BMA: Basotho and Zimbabweans top illegal entries into SA over festive season
Members of the Patriotic Alliance intercepted Zimbabwean nationals at the Beitbridge border post in Limpopo, trying to cross into South Africa illegally. South Africa saw a sharp decline in illegal border crossings over the 2025/2026 festive season, with the Border Management Authority reporting a 46% drop compared with last year.
Image: Picture: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
The Border Management Authority (BMA) says about 26,852 individuals attempted to enter South Africa illegally during the 2025 and 2026 festive season, of these 14,828 were Basotho nationals, followed by 5,370 Zimbabweans and 1,373 Mozambicans.
The BMA also reported a decline in illegal crossings of 46 percent compared with the 2024/2025 festive season, when 58,394 people attempted to enter the country illegally.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato and Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber briefed the media on Friday on the festive season operational report.
Masiapato said the BMA facilitated the legitimate movement of about 4,902,269 travellers across its 71 ports of entry, which include 52 land ports, 10 international airports, and nine seaports, as well as border law enforcement areas.
“Of this total, about 1,369,775 were South African nationals, while 3,532,494 were foreign nationals,” Masiapato said.
He added that the BMA processed approximately 340,876 private vehicles, 9,072 mini-bus taxis and 10,349 buses through land ports.
Masiapato said through air ports, about 7,787 aircraft were processed, while 243 vessels were processed via sea ports.
OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) remained the busiest port of entry, facilitating 991,535 travellers, followed by Lebombo land port to Mozambique with 755,529 travellers, and Beitbridge land port to Zimbabwe with 618,562 travellers.
“Lebombo experienced a significant increase in traveller volume of about 184,398, surpassing Beitbridge to become the second busiest port after ORTIA,” Masiapato said.
BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato says Basotho and Zimbabwean nationals lead illegal crossings attempts in festive season crackdown.
Image: Supplied/GCIS
He attributed the increase to post-election violence in Mozambique, which had affected cross-border travel at Lebombo during the previous festive season.
Masiapato said 84% of all travellers were facilitated at the top 10 ports of entry, including ORTIA, Beitbridge, Lebombo, Kopfontein, Oshoek, Cape Town International Airport, Maseru Bridge, Ficksburg Bridge, Caledonspoort and Groblersbridge.
He said about 4,115,112 travellers passed through these ports, while the remaining 16% used the other 61 ports.
In addressing illegal migration, Masiapato said border guards participated in 531 joint law enforcement operations, including roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints outside border law enforcement areas.
He said they conducted 10,455 vehicle and foot patrols and raided 8,288 hotspot areas within border law enforcement areas.
“The deployment of DCD Protected Mobility vehicles significantly enhanced our operational capacity, visibility and response capability in high-risk areas, including rugged terrain and flooded rivers,” Masiapato said.
He said that Sherp all-terrain vehicles allowed uninterrupted operations in the flooded Limpopo River around Beitbridge.
The commissioner said during the festive period, border guards detected and intercepted 26,852 individuals attempting to enter South Africa illegally.
Of these, 22,153 were undocumented, 2,353 were classified as undesirable for overstaying, and 2,346 were inadmissible due to invalid passports, fraudulent visas, or lack of yellow fever certificates.
Despite processing nearly 4.9 million travellers across 71 ports of entry, South African authorities intercepted fewer undocumented migrants than in the previous festive period.
Image: X/BMA
Masiapato said the decline in illegal crossings from the previous festive season could be attributed to the deterrent effect of drone deployment along the border.
In addition, he said, the border guards arrested 81 travellers for offences including possession of stolen vehicles, illegal firearms, contraband, drugs, and dangerous goods such as commercial explosives and blasting cartridges.
According to him, since July 2022, the BMA has intercepted more than 530,145 individuals attempting illegal entry.
Six vehicles were also intercepted from being smuggled out of the country and handed over to the South African Police Service for further action.
He said from July 2022 to date, the BMA has stopped a total of 356 vehicles from being smuggled out.
Regarding illicit goods, Masiapato said border guards intercepted 143 cartons of illicit cigarettes and bags of dagga with an estimated value of over R100,000.
He said working with SARS, the BMA facilitated 145,113 trucks for import and export during the festive period, of which 121,217 were exports and 23,896 imports.
Lebombo port handled 42,618 export trucks, mostly transit cargo destined for Maputo Harbour, while Beitbridge port facilitated 7,745 import trucks, Masiapato added.
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