The Border Management Authority (BMA) has presented its Strategic Plan (SP) for 2025 to 2030 and a revised Annual Performance Plan (APP) for 2025/26 to the Select Committee on Security and Justice. The briefing, led by BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato, detailed ambitious reform targets intended to modernise and consolidate South Africa’s border control under a unified, technology-driven agency. However, the Authority’s ability to fulfil its mandate remains uncertain due to ongoing and severe underfunding.
The BMA, formally established in April 2023 and launched as South Africa’s third armed service in October 2023, is tasked with securing national borders, facilitating legitimate trade and travel, and combating transnational crime. It consolidates multiple border control functions previously split between departments including Home Affairs, Health, Agriculture, and Environment. The core vision is to become a world-class integrated border law enforcement entity that ensures national security while supporting socio-economic development.
The 2025–2030 strategic plan sets out five key outcomes: institutional excellence through digital transformation and ethical governance; secure borders that protect national interests; enhanced cross-border ecosystems for legitimate movement of goods and people; and improved coordination with domestic and international stakeholders.
Specific targets include full implementation of biometric movement control systems at 71 ports of entry, automation of all identified business processes, and 100 percent detection and confiscation of illegal goods and inadmissible persons. The BMA also aims for 100 percent compliance with international health regulations at 25 ports of entry and full digital processing of travellers and consignments. Joint law enforcement operations are expected to quadruple from a baseline of 40 to 158 in 2025/26.
However, the Authority’s operational reality paints a starkly different picture. Multiple targets and indicators have already been dropped or postponed due to budget constraints. These include the removal of key ICT infrastructure upgrades, withdrawal of planned risk analysis reports, and scaling back of automation projects. A planned upgrade to biometric and interactive passenger information systems has instead been replaced with more modest projects such as automating the internal e-recruitment system and document management platform.
The BMA’s funding model relies heavily on budget transfers from other departments, which only cover staff costs, leaving little room for operational expenditure. In 2023/24, the BMA applied to National Treasury for R2.9 billion but received just R250 million. For the 2025/26 financial year, the BMA’s total budget is projected at R1.82 billion, of which a staggering 73 percent (R1.33 billion) is allocated to compensation of employees. The remaining R482 million is earmarked for goods and services, with R280 million of that reserved for infrastructure projects at land ports of entry, leaving very little flexibility for other operational needs.
Planned spending for 2025/26 includes R392 million for corporate services such as ethics training, business continuity planning, wellness programmes and staff training. Programme 2, which covers BMA operations, receives the bulk of the budget at R1.43 billion, but most of this is tied up in salaries and basic operational needs. Advanced tools, ICT systems, and enforcement capabilities remain underfunded.
Despite these financial limitations, the BMA remains committed to its strategic objectives. Commissioner Masiapato noted that the implementation of a performance monitoring and evaluation framework is underway, ensuring all outputs are tracked and reported quarterly. The BMA also plans to promote ethical conduct, professional culture, and compliance through workshops and training initiatives.
Yet the reality is that a large portion of the BMA’s transformation depends on technology-driven solutions and inter-agency coordination, which are capital-intensive and cannot be achieved under the current funding structure. The Authority has submitted a business case to National Treasury outlining its financial needs but, as of mid-2025, no additional allocations have been confirmed.
Dr Masiapato has warned that the continued underfunding of the Authority represents a significant strategic risk. Without adequate resources, the BMA cannot guarantee secure borders or meet its obligations under the Border Management Authority Act. The shortfall jeopardises efforts to curb illegal immigration, smuggling, and biosecurity threats, and undermines South Africa’s commitment to facilitating legal trade and travel.
The Select Committee has been urged to note the strategic objectives and the resource gaps undermining their implementation. While BMA leadership remains optimistic that their funding requests will eventually be met, the lack of urgency from National Treasury continues to hamper operational effectiveness and may ultimately compromise South Africa’s border security.
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