In July, Commissioner Michael Masiapato’s fledgling BMA (it marked its second anniversary in October) told Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations (JSCA) and the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs (PCHA) its 2023/24 budget request was R2.9 billion but it received less than half (R1.34 billion). This allocation increased marginally to R1.4 billion in 2024/25, with R1.47 billion allocated for the current 2025/26 financial year.

Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha’s landward force, along with the rest of the SANDF, knows full well and has lived with effective decreases and only minimal funding increases from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s National Treasury (NT) for more years than successive defence and military veterans’ ministers care to remember. Apart from putting the brakes on acquisition of replacement equipment, this has seen no increase in boots on the ground for the SANDF Operation Corona border protection tasking – still standing at 15 “sub-units”, mostly infantry companies, deployed along the 4 470 km plus land border.

Exact numbers of soldiers from the regular and reserve components as well as other SA Army formations deployed to protect border integrity are not known. In this regard African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier estimates the current 15 “sub-units” amount to between 2 300 and 2 500 soldiers deployed at any one time, working on the basis of 160 in an infantry rifle company.

Against this is the BMA, which a Parliamentarian said earlier this year has 673 “border law enforcement officers” on its total personnel strength of 2 606, including 400 newly appointed junior border guards. When fully staffed the BMA is mooted to have over 11 000 personnel.

Indications are around four thousand plus of these could come from the SA Police Service (SAPS) which, according to Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP) Adrian Roos, are already assigned duties at air, land and sea ports of entry. They, like some Department of Home Affairs (DHA) officials, are set to move onto BMA personnel strength sooner rather than later in the wake of a meeting between now suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, replaced by Firoz Cachalia on 1 August, and the Home Affairs Ministry incumbent, Leon Schreiber. At the beginning of May, authorisation was given for the transfer to the BMA of police and Department of Home Affairs officials carrying out border functions.

As it presently stands the entity specifically tasked with border protection has the least number of border guards confined to 10 km on either side of land ports of entry, with the SA Army having around 2 300 soldiers on the ground doing the hard yards in often unhospitable terrain ranging from thick bush to desolated semi-desert and mountains. The most recent example of the dangers faced by soldiers on border protection was the apparently trampling to death of a soldier by an elephant in the Madimbo area of operations.

The South African Police Service remains at present a contributor to border security with officers based at air, land and sea ports of entry. There are about 4 400 police officers assigned to border control and protection duties.

In a joint presentation to Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on 18 July, the BMA said the main risk it faces is limited capacity, which hampers its ability to effectively fulfil its mandate. This has been worsened by the lack of additional funding allocated to the entity, leaving it unable to recruit much-needed human resources or invest in technology that could alleviate pressure on existing staff. Moving forward, the BMA will prioritise filling critical positions, and is requesting additional funds through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA).

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Briefing the media on festive season law enforcement plans for 2025/26, Masiapato said BMA immigration officers processed 9 283 658 travellers in the second quarter of the current financial year – a 23% jump from the 7 576 650 movements recorded in the same period last year.

He said the uptick in movements coincides with strengthened border enforcement supported by surveillance technology, especially drones. During the quarter, 8 135 apprehensions were recorded across ports of entry and vulnerable segments: 4 092 undocumented individuals, 2 061 inadmissible travellers, and 1 982 undesirables.

“The majority of the intercepted foreign nationals were Basotho, followed by Mozambicans, Zimbabweans and Swati nationals, reflecting a consistent long-standing migration pattern within the sub-region,” Masiapato said.

Masiapato added that since the Border Guards were first deployed in July 2022, officers have stopped about 505 065 individuals from entering the country illegally.

Interceptions during the quarter also included 15 high-powered suspected stolen vehicles, believed to have been targeted by criminal syndicates for smuggling out of South Africa. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has taken over further processing.

“The incremental figure stands at about 349 vehicles since the deployment of the first contingent in July 2022,” Masiapato said.

BMA officers also seized 1 700 kg of counterfeit clothing and footwear valued at R1.28 million, bringing the cumulative value of counterfeit goods intercepted since July 2022 to about R220 million.

Additional seizures included half a kilogram of crystal meth, 240 grams of heroin, illicit cigarettes valued at R827 500, and 40 fraudulent travel documents confiscated mainly at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) and Vioolsdrift.

Port health operations screened 172 858 travellers, with 73 refused entry for failing to present valid yellow fever vaccination certificates. Officials processed 997 mortal remains — 964 exports and 33 imports — and returned 25 due to incomplete documentation.

Masiapato said port health teams also handled 43 729 health-related consignments, while intercepting and destroying 5 000 units of illicit birth control pills and 117 medical test kits, including skin lightening creams.

“In this regard, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has warned that many of these products contain harmful and illegal ingredients, including high concentrations of mercury, hydroquinone and tropical steroids, which pose serious health risks,” he said.

Health teams tested 969 travellers for malaria, confirming 57 positive cases, who were transferred to medical facilities. In the agricultural stream, 39 316 consignments were processed.

Boosting port security

Masiapato also announced a key operational development. The BMA, in partnership with Transnet National Ports Authority, has secured permanent operational space for Coastal Guards at the ports of Mossel Bay, Gqeberha, Richards Bay and East London.

“This is a critical development towards establishing BMA’s full-time presence in these important seaports,” he said.

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Briefing the media in Pretoria on Sunday, Masiapato said the four-phase plan — covering planning, execution, demobilisation and sustenance — is designed to ensure smoother traveller processing and tighter border security during one of the busiest periods of the year.

He said the planning phase, which began on 15 September and concludes on 9 December, has included extensive consultations with public and private sector stakeholders.

“The planning phase is characterised by extensive consultative engagements with multiple stakeholders in the country operating in both public and private sectors. As a result, we have managed to secure few critical partnerships with various stakeholders as guided by section 5(c) of the Border Management Authority Act,” he said.

Among these new partnerships are agreements with the South African Freight Forwarders Association, the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters, and the South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents, which will help fund some BMA operations through a cost-recovery model.

Technology companies such as DCD Protected Mobility, Aselsan South Africa and Unipro Protective Wear will assist in rolling out a suite of surveillance and protective tools.

“Drones and body cams will be fully operational to improve our detection capability and also address possible corruption from our team members,” Masiapato said.

To ease congestion at key ports, the BMA has also partnered with TRAC and SANRAL to strengthen traffic flow management at the busy Lebombo port of entry.

Masiapato added that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will again provide temporary infrastructure — including lighting, ablution facilities, barricades and Jojo tanks — across ports and corridors.

Additional ICT technicians will be deployed to support the movement control system, with further remote assistance from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Department of Home Affairs.

Masiapato said South Africa had also held discussions with neighbouring countries — Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, eSwatini and Botswana — to streamline cross-border operations.

“As a result, we have agreed to adjust operating hours at some of the key ports which do not operate on a 24-hour basis,” he said.

The execution phase will run from 10 December 2025 to 15 January 2026, split into a departure period (10 – 31 December) and a return period (1 – 15 January).

During this phase, enforcement measures will be tightened.

“We will be intensifying our measures to detect and seize narcotics, illicit goods, and even stolen vehicles. We want to warn all travellers to desist from committing any act of criminality around the ports or even in the border law enforcement areas as they will be detected and arrested,” Masiapato said.

Demobilisation will take place on 16 January, when ports that had extended operating hours revert to normal schedules.

The final sustenance phase begins on 17 January, with operations stabilising ahead of the 2026 Easter period.

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This as the BMA, SARS, and the DPCI, working with other stakeholders, have confirmed a breakthrough in the fight against wildlife trafficking, following a coordinated transnational operation that resulted in the seizure of a significant consignment of rhino horns and lion/tiger parts destined for the South East Asian illegal market.

The operation conducted on Monday, was led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Wildlife Trafficking Section, with support from the BMA, SARS Customs, Tracker Connect, the Gauteng South African Police Service (SAPS) Tactical Response Team and the Gauteng SAPS Airwing, among others.

“The intelligence-driven operation was launched after a suspicious consignment originally dispatched to Singapore, was identified and returned to its sender in South Africa. Investigative teams traced the shipment to a storage facility in Kempton Park [in Gauteng]. Upon execution of the search, four boxes were identified and thoroughly examined.

“Inside the boxes, officials uncovered 17 rhino horns weighing 55.4 kilograms, along with 26.2 kilograms of lion and tiger bones, skulls and claws,” said the BMA in a statement on Thursday.

Two Nigerian nationals, aged 34 and 35, were identified as the receivers of the consignment and were taken into custody.

The two appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 03 December 2025, on charges relating to the contravention of Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004), which prohibits restricted activities involving listed threatened or protected species.

The value of the items has not yet disclosed due to ongoing forensic and valuation processes.

The multi-agency investigation remains active, and additional arrests have not been ruled out as authorities pursue all leads and deepen cooperation with both domestic and international partners.

The Commissioner of the BMA, Dr Michael Masiapato, commended all agencies involved for their seamless coordination and reaffirmed the unwavering commitment to combating wildlife trafficking, which threatens South Africa’s natural heritage and fuels organised criminal networks.

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Masiapato was speaking during the Border Management Conference held at Pretoria’s CSIR International Convention centre on 19 November. Building on the successes of last year’s conference, the BMA highlighted how technology, collaboration, and institutional reforms are reshaping the country’s border management environment to bolster national security, advance regional integration, and foster economic development.

Masiapato argued that South Africa’s borders had historically been operationally fragmented and underprioritised, resulting in systemic inefficiencies, grey areas of accountability and opportunities for corruption and criminal exploitation.

He emphasised that modern border management must be viewed as an integrated ecosystem, not only encompassing land ports of entry, but also maritime, aviation and borderland spaces. He pointed to ongoing efforts to introduce advanced non-intrusive inspection systems, improved surveillance tools, and digital platforms to enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness.

While acknowledging progress, most notably the successful ‘time-study’ at the Oshoek Border Post (M17 corridor) which saw crossing times reduced from an average of 9 hours to just 20 minutes, Masiapato stressed that technology alone would not fix structural challenges, pointing out the need for ethical leadership, stronger internal controls, and a unified organisational culture across the Authority.

As such Masiapato outlined the five priorities set by Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber to drive the BMA’s revitalisation of the South African border environment. These include the adoption of new digital technologies and tools, rethinking of business processes and operational models, improving customer experience, leveraging data analytics for decision making, and changing organisational culture and mindset.

Schreiber, for his part, took the conference as an opportunity to reflect on the practical challenges faced by the BMA and tangible progress made, since he and the Government of National Unity came into office, reminding attendees of the collective vision outlined during the 2024 conference: “to build secure borders for development through partnership and technological advancement.”

Schreiber emphasised that collaboration is not optional but fundamental to border reform. “Coordination with different stakeholders is embedded into the founding DNA of the BMA,” he said, adding that the Authority was created “to overcome the fragmentation that has long undermined efforts to improve border management processes,” adding: “The good news is that that spirit did not end when this institution was formed, it continues to grow and thrive as the BMA journeys towards its destination of implementing modern, efficient, and secure border management processes.”

Particularly notable was his insistence that the BMA’s work must remain grounded in real operational challenges. “Our job is not pontificating and have big theories and ideologies; we have to solve practical problems. How do we get our exports out of the country, how do we get critical imports into the country, how do we prevent illicit trade, how do we combat illegal immigration, these are practical real on-the-ground problems.”

Additionally, Schreiber highlighted the progress made on the legislative front. “Another critical step towards collaboration to strengthen border management came through the recent passage of the One-Stop Border Post bill by the National Assembly,” he said. The bill, he contended, “holds the key to taking our commitment to collaboration international and into the regional space.”

Parallel to the bill, the BMA is “advancing Public-Private Partnerships to physically rebuild border posts at Beitbridge, Lebombo, Kopfontein, Maseru Bridge, and Ficksburg,” which he said are being “designed from the ground up for the latest technology.”

“These one-stop border posts have the potential to unlock enormous economic potential for our country and for our region,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber also emphasised the tangible progress made in terms of digital security, noting that the rollout of modern digital systems has become the cornerstone of South Africa’s immigration overhaul. “The BMA has used the last year to lay the foundation to automate, digitise, and secure South Africa’s immigration process. Let me say this, ladies and gentlemen, this is how we solve illegal immigration, this is how we do it.”

Schreiber took particular pride in the successful rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation’s (ETA’s) first phase at Cape Town and O R Tambo International Airports, calling the results “incredible.” To date over 10 000 ETA applications have been approved, he said, while “hundreds of applications have been rejected because the system is able to identify fraudulent passports and people using other people’s passports much more effectively than human eyes ever could.”

Schreiber stressed that the move to a biometric, AI-driven system marks a vital step forward: “Ladies and gentlemen, that is a revolution, that is the foundation of national security.”

Schreiber promised that, “we will make sure that no foreigner is ever again allowed into our country without providing us secure biometrics and critical information. It frankly boggles the mind that South Africa has for so long allowed people to come into our country without providing the same biometric information that South African citizens already provide to the population register.”

Both Schreiber and Masiapato assured those in attendance that the results of digital transformation are already visible, with Schreiber confirming a “66% increase in illegal border crossing interceptions.” While they acknowledged that the BMA continued to face “major funding constraints” and still requires physical capacity to complement technology, Schreiber insisted that the work being done “is proving to be a catalyst for progress, placing South Africa on a path towards a more secure, more efficient, and more development-orientated border operations.”

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Among those to address the conference was Milkor’s Daniel du Plessis, as well as Armscor’s Lea Peterson. They both presented a frank assessment of South Africa’s current capabilities, arguing that the scale of the challenge requires a combination of modern surveillance technologies, smarter procurement approaches, and enhanced operational integration across the border environment.

Du Plessis, Milkor’s Marketing and Communications Director, began by highlighting the immense scope of the Border Management Authority’s (BMA’s) mandate and the challenges it faces. He noted that that the BMA oversees some 71 ports of entry, of which 52 are border posts, 9 are sea ports, and 10 are international airports, notwithstanding the country’s 4800km land border and 2800km coastline. He pointed to South Africa’s vast maritime domain as an area of particular concern, noting that the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which spans “more than 1.5 million square kilometres,” is increasingly vulnerable to resource exploitation and expanding shipping routes. This, he argued, requires strengthened “maritime surveillance, maritime operational capabilities and response capabilities.”

Despite the BMA’s fiscal and personnel constraints, du Plessis commended the BMA’s performance to date: “The BMA has had a tremendous track record…of doing extremely good work with the available resources, both in terms of personnel and funding.” But he stressed that the scale of South Africa’s border security task exceeds the BMA’s current capacity. Drawing on international benchmarks, he noted that effective border protection “typically requires 3-5 personnel per 1km to patrol” in high-risk environments. Applied to South Africa, this suggests “a need for between 10 000 and 15 000 dedicated border personnel,” significantly above the BMA’s present staffing levels.

Du Plessis also identified equipment shortfalls as a major concern. Benchmarking against Europe, Asia and the US, du Plessis said that ideally South Africa would need to have “about 240 to 480 routine border units [vehicles]” and “100 to 150 armoured vehicles” for high-risk areas. Maritime capability, he added, would ideally involve “about 350 patrol craft and offshore vessels supplemented by 9-12 long endurance UAVs.” Current availability, he noted, is nowhere near this ideal.

While du Plessis placed a strong focus on the BMA’s various challenges, he emphasised that this assessment “is not a criticism,” but an honest reflection of its operational environment. “Current challenges are funding and staffing…it limits your day-to-day operations, limits the funding required for new technology, new equipment, and infrastructure upgrades…and limits the staff available for operations.”

Despite these challenges, du Plessis did point to a number of areas where significant progress has been made. These ranged from improved transit times at the Oshoek Border Post to the BMA’s “tremendous work in apprehending over 6 000 undocumented immigrants,” noting that while the “successes show potential they are still only the tip of the iceberg.” He said there is still a lot to be done.

Du Plessis argued that strategic investments in technology could significantly reduce undetected crossings and improve operational efficiency. Advanced unmanned systems, in particular hold significant potential for force-multiplying benefits, he argued, pointing to the Milkor 380 UAV as an example of the ideal asset required for persistent surveillance, given its “30 hours endurance, 4 000km range, and a multitude of different advanced sensors.”

“Using unmanned vehicles to overcome large areas of unmonitored land and maritime borders, with limited staff, could reduce undetected crossings by 50 percent,” du Plessis stated.

Like other industry representatives present, du Plessis called for greater collaboration with South Africa’s defence industry, noting that many of the required capabilities already exist locally. “We are exporting everything you need already to foreign countries, why not make use of this,” he said.

Moreover, he urged the adoption of public-private partnerships (PPPs), arguing that PPPs “supplement and add to the state’s capabilities” without replacing them. As an example, he proposed a pilot project for a “400 km Beitbridge security zone,” offering the use of a Milkor 380 UAV with the state only responsible for the running costs.

Procurement must become a strategic enabler

Lea Peterson, Business Enablement Projects Coordinator at Armscor, addressed the legal, technical, and operational considerations that underpin border-security procurement.

Using the recent adoption of body-worn cameras as an example, she noted that systems must meet stringent national requirements, ensuring that evidence is “handled securely, that is not altered and is auditable.” She described body-worn cameras as essential for both safety and transparency, adding that they are “foundational support for the BMA’s mandate.”

On technology acquisition more broadly, Peterson stressed that systems must be “legally sound, user friendly, and technically robust.” For drones, this includes “user controls, collision avoidance, and avoiding drifting.” She warned that funding shortages affect not just equipment, but also long-term compliance and operator performance. “We cannot swap the issue of funding for investment in equipment that makes the work of our officials easier,” she said.

The crux of her argument was that agencies, like the BMA, when approaching procurement, must think strategically. Procuring the right system, at the right price, is far more effective over the long term than buying for the sake of it. “Our commitment must be for strategic investment not just expenditure,” she emphasised. “Ineffective border technology leaves South Africa vulnerable to various illegal activities which directly erodes national security and costs the fiscus.”

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Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the border environment had been “strategically neglected” and outlined five priorities set by the Minister of Home Affairs, including adopting new digital tools, redesigning port processes, improving customer experience, expanding data analytics and shifting organisational culture.

Masiapato reported early operational gains, including cutting truck delays from nine hours to about twenty minutes at the N17 corridor.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber highlighted progress on the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, which has already approved over 10,000 applications using AI-based passport and biometric verification.

Dedicated ETA lanes are now active at OR Tambo and Cape Town airports. Schreiber argued that this digital-first approach is key to tackling illegal immigration and reducing fraud.

Schreiber also pushed the One-Stop Border Post Bill, saying integrated border posts with neighbouring states could significantly cut waiting times and spur regional trade.

While acknowledging funding constraints and limited enforcement capacity, Schreiber said technology such as AI-enabled drones had already boosted interception of illegal crossings.

Both leaders stressed that modernisation, collaboration and data-driven policing are reshaping South Africa’s border system, with further reforms expected in 2026.

Written by The Daily Friend and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.

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The awareness campaign under the banner of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-corruption Forum (BMIACF) was on show for the first time at the Beitbridge port of entry (PoE) on 11 November. It, as per a BMA statement, sent out a strong message to officials working at the border those engaged in corruption will face the full might of the law.

Convicted offenders shared “their regrettable experiences” with BMA personnel in an effort to discourage corrupt activities before finding themselves in correctional facilities. The statement has it further while offenders were treated with dignity “incarceration remains a difficult experience” because freedoms taken for granted disappear.

“Prison is very painful. My advice to all public officials is if you are already engaged in corruption, it is better for you to stop now; for your sake and that of your family,” according to an incarcerated offender quoted in the statement who attended the awareness campaign.

Similar sentiments were echoed by another behind bars official. Currently serving a 15-year sentence she is quoted as saying: “I was working in law enforcement but due to acts of corruption, now I find myself wearing the corrections uniform. I have grandchildren who come to visit me in custody and they wonder why I am not returning home. I have to come up with excuses each time they come to visit me and make up stories about where I am. It’s only a matter of time before they understand what is going on. I have lost friendships and my job”.

BMA Commissioner and Chief Executive, Dr Michael Masiapato, said the BMIACF enables integrated border law enforcement and relevant stakeholders to have conversations about the consequences of corruption.

“Beitbridge is one of our biggest and busiest ports, which is also an entry into the rest of the continent. It is important that we have this awareness campaign here so officials do not find themselves involved in wrongdoing,” the statement has him saying. It is against this background a preventative approach against corruption is crucial to enable would-be perpetrators to understand where their actions could lead to

The BMIACF, chaired by Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, will leave no stone unturned in its endeavours to deal decisively with corruption in the border management and immigration environment. He is on record as saying corruption undermines the public’s trust in government institutions.

Since establishment of the forum, investigations have been instituted to ensure consequence management against corruption becomes the order of the day. “Those who commit corruption are brazen and daring. The BMIACF is fit-for-purpose to attend to such individuals without fear or prejudice,” he said.

The BMIACF, in addition to the BMA and SIU, has the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI) – the Hawks – onboard with civil society organisations.

Formed in March the forum is a platform for collaboration among key law enforcement organisations, civil society and business to address systemic corruption and illicit activities in the sector. The forum, according to the BMA statement, highlights the South African government’s “all of government” approach to rooting out corruption through multi-agency collaboration sharing data to effectively stamp out fraud and corruption.

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A panel discussion on “Building national resilience through home-grown technological innovations for safety and security” brought together senior technocrats, academics, and industry figures to explore strategic independence, digital resilience, and barriers that stop home-grown innovation from advancing.

Speakers included Dr Mike Masiapato, Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA); Dr Moses Khanyile, Director of the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit (DAIRU); Dr Mamela Luthuli, CEO of TakeNote IT; and Dr Mthobisi Zondi, CEO and Executive Chair of Sandock Austral Defence.

Together, they described a country at a crossroads: one that must choose whether to rely on foreign partners for critical technologies or commit to building resilient, locally integrated systems to safeguard its security and economic future. Though views varied, the message was clear: South Africa must move beyond conceptual debates toward decisive action to secure borders, protect citizens, and drive economic growth.

Strategic Independence in a Volatile World

Opening the discussion, Zondi strongly argued that national resilience beings with strategic independence. “For any country to project resilience, in the way that it projects defence and military capability, for example, there has to be strategic independence. Strategic independence allows a country to deploy its capabilities on its own volition, without dependence on third-party countries,” Zondi told attendees.

He explained that ‘dependence’ leaves states dangerously exposed. Citing recent conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he cautioned that geopolitical instability could quickly expose nations that overly rely on foreign suppliers. “Geopolitics is so fluid, a person you depend on to supply consumables for security of supply, for example, may not be amenable to do that tomorrow,” he noted.

Achieving independence will require a “whole of South Africa” approach. Defence must be part of the national R&D conversation, not an afterthought. “One of the biggest challenges in terms of defence is that the defence community does not sit at the table where plans and priorities in the government are made,” he explained.

Departments like Trade, Industry, and Competition alongside Higher Education and Defence invest billions in R&D, yet “when it comes to setting up priorities, a strategic map for the next five years for key technologies that are going to be developed for socio-economic purposes, defence is not involved.”

Zondi also urged a shift away from costly “invention” cycles towards pragmatic innovation. “We need to be focusing on innovation, packaging existing technological building blocks and underpinning it with commercial off-the-shelf technology to solve problems that have never been solved before. It’s cheaper, the development cycle is quicker.”

Digital Resilience Over Digital Sovereignty

Khanyile challenged the practicality of digital sovereignty, arguing that South Africa should instead prioritise digital resilience.

“Digital sovereignty does not exist; it is a very aspirational thing. Digital resilience is what we should be talking about.”

Citing intensified global geopolitical fractures, Khanyile also warned that these same fractures extend into the digital landscape and that they will force difficult strategic decisions moving forward.

“In its quest for digital resilience, South Africa needs to decide whether it is going to go East or West for its digital requirements,” he said, adding, “we have been told the East is bad and the West is good, and they have been told the opposite. South Africa is supposedly non-aligned, but one way or another we have to make a commitment in terms of our digital assets and infrastructure.”

He also predicted a future where security forces will rely heavily on technology for everyday policing. “For every human law enforcer, you will have three or four digital equivalents fulfilling that responsibility elsewhere,” he said, highlighting the need for strategic investment, especially in artificial intelligence, to mitigate future dependency.

Confidence and Execution: Time for African Solutions

Luthuli, on the other hand, emphasised self-belief and practical action over dependency on foreign solutions. “We should not be looking East or West. As Africans, we should focus on what works for us and develop our own home-grown solutions,” she argued.

Luthuli argued that Africa’s biggest limitation is not capability, but self-belief. “You can travel anywhere in the world and find a South African behind the technologies we admire and try to replicate at home,” she said. “Our biggest weakness is implementation, we need to start doing things; we conceptualise too long.”

Ongoing Vulnerability and Bureaucratic Paralysis

Masiapato argued that fear and over-caution in government decision-making stifle progress and agility, leading to indecision. “One of the biggest challenges I have observed over my 20 years as a technocrat in South Africa is that we have put ourselves under the bus. Everyone is afraid, if you do not do everything perfectly you will be fired or jailed,” he said.

“Directors are afraid to take decisions and always want to ask a higher official. It makes processes slow, rigid, and ineffective. As a result, we cannot harness the local technologies that already exist in the country,” he explained.

Masiapato specifically highlighted border management as a key vulnerability, citing the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when some potentially dangerous individuals entered and never left. He called for using local technologies, including advanced biometric and surveillance systems, to manage migration securely while facilitating economic and social benefits.

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Members of Parliament (MPs) from both National Assembly (NA) defence oversight committees – the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) – were hands-on and eyes open this week along the Limpopo River. They also interacted with officers and soldiers at a provincial tactical headquarters.

JSCD chair Malusi Gigaba is quoted by Parliamentary Communication Service statements as saying the visit was to assess the situation first-hand. It is worrying that government departments and entities responsible for border management are not working together to find lasting solutions to the country’s porous borders, the JSCD and PCDMV said.

The government departments and entities Gigaba refers to are the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) resorting in Minister Angie Motshekga’s Department of Defence (DoD); the Border Management Authority (BMA), a Ministry of Home Affairs entity; the SA Police Service (SAPS), currently the responsibility of Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia; and the SA Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Division in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’ portfolio of responsibilities.

The statements report the SANDF telling their Parliamentary visitors there was a lack of manpower to properly monitor the long stretch of borders shared with Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. “Soldiers are required to cover hundreds of kilometres, often with limited resources,” the SANDF said. “The SANDF is severely underfunded. We should have 22 military companies patrolling our borders, but currently there are only 15. Even these are struggling due to shortages of personnel, vehicles and modern technology, such as drones,” said Gigaba.

The SANDF also noted that informal settlements near the Limpopo River make border control even more difficult, as some residents are reportedly involved in aiding illegal crossings.

PCDMV chair Dakota Legoete is quoted as saying: “If we are being honest, we don’t have functioning borders, and this puts the safety of our country at risk”.

Co-Chairperson of the JSCD, Phiroane Phala, added: “While it is important to maintain good relations with our neighbours, we must also protect our territorial integrity. We cannot allow people to enter and leave the country without control.”

An on-foot inspection along the Limpopo River brought to light damaged fencing and areas where there are regular illegal crossings. Soldiers told the MPs they were too few to effectively monitor and respond to the constant flow of border jumpers.

The committees said they will continue their oversight work and engage with relevant departments to push for better coordination, increased funding, and stronger border protection measures.

Gigaba has it further managing migration to realise South Africa’s economic development and national security potential and minimise its risks requires a new paradigm underpinned by management. This he envisages as an “all-of-government” and “all-of-society” approach. “It is necessary to invest in border management infrastructure in order to mitigate the loss of billions of rand as a result of counterfeit goods, the illicit entry and exit of goods that are not declared to SARS and crimes such as car theft and illicit tobacco, among others.”

The committees, the statements have it, want a strategy to address the nature of migration, which affects all provinces. “All of government must come together with the involvement of all security structures for concerted operations.”

Both committees further want to see “a sufficiently equipped SANDF and other border entities in terms of personnel on the ground, technology and other resources”.

Gigaba emphasised that something needs to be done about syndicates that buy trucks and hire drivers to transport illicit goods across border lines. In addition, concerted efforts are needed to find solutions, as South Africa cannot control what happens with its counterparts on the Zimbabwe side. Members of the oversight committees also called for collection of all the donkeys along the border as they are used to carry out illegal activities. They said the engagement with the BMA has exposed a weak and dysfunctional system.

Gigaba recommended that all departmental entities should improve on their cooperation to disable the enablers and traffickers. “It is worrying to think that should the truck scanner that is in use break down due not being properly maintained, this will pose a huge risk as cargo will not be scanned,” he noted.

“It has become very clear that the BMA does not have a budget, same as SAPS, Home Affairs and SANDF. It is estimated that South Africa losses over R83 billion rands in illicit goods and substances and one of the national key points where there is a serious national threat is here in Beitbridge, Durban harbour and OR Tambo,” Legoete said.

The committee concluded that it might be ill advised to throw all the available resources at chasing people entering the country, as they may miss their target. A strategy is needed to address the nature of migration, which affects all provinces. All of government must come together with the involvement of all security structures for concerted operations.

In spite of challenges, Gigaba commended the admirable dedication of soldiers serving along the border, at times without proper equipment. “We need to ensure that the challenges they face at the level of technology, equipment and infrastructure are addressed. They are making enormous personal sacrifices to protect those of us inside the country.”

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