South Africa uses drones for border control

The drones are operated by the Border Management Agency (BMA), which is a statutory body charged with securing South African ports of entry and international boundaries. 

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber launched the project in May, following two test phases in December and April. During the tests, the drones helped the BMA to apprehend thousands of illegal immigrants entering the country from neighbouring Zimbabwe. 

“There are two models being rolled out, the Evo Max 4N and Evo Max 4T. The 4N is designed specifically for night-time operations with starlight vision and long-range thermal cameras, which allows us to operate in the darkest conditions.  

“These devices can fly at speeds of up to 43 kilometres per hour, tracking people or vehicles across wide areas,” Schreiber said. 

The minister said the drones have exceptional navigation capabilities which allow them to identify and track multiple objects while relaying real-time intelligence data to the BMA command and control centres.

The BMA has also invested in the training of personnel to operate and maintain the drones. So far, eight drone pilots are being trained as the BMA looks to expand the drone surveillance project. 

“The success of the airborne border surveillance project is not just about the devices and technology. It is also about the people who operate them, and the cultural shift that comes with integrating these systems and technologies into our operations,” Schreiber said.  

According to the Border Management Agency, South Africa is battling against large numbers of illegal immigrants who flood the country from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and several other poor African countries in search of employment and opportunity. 

The BMA also faces serious crimes including the smuggling of stolen vehicles out of the country, explosives into the country as well as the smuggling of goods and illicit cargoes in and out of the country’s porous borders.