South Africa’s security landscape is reflective of broader maladies faced by emerging democracies, where progress in technology and social disease confronts the slender line of preserving the people against encroaching on their rights. South Africa’s experience, particularly in cross-border crime, cyber-security, and law enforcement integrity, captures how the country is innovating in order to meet its security needs. The manner in which the state is approaching these issues exemplifies the sort of resilience and creativity emerging democracies require if they are to best confront challenges that threaten security as well as civil liberties.
One of the key players in South Africa’s emerging security framework is Duwayne Esau, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) spokesperson, who points out the pivotal position of digital technologies in shaping the country’s security frameworks. The DHA has imposed stringent cyber-security systems, including software that protects national digital networks and personal information. Despite all these efforts, Esau sees one major stumbling block: the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) controls the procurement process of Information Technology (IT) services. Through this centralised procurement process, it is difficult to ensure consistent quality and responsiveness, especially in a rapidly evolving digital technology world.
Esau further highlighted the collaboration between the DHA and other national security departments in addressing the ongoing challenges of cross-border crime. The Border Management Authority (BMA), established in April 2023, is a principal agency in securing South Africa’s borders. The BMA is integrating advanced technologies, such as drones, to enhance border security. These drones provide a real-time bird’s eye view of open border areas, enabling better surveillance and discouraging illegal entry. The BMA partners with international organizations including Interpol, among other national institutions in the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security Cluster, to combat human trafficking and illegal immigration.
One of the cornerstones of the DHA’s digital transformation vision is the “Home Affairs at Home” initiative, a five-year plan that will bring government services to people closer online. Under this initiative is the roll-out of the “Trusted Tour Operator Scheme”, where citizens can access government services from any device, anywhere, without the need to physically visit government offices. This web-based infrastructure is only one aspect of a broader push to streamline procedures and increase efficiency, taking key services closer to South Africans and international visitors alike.
Although the BMA is comparatively newly formed, the agency has already had some remarkable successes. Mmemme Mogotsi, Deputy Assistant Commissioner at BMA’s Communications and Marketing, spoke about some of the significant operations of the agency, including arresting a taxi vehicle at Beitbridge Port of Entry, carrying 25 illegal foreign nationals, 20 of whom are minors. One of the significant successes involved arresting a sought suspect at OR Tambo International Airport. Throughout the 2024/2025 festive season, the BMA stopped more than 58,000 attempts at entering South Africa illegally; more than double that of the preceding year’s interceptions. The activity reflects the expanding influence of the integration of technology, particularly the use of drones, in advancing border security.
But with all these successes, the BMA is faced with the challenge of limited resources. Mogotsi reiterated that border safety is always on the agenda, citing the agency’s determination to maintain a zero-tolerance stance against corruption. Disciplinary procedures against malpractice and transparency in operations have worked to build confidence among the people, especially in a region of high rates of cross-border crime.
South Africa’s overall security plan, however, is also hinged on economic and governance problems that also undermine the country’s capacity to execute its national security program. In the opinion of Professor Francois Vrey, a scholar at Stellenbosch University and at the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA), economic problems like poor social services, a stagnating economy, and failure to invest adequately in infrastructure undermine national security. To Prof. Vrey, “Policing is weak, and confidence in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is disappointing”. Such are expressions that reflect the anger of most citizens against the state’s security agencies, with increasingly dwindling public trust in the police further eroding.
Prof. Vrey also expressed concerns regarding the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), on the grounds of its failure to effectively perform its external military mandate. The country’s peace missions in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo have exposed defence force’’ understrength and underfinanced capability, which have made the armed forces, lose some of their credibility in military ventures. Underfunding of defense services leaves South Africa vulnerable to external threats as well as domestic upheavals, with an inconsistency between political ambition and their capability to realise it. Overall, the dilemma is a political trend to employ soldiers and so compensate for other national departments failing to deliver quality public goods to society as per their mandates. This of course grows the military footprint domestically, as well as externally as a stopgap for a range of largely political shortcomings.
Despite such difficulties, South Africa has made strides in integrating sophisticated technology into the policing and border control. Brigadier General Athlenda Mathe, the national spokesperson for SAPS, commends the BMA for developing the Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS). The new system replaces the old Enhanced Movement Control System (eMCS), providing the capability to capture fingerprint and facial biometric information of travelers arriving and departing the country. Brig. Gen. Mathe pointed out the importance of biometric data in monitoring the movement of individuals and strengthening national security through the monitoring of criminal activity and blocking unauthorised border crossing.
SAPS have also implemented various computer programs that are intended to improve operational efficiency. The e-Docket system, for example, is an electronic case management system that streamlines case handling and reduces paperwork. The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) is also one of the technology applications used to rapidly identify individuals, which supports criminal investigations. The other instrument is the My SAPS app, which was launched in 2022 and allows citizens to make anonymous crime tips and share information on SAPS stations, thus encouraging more public involvement and public trust between the police and the public.
It has not been problem-free that technology has been introduced into SAPS work. A paper on ResearchGate by Jeanette Smit and Phil Vuma, titled “The Influence of Digital Technology on Decision-Making in the South African Police Service: A Critical Analysis” addresses the impact of digital technologies on decision-making at SAPS and identifies some impediments to such an impact, such as a lack of budget for infrastructure, a lack of training of police officers on new technologies, and a lack of a digital strategy. The authors recommend SAPS enhance training programmes, invest in technology infrastructure, and demand increased leadership support for digital transformation. These would enable SAPS to achieve the maximum benefit of state-of-the-art technology and enhance their operational effectiveness.
The private sector has also become a significant player in South African security. Mamela Luthuli, CEO of Take Note IT, highlighted increasing use of new technology by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to improve security. These range from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that are able to detect cable theft via, say, cable theft sensors, to advanced surveillance drones sweeping huge expanses of infrastructure. Luthuli underlined the importance of PPPs in facilitating a faster and more adaptable security policy, and the private sector is central to the supply of technology innovation.
Although there are potential advantages, there are serious privacy, discrimination, and public trust dilution concerns arising out of the speeded-up technological innovation in the security sector. Luthuli acknowledges these threats but emphasizes the need to reconcile technological innovation with the protection of civil liberties. Privacy concerns, particularly the collection and storage of personal data, have emerged as one of the most contentious issues in the realm of national security. Luthuli warned that over-expansion of surveillance power will undermine public trust and lead to a dangerous imbalance between security needs and civil liberties.
Dr. Mary Mangai, a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria in Crime Prevention and Public Safety, underscored the importance of how careful one must be in balancing human rights and national security, especially in light of South Africa’s complex history. She argued that security must be properly planned not to tread on fundamental rights like privacy and freedom of expression. Dr. Mangai also advocates for strong protections and independent oversight in order to prevent the misuse of surveillance powers. She also goes on to state that acts such as the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) oversee surveillance but still fall short of addressing matters pertaining to state interference. For this purpose, she recommends community-based schemes, such as Community Policing Forums (CPFs), in order to create bridging the gap between local communities and the police, and thus foster cooperation and trust.
South Africa’s involvement in regional efforts to combat transnational organised crime (TOC) is also noteworthy. At the launch of the SADC Integrated Strategy against TOC, the regional leadership in the prevention of crime by South Africa was lauded by the INTERPOL Regional Bureau Head, Mr. Sello Moerane. Moerane emphasised that there is a need for an adaptable, multi-agency approach to combat the multi-dimensional reality of organised crime. He reiterated the need for the formulation of a National Task Force in order to centralise efforts against TOC in ensuring expert cooperation and actionable intelligence. Moerane emphasized that successful responses to TOC would have to involve top decision-makers and be driven by holistic, preventive approaches.
South Africa’s border security approach is in support of these efforts at the regional level, featuring cutting-edge technology to boost monitoring at the border, facilitate simplified immigration procedures, and curb illicit activity. Drone monitoring of its borders in real-time will come courtesy of artificial intelligence, cross-border transactions will be secured with blockchain, while biometric equipment will enhance the identification process. Despite these innovations, bureaucratic delays and vague implementation timelines are two of the challenges that still remain, underlining the requirement for professional involvement to make these innovations effective and ethical.
Ultimately, South Africa’s security scene is a microcosm of the broader challenges faced by emerging democracies globally. While the country is moving at a rapid rate in adopting high-tech technologies and intersectoral coordination, it also has entrenched governance problems that undermine the effectiveness of its security system. To succeed, South Africa will have to balance these complexities pragmatically, overcoming systemic weaknesses while leveraging technological innovation to enhance national defense. The constant unfolding of the South African security apparatus is a marvelous study in global efforts to find balance between liberty and security amid rising interdependency.
