02/07/2026
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐
๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐
By Boniface Keakabetse
Botswana travellers heading to South Africa, as well as international tourists combining Botswana with destinations such as Cape Town, Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park, will now be required to complete South Africa's new online traveller declaration before travelling.
The mandatory South African Revenue Service (SARS) declaration came into effect on 1 July 2026 and applies to travellers entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea and rail. Travellers must submit the declaration before travel, providing passport details, travel information and, where applicable, customs declarations.
The change is particularly relevant for Botswana, whose citizens frequently cross into South Africa for business, shopping, medical care and leisure. It also affects international tourists who visit Botswana as part of multi-country Southern African itineraries that include destinations such as Cape Town or Johannesburg.
However, there is one important exemption for Botswana's tourism industry.
International visitors who simply connect through OR Tambo International Airport or another South African airport on their way to Botswana, without leaving the designated international transit area, are not required to complete the online declaration.
This means many overseas safari guests flying
through Johannesburg directly to Maun or Kasane for their Botswana safari will remain unaffected by the new requirement.
