By Jonathan Paoli
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to remain vigilant, responsive and committed to protecting South Africa’s sovereignty and its ports of entry as gateways to the country’s prosperity and security.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato unveiled the first quarter performance results for the 2025/26 financial year at a media briefing offering a detailed overview of the BMA’s operations across South Africa’s 72 ports of entry and marked the official launch of new high-security immigration control stamps.
“The BMA acknowledges that more needs to be done as other risks continue to emerge. As such, we continue to implement robust contingency plans and emergency response protocols at our ports to address any incidents that may arise. The BMA remains dedicated to upholding the integrity of our borders,” Masiapato said.
The BMA also used the occasion to honour Women’s Month, acknowledging the vital role played by female officers in managing the country’s borders through immigration, agricultural, environmental and health-related specialisations.
Masiapato revealed that 986 permits were processed for the movement of human remains during the quarter.
Of these, 942 were exported out of South Africa, and 44 were imported into the country.
Port health specialists also continued to perform disease screenings at points of entry, denying entry to 42 travellers due to identified public health risks.
In addition, 24 suspected malaria cases were referred to health facilities for further medical investigation.
Port health officials also maintained rigorous inspection of foodstuffs, biological materials, and pharmaceutical products, reinforcing the country’s first line of defence against international health threats.
Travellers were reminded of strict requirements, including valid yellow fever vaccination certificates and formal authorisation from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for any imported scheduled medicines.
The first quarter saw the processing of 8,582,250 travellers entering and exiting South Africa.
Immigration officials reiterated that all travellers must carry machine-readable passports with at least two blank pages, excluding the last.
Travellers without valid visas, passports in poor condition, or those violating visa conditions were denied entry.
Children travelling across borders were again a focus point, especially in light of the International Day of Trafficking in Persons on 30 July.
The BMA intercepted 13 children, five of whom were unaccompanied and placed in the care of the Social Development department.
The remaining eight were travlling with parents or ardians but were refused entry due to documentation irregularities.
Masiapato emphasised that the legal requirements for child travel such as unabridged birth certificates, affidavits of consent, and court orders must be strictly followed to prevent trafficking and ensure child safety.
he BMA’s agricultural biosecurity teams processed 38,094 consignments of regulated agricultural goods across 26 major commercial ports.
These included shipments of live animals and plant products, each requiring strict documentation including phytosanitary and veterinary certificates.
On he environmental front, specialists processed 1,223 consignments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species at 15 key ports.
These included endangered species and alien invasive plants and animals.
Importers are mandated to obtain appropriate permits from the Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Department and schedule inspections 48 hours in advance.
Non-compliant shipments were handed over to the department’s enforcement teams for further investigation, with the possibility of criminal proceedings.
During the quarter, the BMA Border Guards apprehended 9954 individuals attempting to enter South Africa unlawfully.
Of these, 5826 were undocumented, 2,127 inadmissible, and 2,00
1 classified as undesirable.
Cumulatively since July 2022, BMA operations have intercepted 496,622 individuals attempting illegal crossings.
The BMA also recovered 15 stolen vehicles, thwarting smuggling attempts, and seized 32 bales of counterfeit clothing and 201 fake shoes with an estimated value of R1.09 million.
Furthermore, 14 fraudulent passports were confiscated after being found with counterfeit immigration stamps.
To address continued abuse of documentation, the BMA introduced a new series of secure immigration stamps on 1 August.
The rollout of the new tamper-proof immigration control stamps represents a major step in combating passport fraud.
Developed in partnership with Government Printing Works, each stamp is individually assigned to an immigration officer; uniquely numbered; and integrated into the national movement control system.
This system will help identify misuse and improve accountability.
The older, less secure stamps, which had become prone to forgery, were officially withdrawn from circulation.
The BMA confirmed that redesigns of stamps used in health, agriculture and environmental functions are also underway.
The BMA highlighted its commitment to modernising border control through technological innovation.
Six Border Guards graduated as certified drone pilots earlier last month. These new pilots will support surveillance, detection of illegal activity, and enhance coverage in vulnerable border regions
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