The use of drone technology has boosted South Africa’s border security efforts, with operations at ports of entry this festive season having been improved as a result.
Speaking at a briefing on Friday on the Border Management Authority (BMA) festive season operations, Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the use of drones at five ports of entry on a pilot basis made an immediate and visible impact.
Schreiber said the piloting of new technology, including drones and body cameras, has demonstrated the power of digital transformation to secure and enhance border management.
“It is now time for the BMA to permanently acquire these capabilities, as we accelerate our work to digitalise South Africa’s port environment, including automating all entry and exit procedures,” the Minister said at the briefing held in Pretoria.
Schreiber commended the success registered at ports of entry to curb illegal activities.
“In previous years, festive season operations were characterised by fragmentation, lack of coordination and the inability to adjust quickly to changing circumstances on the ground.
“Thanks to the focus on coordination, technology and collaboration by the BMA, the number of attempted illegal border crossings by undocumented persons that were successfully prevented increased by 215% this past festive season.”
Operational successes
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the festive season plan was implemented from 6 – 31 December 2024 (the exit leg) and 1 – 18 January 2025 (the return leg).
In 2023/24, 15 924 undocumented persons who tried to come into the country illegally were intercepted. In 2024/2025, this number increased to 50 312.
Another 6 159 people were detected for overstaying, and a further 1 923 were refused entry due to fraudulent documentation or non-compliance with entry requirements.
BMA border guards, in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), made 322 arrests, including 132 wanted criminals, and seized illicit goods that included R690 million worth of illegal cigarettes.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development assisted with the deployment of drones at Beitbridge, Maseru Bridge, Lebombo, Kopfontein and Oshoek. Forty-two pilots were assigned and effectively operated those drones across the five ports of entry.
The use of these drones at the five ports led to the detection of 2 188 additional people, who attempted to illegally enter the country.
“That is 2 188 people who would be walking among us illegally now if it was not for the use of this technology,” Schreiber said.
Furthermore, the drones led to 2 326 breaches in the border fence being identified and sealed.
Masiapato said prior to the implementation of the festive season plan, the BMA — an entity of the Department of Home Affairs — increased the human resource capacity at certain ports of entry and also extended operating hours at some of the ports, which do not normally operate on a 24-hour basis.
The BMA is mandated to facilitate and manage the legitimate movement of people and goods across South Africa’s 71 ports of entry, 52 of which are land, 10 are international airports and nine are seaports, as well as the border law enforcement area.
Cooperation pays off
Masiapato explained that during the implementation of the plan, the BMA collaborated with a multiplicity of law enforcement stakeholders, such as SAPS, South African Revenue Service (SARS), South African National Defence Force, Cross Border Road Transport Agency, Intelligence Structures, INTERPOL, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Immigration Inspectorate of the Department of Home Affairs, the Road Traffic Management Cooperation and various locally based traffic authorities across the various provinces.
During the festive season, the BMA facilitated the legitimate movement of about 5 084 251 travelers across the 71 ports of entry. This number represents an increase of 51 680 travelers compared to the 2023/24 festive period.
The BMA processed over 395 189 private vehicles, 12 974 mini-bus taxis and 6 071 buses through the movement control system.
The BMA processed over 9 491 aircrafts through the international airports and about 660 vessels across seaports.
OR Tambo International Airport facilitated the majority of travelers at 1 065 636, followed by the Beitbridge land port of entry to Zimbabwe at 645 590 travelers, and then followed by the Lebombo land port of entry to Mozambique at 571 131.
Compared to the 2023/24 festive period, Lebombo experienced a decline of about 183 935 travelers.
Working with SARS, the BMA facilitated a total of 58 938 trucks for both import and export.
Out of the total number of 58 938 processed trucks, 47 891 were processed for exports and 11 047 were processed for imports.
Masiapato thanked the border guards and coastal guards, who continue to do their best in the midst of challenges and complexities associated with border law enforcement work.
“We are very hopeful that we will be able to get the resources and fully enrol the requisite technologies required for effective border management,” he said.
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