Cape Town – The Border Management Authority (BMA) will deploy four high-tech drones and 40 body-worn cameras at various border posts and ports of entry over Easter to curb illegal crossings.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the initiative during a media briefing in Pretoria, highlighting that the technology was successfully tested during the December festive season.
“The launch of this technology marks the single biggest step ever for enhancing border security and management. Data shows that when we first trialed the use of drones over the festive season, the number of attempted illegal crossings that were successfully prevented increased by 215%.
[WATCH] Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announces the launch of drones that will be used along the borders from Easter in an attempt to intercept illegal crossings into South Africa. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/Cf9xqVBfvm
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) April 10, 2025
“The BM will now permanently deploy this cutting-edge technology on a fulltime basis,” the minister said.
The drones, supported by five additional units from the Department of Agriculture, will operate across 15 sectors, using thermal vision and long-range zoom to detect and track illegal movements.
Schreiber emphasised their ability to detect body heat and capture high-resolution footage.
The BMA states that this deployment is part of a broader strategy to enhance border security and manage high-traffic movements during the Easter period.
[MEDIA STATEMENT] Minister Leon Schreiber launches cutting-edge technology for #BMA to improve border management [READ HERE: https://t.co/UeW4jI0rMH] #TeamHomeAffairs #DHAServiceDelivery pic.twitter.com/jMXUX6TyT6
— HomeAffairsSA 🇿🇦 (@HomeAffairsSA) April 10, 2025
