BMA to present South Africa’s digital border plans at China forum

South Africa’s Border Management Authority will present its approach to digital border control at an international migration-management forum in China this week.

BMA commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato is due to attend the Sub-Forum on Migration Management Cooperation in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, from 8 to 11 September. The meeting forms part of the 2026 Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation.

The BMA said Masiapato would speak about the role of digitisation in an integrated border-management model. His presentation is expected to cover how technology can support security while making legitimate travel and trade more efficient.

The conference will bring immigration and border officials from several countries together to discuss migration governance, information sharing and operational cooperation. Masiapato is attending at the invitation of the Chinese government.

“Modern border management requires countries to work together, share information and leverage technology to secure borders, while facilitating the legitimate movement of people,” Masiapato said in the official announcement.

The South African delegation will also visit the China People’s Police University, where it will review training programmes and specialised capabilities in border management, travel-document verification and immigration control.

The BMA said lessons from the visit could inform its longer-term consideration of a Border Management Academy in South Africa. No decision or timetable for such an academy was announced.

The authority said it also wants to explore longer-term cooperation with China’s National Immigration Administration in training, skills development, border security and digital systems.