BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the 2026 Easter travel period recorded significant increases in passenger volumes, requiring agile deployment of resources across South Africa’s busiest land and air ports.
Image: File
The Border Management Authority (BMA) says a total of 1,278,344 travellers were processed across South Africa’s 71 ports of entry during the 2026 Easter operational period, reflecting a 21% increase compared to the 2025 Easter period, during which approximately 1,057, 063 travellers were recorded.
BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato provided the update during a media briefing on Sunday, where he presented a detailed report on the implementation of the 2026 Easter operational plan.
He said the Easter period remains one of the most operationally demanding periods within the border management calendar, requiring “heightened vigilance, seamless coordination and co-operation among stakeholders”.
He added that this also requires the agile deployment of additional resources to balance border security imperatives and the facilitation of the movement of people and goods across the country’s 71 ports of entry and border law enforcement areas.
Masiapato said that compared to the December and January festive season, Easter presents a unique operational challenge as its convergence into one long weekend creates a compressed period of high travel volumes requiring “sophisticated planning and agile implementation”.
“This report serves multiple purposes; it provides a consolidated account on the implemented operational context, the execution dynamics and the observed outcomes of the operations.
''Additionally, it supports institutional learning by identifying key trends, highlighting operational strengths and pinpointing areas requiring improvement,'' he said.
He explained that the 2026 Easter operation was implemented over a 10-day period, commencing on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 and ending on Thursday, 9 April 2026.
He said the operation maintained a consistent 10-day framework in line with previous years, allowing for reliable comparative analysis of travel trends and operational performance.
Masiapato said the Easter operation was implemented as a continuation of the December 2025 and January 2026 festive season operations, ensuring continuity in command and control structures while strengthening long-term operational efficiency beyond peak periods.
He said oversight of the operation was provided through multiple governance structures including the the Inter-Ministerial Consultative Committee (IMCC), chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs chaired by Mosa Chabane, the Border Technical Committee (BTC), as well as NatJoints and ProvJoints structures.
At land ports of entry, operations were carried out jointly with neighbouring countries through Bilateral Joint Technical Committees, ensuring coordinated cross-border management and operational alignment.
Masiapato said OR Tambo International Airport processed the highest number of travellers at 234 389, followed by Lebombo Port of Entry with 195 ,293 travellers and Beit Bridge with 148, 451 movements.
He said Ficksburg Port of Entry recorded a significant increase of 57%, processing 113, 942 travellers compared to 72,522 during the 2025 Easter period, while Maseru Bridge recorded a 31% increase with 113,581 movements compared to 86,547 previously.
Cape Town International Airport also recorded a 10% increase, facilitating 94,023 travellers compared to 85,631 during the 2025 Easter period.
Masiapato said the rise in movement reflects increased cross-border travel linked to religious observances, holidays and family gatherings.
He added that a total of 31, 588 light vehicles were processed and searched as part of routine and risk-based inspections during the period.
He said 8,937 commercial trucks underwent intensive inspections aimed at mitigating smuggling risks, while 1,286 buses were processed with passengers screened accordingly.
A further 10,523 taxis and 593 informal cross-border transport operators, commonly known as malaishas, were inspected for compliance with cross-border regulations.
He said 1,478 trucks were also subjected to weighbridge inspections to verify load compliance and detect potential contraband movement.
In aviation operations, 61 flights were cleared by BMA port health officials, while 76 vessels were processed in maritime operations, including 10 off-port limit crew change operations conducted at sea.
Masiapato said a total of 2,509 fines were issued by law enforcement agencies operating within border law enforcement areas, amounting to approximately R1.5 million.
Of these, 111 fines were issued by BMA officials for immigration-related non-compliance, representing a 192% increase compared to 38 fines issued during the 2025 Easter period, said Masiapato.
He said this increase demonstrates strengthened enforcement of immigration legislation across ports of entry.
“This demonstrates intensified efforts to enforce compliance with the Immigration Act.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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