Here’s the extended operating hours of some South African border posts this Easter

Border officials will make special provisions for travellers this Easter weekend to ease traffic and congestion at select border posts. The Border Management Authority (BMA) detailed plans for the upcoming weekend when it appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on Tuesday. The Easter long weekend is the second-busiest time of year for the BMA, with the entity expecting up to 25 000 cross-border movements per day over a 10-day period.

Lebombo, Beitbridge, Ficksburg, Maseru Bridge, as well as OR Tambo and Cape Town international airports, are primary chokepoints. However, the BMA has 71 ports under its watch during these high-activity periods. To deal with the expected surge and congestions at smaller ports, the BMA has extended hours for peak travel days.

“Approval had been granted for the extension of operational hours at designated ports of entry for the 2026 Easter period. “It must be noted that the minister of home affairs retains the authority to revoke or amend these extended hours should circumstances warrant such hours,” the BMA confirmed on Tuesday. The following ports at theses neighbouring countries will have extended operating hours.

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Kosi Bay will open two hours earlier and close one hour later than usual, with operating hours of the Kosi Bay border post running from 6am to 6pm between 27 March and 10 April. The opening time for the Jeppes Reef border post in the north of Eswatini will remain at its usual 6am, but will be open for an extra two hours until 10pm.

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