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Government plans SMS alerts to stop visa holders overstaying

Published

Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said border gates are being modernised so arriving visitors are registered electronically with their phone numbers. An SMS would warn them 24-hours or 48-hours before their visa ends, and the system links to RICA SIM cards.

Kubayi chairs the inter-ministerial committee on migration. She spoke at a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday. She said the plan also includes biometric tracking of foreign nationals.

Kubayi said the committee met protest organisers who target home affairs offices, and community leaders. She said the committee did not oppose legal migration by people who respect South African laws. She also said improperly registered SIM cards could help criminals and make suspects hard to trace.

Community leaders told the committee that hijacked and derelict state-owned buildings are used for human trafficking and drug dealing, Kubayi said. They also alleged that some NGOs take part in illicit activities. The committee has met eight metropolitan municipalities about reclaiming such buildings.

Kubayi said community leaders criticised government communication on migration as ineffective. The Government Communication and Information System will help explore communication in more languages. She also said protests undermine investment and tourism.

Key facts

Who
Mmamoloko Kubayi (Justice and Constitutional Development Minister); Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration (government committee targeting telecommunications to deal with illegal…); Inter-ministerial committee on migration (Government committee that engaged protest organisers and community leaders); Government Communication and Information System (Will help explore multilingual government communication)
What
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration says it is targeting telecommunications to deal with illegal immigration. Kubayi said border gates are being modernised so arriving visitors are registered electronically with their phone numbers, and an SMS would be sent before visa expiry telling them to leave, linked to the issuing of RICA SIM cards.
When
26 October 2026
Where
Pretoria, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal
Status
Reported

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