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Beitbridge Border Clears 22,000 Travellers After Busy January Weekend

Published

4 days ago

January 5, 2026

Chiraag

Beitbridge Border Post, South Africa Zimbabwe border, Beitbridge buses January, festive season border travel, Border Management Authority, Joburg ETC

A long night at Beitbridge finally eases

By early Monday morning, the mood at the Beitbridge Border Post felt noticeably calmer. After a weekend that pushed the crossing to its limits, border officials had managed to clear a backlog of more than 22,000 people who had been waiting to enter South Africa overnight.

For many travellers, it marked the end of an exhausting journey home after the festive season. Late December always brings pressure to Beitbridge, but this past weekend stood out even by peak travel standards.

100 buses in a single day

According to the Border Management Authority, Sunday was the busiest day so far. Around 100 buses were processed into South Africa, a figure that underlines just how intense the weekend surge became.

BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato confirmed that while queues began forming again on Monday as new buses arrived, operations were running smoothly. Travellers arriving in the early hours of the morning were already being processed by mid-morning, with officials confident that movement would remain steady.

Why Beitbridge gets so overwhelmed

Beitbridge is not just another border post. It is the main gateway for thousands of Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who live and work in South Africa. Every festive season, families travel north to spend time at home, then return south in large numbers once January begins.

This annual rhythm is well known to regular commuters, but social media reactions over the weekend showed frustration mixed with relief. Videos of packed buses and slow-moving queues circulated widely, while others praised officials for eventually clearing the congestion overnight.

Confiscated goods and illegal crossings

Alongside the sheer volume of travellers, border authorities also had to deal with compliance issues. The BMA reiterated warnings about prohibited items, including certain agricultural products and unauthorised medicines.

Fruits such as mangoes and watermelons, as well as skin-lightening creams, were confiscated and destroyed to protect biosecurity and public health. About 100 people attempting to enter South Africa illegally were also intercepted, including touts offering unlawful assistance at the border.

Another busy weekend on the horizon

While traveller numbers are expected to slow down during the week, officials are already preparing for another spike. Volumes are likely to rise again from Thursday, with Sunday predicted to bring the next major surge.

For now, the worst of this past weekend appears to be over. But for Beitbridge, January is far from quiet, and the border remains on alert as thousands more make their way back into South Africa.