By Anita Nkonki.
As travellers return to South Africa following the festive season, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has stepped up enforcement at major ports of entry, intercepting undocumented migrants near the Beitbridge Port of Entry.
The operation was led by BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato, alongside Beitbridge Port Commander Ntakuseni Lambani. Using surveillance technology, officials intercepted 25 undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country illegally through the bushes.
Two men suspected of aiding and abetting illegal crossings were also arrested in the Beitbridge bush area and handed over to the Musina Police Station.
Masiapato said the interceptions come amid exceptionally high traveller volumes as the festive return leg gets underway. Multiple processing and interception points have been established at major ports of entry to manage congestion and enforce immigration laws.
Beitbridge remains South Africa’s busiest land border, with more than 22,000 travellers processed on 3 January alone. Officials said the spike was largely driven by the simultaneous arrival of buses from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia.
To cope with long queues and extreme heat, the BMA prioritised processing for small children, the elderly, and other vulnerable travellers. Port Health officials were also deployed to assess travellers showing signs of illness, helping to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
In just two days, on 1 and 2 January 2026, more than 546 travellers, most of them undocumented, were intercepted at various ports of entry nationwide.
Masiapato said the interceptions demonstrate that border management systems remain active and effective despite limited resources.
“While the Authority operates under limited resources, BMA officers remain fully deployed, vigilant, and committed to defending the Republic’s borders. Daily interceptions, refusals of entry, confiscations, and enforcement actions confirm that illegal entry and prohibited movements are being detected and decisively addressed,” he said.
He also explained that the festive operation has moved into its return phase:
“We had effectively started; as you will remember, this operation started on the 10th of December, and we just concluded on New Year’s Eve on the 31st in terms of the exit leg. So yesterday we started with the return leg…”
“As we speak now, we can confirm that we have set up four areas of processing, where we are going to be processing people as they come back into the country. We are going to be processing all the people that will be using small vehicles,” Masiapato added, noting that operations for small vehicles are already underway.