South Africa immigration to go unchecked for World Cup
August 14 2009 by Rebekah Nahai
Fast South Africa immigration for football
World Cup fans arriving in South Africa for matches in 2010 will not have to undergo security checks at immigration checkpoints.
A collaborative arrangement with specialist IT organisation SITA means passengers will have their personal information and documents checked before boarding the plane in their home countries.
The move is designed to increase efficiency and decrease World Cup fan delays at South African immigration points. It will also reduce administration costs and turnaround times for aircraft.
Khodr Akil, vice president of SITA Middle East and Africa, said:
"This will save us the expense of processing and returning unauthorised visitors. We have already received the agreement and cooperation of the many airlines who fly into our country and are satisfied that the system will be up and running in time for the World Cup and, of course, for many years after."
A similar advance border crossing solution was implemented for the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia.
Around 500,000 football fans will travel to South Africa next year for the World Cup games.
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