By Thapelo Molefe
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has credited new surveillance technologies and aggressive enforcement for a dramatic rise in border interceptions during the 2025 Easter period.
BMA commissioner Michael Masiapato said on Monday that from 15 April to 24 April, the BMA processed 1,057,063 legitimate traveller movements through South Africa’s 71 ports of entry, an 8% increase from Easter 2024.
A total of 6253 individuals attempting to enter or exit the country illegally were intercepted, which was a 61% spike from the previous year.
“This year, we talk about having intercepted over 6000. So that automatically demonstrates the 62% we are talking about,” Masiapato told reporters.
“That is a demonstration of the impact of the drones because it was a targeted interception.”
The deployment of drones and body-worn cameras was central to this success, allowing authorities to detect and intercept illegal crossings in real time.
“We then deploy
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