The concept has been in development for several years, but the rollout has been phased rather than implemented all at once.
“Given how many people commute daily between Lesotho and South Africa, one criticism is that the mandatory rollout occurred with relatively little public awareness. Many frequent cross-border travellers, including businesspeople and professionals, only became aware of the requirement in the days immediately before it took effect,” the source said.
The source noted that SARS had previously encouraged voluntary use of the system before making it compulsory.
“The SARS website stated that the system was in a pilot phase and encouraged travellers to start using it before it became mandatory.
“So, while the public announcement of the general requirement came only days before implementation, the system itself has been under development and pilot testing for years. The June and July 2026 changes represent the transition from a voluntary pilot to mandatory use,” the source said.
Phased rollout
The mandatory transition was implemented in two phases. On 19 May 2026, SARS announced that foreign-registered vehicles would have to be declared electronically from 1 June 2026 – the first compulsory phase to affect large numbers of travellers from Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Eswatini. Under that phase, Temporary Import Permits (TIPs) for foreign-registered vehicles began to be issued electronically.
SARS then announced on 29 June 2026 that the full online traveller declaration would become compulsory from 1 July 2026 for virtually all travellers crossing South Africa’s borders. The requirement was formally gazetted through Notice 7645, published in Government Gazette No. 54921 of 30 June 2026.
In a statement on its website, SARS said the declaration system was designed to ease border processing while strengthening customs risk management.
“From 1 July 2026, travellers entering or leaving South Africa must submit their traveller declaration online before they travel, unless they qualify for one of the limited paper-based exceptions. The declaration forms part of the Customs process and helps travellers meet their legal obligation to declare goods, currency and other relevant items in their possession,” the statement reads.
Who must declare
SARS said the requirement applies to everyone entering or leaving South Africa.
“In general, any person entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea or rail must submit a traveller declaration. This includes South African citizens, residents and foreign travellers. A parent, legal guardian, caretaker or another assisting person may complete the declaration on behalf of a minor or a person who cannot complete it themselves,” the statement reads.
Travellers transiting through South Africa by air or sea without leaving the designated transit area are exempt from the requirement.
A paper-based declaration remains available only in limited circumstances: where there is a SARS systems failure, where internet connectivity is unavailable at a port of entry, or where a traveller is otherwise reasonably unable to submit electronically.
Travellers must submit the declaration no more than 24 hours before departure from the country from which they are travelling. Those on multi-stop journeys must submit no more than 24 hours before the last leg of the journey into South Africa.
The declaration can be submitted through the SARS website, the SATMS mobile application available on Android and iOS, or by scanning QR codes at ports of entry. Self-service kiosks are also available at some border posts.
Information required includes passport or travel document details, travel and contact information, details of any travelling companions, and whether the traveller is carrying goods, currency or bearer negotiable instruments that must be declared.
Duty-free allowances
SARS has clarified that ordinary personal effects for a traveller’s own use do not need to be declared. However, travellers must declare goods, currency or other items exceeding their duty-free allowance.
According to SARS, the duty-free allowance per person allows goods up to R5000 to be imported without paying duty or VAT. Additional goods up to R20 000 may be permitted but may attract duty and VAT. If the total value of goods exceeds R25 000, normal customs duties and VAT will apply.
The allowance is valid only once per person within a 30-day period and does not apply to travellers returning after an absence of fewer than 48 hours.
Separately, travellers carrying cash, goods, currency or bearer negotiable instruments above R100 000 must declare these specifically to the customs and excise traveller management system, with declarations also made available to the Financial Intelligence Centre.
Background
The SATMS was first piloted at select South African airports in 2022 as part of SARS’s broader Smart Borders modernisation programme, which aimed to digitise and streamline customs declarations. The pilot initially targeted air travellers and operated on a voluntary basis before being progressively expanded to sea and land ports.
The mandatory vehicle declaration that came into force on 1 June 2026 ended a longstanding informal arrangement under which vehicles from Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states – Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia, collectively known as the BELN countries – had crossed into South Africa with relatively few declaration requirements.
SARS maintained that national customs legislation, specifically Section 15 of the Customs and Excise Act of 1964, had always required such declarations and that the June and July 2026 enforcement represented consistent application of existing law rather than a new imposition.
The new requirements have had a significant impact on Lesotho, whose economy is deeply intertwined with South Africa’s. Thousands of Basotho cross the border daily for work, education, trade and medical services, with many relying on personal vehicles. Border posts at Maseru Bridge, Caledonspoort, Van Rooyenshek and Sani Pass have all experienced heavier processing times since the new vehicle declaration came into force.
The Lesotho government raised its concerns formally at the bilateral level. Finance and Development Planning Minister Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane said the matter was discussed during talks with South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, on the sidelines of a SACU Council of Ministers meeting.
Mr Godongwana undertook to engage the relevant South African authorities and provide feedback to Lesotho.
Dr Matlanyane also confirmed in May 2026 that Lesotho has no plans to introduce reciprocal measures requiring foreign-registered vehicles entering Lesotho to pre-declare electronically, citing the close interdependence between the two countries and the need for careful consideration before any such step.
SACU, established in 1910 and the world’s oldest customs union, is designed to facilitate the free movement of goods between its member states. Critics of the new SARS law argue that forcing travellers to register before crossing the border, without adequate consultation or public awareness, undermines the spirit of regional integration and places unnecessary burdens on ordinary cross-border commuters. SARS, however, maintains that the system will ultimately reduce border processing times and strengthen cross-border risk management.
