Overview
- Immigration officers processed 9,283,658 travellers between July and September, a 23% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
- The BMA reported 8,135 apprehensions in the quarter — 4,092 undocumented, 2,061 inadmissible and 1,982 classified as undesirables — with most cases involving Basotho, Mozambican, Zimbabwean and Eswatini nationals.
- Port health teams intercepted about 5,000 illicit birth‑control pills, 117 medical test kits and banned skin‑lightening creams that SAHPRA warns can cause serious harm.
- Additional enforcement netted 1,700 kg of counterfeit clothing (about R1.2 million), half a kilogram of crystal meth, 240 grams of heroin, R827,500 in illicit cigarettes and 40 fraudulent travel documents, and recovered 15 suspected stolen vehicles; since July 2022, roughly 505,065 illegal entrants and 349 vehicles have been stopped.
- Holiday operations include extended hours at selected posts with Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique, an expected “exit leg” from 10–31 December and “entry leg” from 1–15 January, continued drone deployments and permanent coastal guard placements secured with TNPA.