In a candid briefing today, Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Dr. Michael Masiapato revealed that the authority is operating at only a quarter of its required capacity, forcing it to depend on partnerships with other agencies to manage South Africa’s ports of entry.
Despite achieving 92% of its operational targets in a “progressive” term, Commissioner Masiapato stated the BMA is under “very serious pressure” due to a critical staffing shortage. “We are not adequately staffed. Remember public knowledge: 25% capacity. So that is not adequate,” Masiapato said.
To prepare for the expected festive season influx, the BMA is leaning heavily on external support. The authority has secured approximately 50 officials from the Western Cape government, 80 for OR Tambo International Airport, and 160 tourism monitors from the national Tourism Department to assist with queue management. For core law enforcement functions, the BMA continues to partner with the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force, particularly at ports and in vulnerable border areas.
“We are not as an organization fully capacitated to deliver on this mandate, but we for now thrive through partnerships,” Masiapato explained. He expressed hope that future resource allocations would allow the BMA to build its own capacity.
The Commissioner provided context for the looming challenge, reporting a significant year-on-year increase in traveler volume. He noted that in the 2023/24 festive season, 5 million people were processed. For the same quarter in the current financial year, the BMA facilitated 9 million people—a 23% increase—driven by major events like G20 meetings and the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) pilgrimage.
Based on this trend, Masiapato predicted the upcoming festive season could see a return to the pre-COVID benchmark of 6 million travelers. “We are definitely going to see a serious uptick,” he said.
During the briefing, Masiapato also highlighted ongoing interceptions of illicit goods, specifically naming birth control pills and skin lightening creams. These items, often smuggled in via cargo at ports like OR Tambo and Durban, are referred to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for assessment and destruction. The Commissioner acknowledged the difficulty in tracing the suppliers, who often use false identities, stating it is “a big struggle.”
While assuring the public that officials would be deployed to protect the borders, Masiapato underscored that the BMA’s current operational model is fundamentally reliant on collaborative efforts to overcome its severe capacity constraints. Full statistics for the festive season are expected to be released early next year.
