By Charmaine Ndlela
The Border Management Authority (BMA) is preparing for more than 25,000 travellers a day at its busiest ports of entry over Easter.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday that peak outbound traffic was expected on 2 April and return traffic on Easter Monday, 6 April.
“During these peak periods we expect significant traveller and traffic volumes potentially reaching double the baseline and exceeding 25,000 travellers per day at the busiest ports of entry,” Masiapato said.
He said the Easter execution phase would run from 31 March to 9 April across South Africa’s 71 ports of entry, with operations focused on easing movement while tightening enforcement against illegal crossings and corruption.
“Easter is complicated because it compresses movement into just a few days. We expect major congestion on Thursday, April 2, as travellers leave the country, and again on Easter Monday as they return,” Masiapato said.
The BMA recorded more than 1,057,063 traveller movements in 10 days during Easter 2025, with OR Tambo International Airport, Lebombo and Beitbridge accounting for more than half of that traffic.
To ease congestion, the BMA has secured extended operating hours at several ports of entry with Botswana, Mozambique, eSwatini and Lesotho.
In his address, Masiapato said agreements were reached with neighbouring countries “to adjust operating hours at some of the key ports of entry which do not operate on a 24-hour basis”.
Among the changes, Groblersbridge and Kopfontein on the Botswana border will operate for longer on peak days, while Kosi Bay, Jeppes Reef, Mananga and several Lesotho crossings will also extend their hours.
“Immigration requirements remain strict; all travellers must present a valid machine-readable passport with at least two blank pages,” Masiapato said.
He said that parents travelling with minors must carry “unabridged birth certificates or authorised affidavits”.
“The BMA issues a firm warning that any individual attempting to enter or exit the Republic illegally, or to facilitate such activities, will face immediate arrest and prosecution in line with the Immigration Act,” Masiapato said.
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