Pretoria: The Border Management Authority (BMA) has successfully facilitated the movement of approximately 4,902,269 travellers across South Africa’s 71 ports of entry during the festive period of 2025/2026. This announcement was made by BMA Commissioner, Dr. Michael Masiapato, at a media briefing in Pretoria, where he presented the authority’s operational report.
According to South African Government News Agency, the festive season operational plan ran from 10 December 2025 to 15 January 2026. The execution of this plan involved collaboration with various law-enforcement and regulatory partners, including the South African Police Service, South African Revenue Service, South African National Defence Force, and several other agencies. Of the total travellers facilitated, around 1,369,775 were South African nationals, while approximately 3,532,494 were foreign nationals.
The BMA processed around 340,876 private vehicles, 9,072 mini-bus taxis, and 10,349 buses via land routes. Additionally, 7,787 aircraft were handled through air modalities, and 243 vessels were processed via sea routes. OR Tambo International Airport was the busiest port, facilitating 991,535 travellers, followed by the Lebombo port to Mozambique and Beitbridge port to Zimbabwe.
Lebombo saw an increase of 184,398 in traveller numbers, overtaking Beitbridge as the second busiest entry point. Masiapato attributed this rise to disruptions caused by post-election violence affecting cross-border travel during the previous festive season.
About 84% of all travellers were processed at the top 10 ports of entry, including OR Tambo International Airport, Beit Bridge, Lebombo, and others, with a total of 4,115,112 travellers. The remaining 16% were managed at the other 61 ports.
The BMA also engaged in over 531 joint law enforcement operations to tackle illegal migration and other illegal activities. These included roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints outside designated areas. Border Guards conducted 10,455 vehicle and foot patrols and raided 8,288 hotspot areas.
The deployment of DCD Protected Mobility vehicles and Sherp All-terrain Vehicles enhanced operations, particularly in challenging terrains like the flooded Limpopo River. During the festive operations, the BMA intercepted about 26,852 individuals attempting illegal entry into South Africa. Since July 2022, more than 530,145 individuals have been intercepted.
There was a notable 46% decline in attempted illegal entries compared to the previous festive season, largely attributed to the deterrent effect of drones. Of those intercepted, 14,828 were Basotho nationals, followed by 5,370 Zimbabweans and 1,373 Mozambicans.