Mbabane – Swazi motorists travelling to South Africa are required to register their vehicles on a new South African digital system before crossing the border, with the requirement taking effect from 1 June.
Nduduzo Dlamini, Manager for Marketing and Communications at the Eswatini Revenue Service, explained the new system during an interview on EBS Radio, saying the South African Revenue Service had introduced the South African Traveller Management System, known as SATMAS, which now extends the declaration requirement to motor vehicles.
“This is not an entirely new concept,” Dlamini said, drawing a comparison to how travellers were already required to declare items like laptops when crossing into South Africa and returning with them. SATMAS now brings motor vehicles under that same framework, making the process fully digital. 
Any Swazi driving a locally registered vehicle into South Africa must declare it, regardless of which border post they use, whether Lavumisa, Oshoek, Lomahasha or any other crossing point. Once declared, the vehicle receives a six-month temporary permit to remain in South Africa.
Travellers can complete the declaration in three ways. The first is through the SARS website at https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/, where travellers navigate to the traveller management section and fill in their passport details, vehicle registration number, the date of travel and the border post they plan to use. After submitting, the traveller receives both an email and an SMS confirming their permit.
The second option is the SARS Mobile app, available for download on all major app stores. Travellers search for SARS Mobile, open it and go to the travellers temporary declaration section to complete the process.
The third option is for those without internet access or smartphones. Kiosks are available at border posts where staff will capture a traveller’s passport and vehicle registration number and process the declaration on their behalf, printing out a certificate the traveller then carries with them.
QR codes are also being installed at border posts, allowing travellers with phones to scan and declare on arrival.
Dlamini said the system also tracks vehicles throughout their time in South Africa. Because SARS holds the vehicle registration, the owner’s email and phone number, the authority can send reminder messages if a vehicle appears to still be in South Africa after five months, prompting the owner to either return or visit a SARS office to extend the permit.
When returning to Eswatini, travellers must go back onto the system and declare that their vehicle has come home, removing it from the active declaration. Failure to do this could result in the system continuing to flag the vehicle as still being in South Africa.
Travellers who change their plans, for example deciding to cross at a different border post or cancelling the trip altogether, can update or cancel their declaration on the website before activating their passport at the border. Once the passport is scanned at the border, the declaration becomes active and cannot be changed through the website. In that case, border officials at the kiosks can assist with any amendments.
Dlamini said the system benefits Swazi travellers directly, particularly in road emergencies. Because SARS holds the vehicle and contact details on record, authorities can trace and contact the owner far more quickly if something goes wrong on South African roads.
The ERS said it would publish further guidance on its own social media pages and work with government departments to ensure the information reaches as many Swazis as possible before the 1 June deadline. Travellers who know they will be crossing into South Africa around or after that date were urged to visit the SARS website or download the SARS Mobile app and complete their declaration in advance, as the system is already live and fully functional.
