BMA EXCO Led by Dr Masiapato to Monitor Operations at Durban Harbour Amid Key Challenges

BMA EXCO led by Dr Masiapato to monitor operations at Durban Harbour amid key challenges, as the Border Management Authority’s top executives visit Africa’s busiest port on 17 September 2025 to assess security, efficiency, and compliance in a vital economic gateway. The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Dr Michael Masiapato, will on Wednesday lead a high-level delegation from the BMA’s Executive Committee (EXCO) on a monitoring visit to the Durban Harbour.

This significant visit marks the first time the full BMA EXCO undertakes an official monitoring visit of Durban Harbour (Durban Port), which is Africa’s busiest seaport. The Port Management Committee (PMC) is expected to provide a first-hand, on-the-ground operational report on the environment, challenges and complexities faced by BMA officials stationed at this critical national gateway. The programme will include an extensive inspection of key port facilities, direct engagement with BMA personnel and interactions with various stakeholders operating within the border management environment.

According to the Border Management Authority, the visit is a critical step in the BMA’s strategy to enhance efficiency, security and compliance at South Africa’s borders. “The Durban Harbour is a vital artery for the South African economy and a primary focus for our mandate of integrated border management,” the Border Management Authority said in a statement. “This visit will not merely be observational, it is a diagnostic mission by the BMA Executive leadership. The EXCO aims to identify systemic challenges and collaboratively develop practical, effective solutions to strengthen border management efforts. “The visit underscores the BMA’s commitment to evidence-based decision-making and proactive engagement with the operational realities on the front lines,” it said.

The Role of BMA in Managing South Africa’s Busiest Port

The Border Management Authority (BMA), established in 2020 under the Border Management Authority Act, plays a crucial role in securing South Africa’s borders, including seaports like Durban. With a mandate to integrate immigration, customs, and security functions, the BMA oversees the movement of people and goods to prevent smuggling, illegal migration, and threats to national security. At Durban Harbour, BMA officials work alongside Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs, and police to process over 2.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of cargo annually—about 60% of South Africa’s total container traffic.

Durban Port, operational since 1824 and managed by TNPA, spans 5,000 hectares and includes 57 berths, handling everything from vehicles and coal to perishables and manufactured goods. It’s a lifeline for the economy, contributing R45 billion in direct GDP and supporting 1.5 million jobs nationwide. However, as Africa’s largest port by volume, it faces mounting pressures from global trade shifts, climate risks, and local inefficiencies, making the BMA’s oversight essential for smooth operations.

Dr Michael Masiapato, BMA Commissioner since 2023, has led efforts to modernise border controls. Under his watch, the BMA reported a 215% increase in preventing illegal crossings in Q1 2025/26, processing 8.5 million travellers. Recent media briefings by Masiapato highlighted interceptions of drugs and counterfeit goods at ports, underscoring the EXCO visit’s focus on frontline realities.

What to Expect from the EXCO Monitoring Visit
Scheduled for Wednesday, 17 September 2025, the visit involves the full BMA EXCO—a 10-member team including Deputy Commissioner Sindile Mthimkhulu and directors for immigration, customs, and risk management. This marks the first comprehensive EXCO oversight at Durban, signalling heightened attention to seaport challenges.

The itinerary includes:

• Facility Inspections: Touring key areas like container terminals, passenger piers, and cargo scanners to evaluate infrastructure and security setups.
• Engagements with Personnel: One-on-one talks with BMA officers on daily hurdles, such as staffing shortages (BMA aims to fill 1,000 vacancies by 2026) and technology gaps.
• Stakeholder Interactions: Meetings with TNPA executives, SARS officials, port unions, and private operators to discuss integrated management.
  The PMC, comprising BMA, TNPA, and other agencies, will deliver an operational report covering traffic volumes (down 5% in H1 2025 due to global slowdowns), smuggling trends (e.g., 500kg of drugs seized in August 2025), and compliance issues like undocumented migrants hidden in cargo.
  This “diagnostic mission” aims to pinpoint systemic problems and craft solutions, aligning with BMA’s 2025/26 strategic plan for digital tools like biometric scanners and AI risk profiling to cut processing times from 2 hours to 30 minutes per vessel.
  Durban Harbour’s Critical Role and Ongoing Challenges
  Durban Harbour is South Africa’s economic powerhouse, generating R200 billion in trade value yearly and linking the country to global markets. It handles 80 million tons of cargo annually, including 70% of SA’s automotive exports and vital imports like fuel and machinery. However, 2025 has brought hurdles:
• Logistical Bottlenecks: Equipment shortages and inefficiencies caused R1 billion daily losses in Q1 2025, with vessel turnaround times averaging 4 days—double the global benchmark. Transnet’s recovery plan, including new cranes, has improved volumes by 10% in H2, but delays persist.
• Security and Smuggling: BMA interceptions rose 30% in 2025, seizing counterfeit goods worth R500 million and drugs valued at R200 million. Human smuggling remains rife, with 1,200 undocumented persons detected in August alone.
• Environmental and Expansion Pressures: The port’s R100 billion expansion, including a new dig-out terminal, faces opposition from activists over impacts on marine nurseries and wetlands. Climate change adds risks, with rising sea levels threatening infrastructure—flooding in June 2025 disrupted operations for a week.
• Festive and Peak Season Strains: The 2024/25 festive report showed BMA processing 10 million travellers with minimal delays, but 2025 projections warn of congestion from e-commerce booms.
  These issues affect the economy: port delays cost R2 billion weekly in lost trade, per the Freight Logistics Roadmap. The EXCO visit could accelerate BMA-TNPA collaborations, like joint anti-smuggling task forces.

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