Category: Africa

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Nonprofits spend too much time reporting to funders: a single universal template could help

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wayne van Zijl, Associate Professor and CLM Assistant Dean of Research, University of the Witwatersrand

Imagine being asked to prepare monthly reports that all demand their own classifications, measurement bases and templates.

This is the reality that nonprofit organisations (NPOs) face across the world.

In a recent paper, my co-authors and I present findings from interviews with 21 nonprofit stakeholders from South Africa, the UK, the US, Sweden and Uganda. The aim was to understand the reporting challenges they faced, and to consider possible solutions.

One NPO spends two weeks each month just reporting to donors. The problem is not how much information is required, but that each donor uses different templates to request largely the same information.

The lack of standardisation matters because funding is scarce and every hour and dollar spent repackaging the same information is an hour and dollar not spent, for example, feeding vulnerable children, protecting endangered species or educating disadvantaged communities.

Part of the problem is a lack of globally accepted and adopted reporting frameworks that satisfy donors’ and other users’ financial and non-financial information needs. At present, many NPOs comply with financial accounting frameworks. But these were designed for entities with a fundamentally different purpose: profit-making.

The International Non-Profit Accounting Standard, launched in 2025, marks a significant milestone for NPO standardisation. But, while it includes some non-financial reporting, it is primarily a financial accounting framework.

Consequently, many donors need more non-financial information and design their own templates. However, these often request irrelevant information while omitting other useful information.

Our research developed the Civil-Society Organisations Reporting Practice (CORP) framework. The goal is not another layer of compliance reporting, but a common reporting structure that integrates financial and non-financial information to meet users’ general information needs.

This reduces the need for donors to waste time developing templates themselves. It also reduces NPO stress and anxiety when trying to meet all their stakeholders’ needs.

Why profit tells the wrong story

Financial reporting is largely developed around the needs of investors and lenders. They care about cash flows, financial position and a company’s ability to generate financial returns. Applied to nonprofits, these metrics can distort more than they reveal.

Read more: Nepal floods: China’s strict control of Tibet makes it harder to prepare for Himalayan disasters

Why?

Because NPOs deliver social and environmental services to those who cannot pay for them. They don’t try to make profits. To illustrate, consider two otherwise identical NPOs that each receive R10 million.

NPO A spends R1 million on salaries and R9 million delivering services. At year-end, it reports no surplus and no financial return.

NPO B also spends R1 million on salaries but nothing to advance its mission. At year-end, it reports a R9 million surplus, R9 million in net cash inflows and a strong balance sheet.

NPO B appears to significantly outperform NPO A but has provided no social or environmental services. In contrast, NPO A used all its resources for precisely its intended purpose.

While deliberately extreme, the example highlights why using financial performance alone can be misleading and incentivise bad behaviour. Organisations can appear financially stronger by accumulating cash and cutting programme costs – precisely the behaviours that limit impact.

Non-financial information is vital. Suppose a maths tuition NPO delivers 1,000 lessons. This is its output. Comparing participants’ and non-participants’ pass rates helps assess outcomes. Most importantly, impact asks what happened in the longer term: did participants enter and graduate from university, find employment and ultimately improve their households’ circumstances?

The distinction between outputs, outcomes and impact matters. NPOs can be busy but make no difference to society. Outputs speak to effort; outcomes to short-term changes; and impact to whether NPOs are actually making a difference.

Reporting impact is the hardest and could be costly. Accordingly, reporting must be proportional, balancing costs with benefits.

Accountability in both directions

Donors dominate what nonprofits report as they, understandably, want evidence that their money is being used as intended. It’s known as upward accountability.

But this risks letting donors define what “good” and “bad” NPO performance looks like, potentially driving undesirable behaviour.

It can also exclude the people that NPOs exist to serve.

Downward accountability is needed to balance this power relationship. Beneficiaries should be able to evaluate NPO performance and influence service delivery. A tuition programme may have excellent pass rates but inadvertently exclude under-resourced learners if lessons finish after the last bus departs, leaving those without private transport unable to attend. Such feedback helps NPOs and donors understand what is needed to drive impact.

An integrated structure

Our framework contains five elements.

First, a report from the CEO or trustee explaining:

  • the NPO’s theory of change – how its activities are expected to create impact

  • strategy – how it plans to achieve its objectives

  • commentary on past performance and future expectations.

This will help donors and beneficiaries assess whether their interests and needs align with the NPO’s mission and activities.

Second, a report providing key historical financial and non-financial information with year-to-date information – what we’ve termed a flash report. This is key because contexts change quickly and users need certain information to stay up to date.

Third, a statement of credibility addressing legitimacy risks, including concerns about NPOs being used for self-enrichment. It reflects the NPO’s legal status, governance structures, assurance arrangements, track record and key partnerships, which provide important signals about which NPOs to engage and which to avoid.

Fourth, a statement of activities in which the NPO integrates financial and non-financial information to tell its story and facilitate comparability.

Financial statements, summarised or linked, complete the picture.

Next steps

Standardising reporting structures is not the same as making NPOs look alike. The content will – and should – differ. A common structure reduces the cost and anxiety of reporting while allowing users to find what they need without first decoding unfamiliar documents.

Helping the NPOs that serve society and the environment requires NPOs, governments, donors, beneficiaries, academics and standard-setters to work together towards a commonly accepted and adopted NPO integrated reporting framework.

The International Non-Profit Accounting Standard provides an important foundation in this direction while our framework provides a complementary non-financial starting point for further testing, refinement and, ultimately, acceptance by those who produce and use NPO reports.

– Nonprofits spend too much time reporting to funders: a single universal template could help
– https://theconversation.com/nonprofits-spend-too-much-time-reporting-to-funders-a-single-universal-template-could-help-290312

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KZN Public Works secures first clean audit

Source: Government of South Africa

KZN Public Works secures first clean audit

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has achieved a clean audit from the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) for the first time in the department’s history.

The department said its own review of historical records confirmed that there was no previous recorded clean audit outcome, making the latest achievement a significant milestone.

The department attributed the outcome to exercising accountability and enforcing tighter and reformed internal measures.

“This clean audit is a boost of confidence that the Provincial Infrastructure Council will play in streamlining the delivery of infrastructure across KZN, which is being currently formed, and where KZN Public Works and Infrastructure is a secretariat,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

The department said securing its first clean audit also signals its commitment to becoming an evolved entity, one which can be seen as a trustworthy partner for the private sector, investors, developers and major financial institutions to effectively collaborate with for the aim of unlocking endless infrastructure development and growth potential.

When the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer was appointed to the portfolio two years ago, he identified the attainment of a clean audit outcome as one of his key priorities through enforcing stringent financial controls.

Meyer dedicated the achievement to ordinary residents of KwaZulu-Natal and stakeholders who have pledged ongoing support for the department’s efforts to turning around, despite “several attempts by some who have sought to destabilise these efforts”. 

The MEC also acknowledged the department’s Head of Department, Dr Vish Govender, and officials for their contribution to achieving the milestone.

“Govender has led a relentless and unwavering campaign to ensure that all the department’s functionality and officials align with the historical and remarkable milestone that has been achieved,” Meyer said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Calls for stronger regional action against GBVF

Source: Government of South Africa

Calls for stronger regional action against GBVF

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike has called for stronger regional cooperation and collective action to accelerate efforts to end gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) across Southern Africa.

Addressing the Southern Africa Regional Convening on GBV Action Coalition Commitments on Tuesday, Letsike said the conclusion of the Generation Equality Forum’s five-year action period must not be mistaken for the end of the struggle against violence and inequality.

She said the true measure of commitments made between 2021 and 2026 will be whether they had translated into national laws, budgets and functioning institutions that improve the lived safety, dignity and freedom of women and girls.

“A cycle may close and a commitment may be recorded as completed. Still, the true measure of our work lies in whether the social and economic conditions that reproduce violence are being changed.

“The credibility of Generation Equality will therefore not be judged by the number of commitments announced in Paris in 2021, but by whether those commitments travelled from international platforms into national laws and budgets, through functioning institutions, and ultimately into the lived safety, dignity and freedom of women and girls,” Letsike said.

She said GBVF remains a profound public, constitutional and developmental concern in South Africa, as violence frequently occurs in intimate relationships, including homes, schools, universities, workplaces, places of worship, and increasingly in digital spaces.

While violence may occur behind closed doors, its consequences extend into health facilities, classrooms, workplaces, police stations, shelters and courts, while also placing significant social and economic costs on families, communities and the State.

Letsike cited research showing the scale of the crisis, including findings from the Human Sciences Research Council that 33.1% of women aged 18 and older have experienced physical violence during their lifetime.

She also highlighted South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) research indicating that approximately 60% of women murdered in 2020/21 were killed by an intimate partner.

“These figures do not represent unrelated incidents.

“They reveal unequal power reproduced across relationships, institutions and generations,” the deputy minister said.

Legislative and policy protections

Letsike said addressing GBVF requires more than criminal justice interventions, as violence is influenced by social norms, economic conditions, institutional cultures and the quality of the State’s response.

She pointed to South Africa’s constitutional and policy framework, including the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which identifies six areas of action: leadership and accountability; prevention and social cohesion; justice, safety and protection; response, care, support and healing; economic empowerment; and research and knowledge management.

The deputy minister also highlighted legislative reforms since April 2022, including amendments to laws dealing with domestic violence, sexual offences, bail, sentencing and the participation of complainants in criminal proceedings.

However, Letsike warned that laws do not implement themselves and that their effectiveness is ultimately tested through survivors’ experiences.

“Prevention must begin long before a police docket is opened,” Letsike said. 

She called for interventions in schools, higher education institutions and workplaces to challenge harmful gender norms and promote dignity, consent and equality.

Letsike also stressed the need to ensure that services are accessible to survivors, noting the importance of shelters, psychosocial support, healthcare, the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, Thuthuzela Care Centres and the criminal justice system.

During 2024/25, the National Prosecuting Authority recorded 3697 convictions for sexual offences, while more than 44 000 victims received support through 66 Thuthuzela Care Centres.

However, Letsike said institutional activity must be measured against whether it result in reduced violence, improved access to justice and safer communities.

She further called for greater recognition of violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI), and other people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.

Letsike welcomed the establishment of the National Council on GBVF as an opportunity to strengthen coordination and accountability across government, civil society and other sectors.

She called for stronger SADC cooperation on prevention, trafficking, migration, technology-facilitated violence, survivor services, comparable data, and sustainable financing.

“If violence and anti-rights organising can cross borders, our solidarity, knowledge and accountability must do the same,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Analysis of 20 Years of Implementing South Africa’s Biodiversity Stewardship Program

Source: APO – Report:

South Africa is globally recognized for its exceptional biodiversity, hosting high levels of species richness, endemism, and ecosystem diversity across three global biodiversity hotspots. But 36% of the country’s terrestrial ecosystems and 65% of inland aquatic ecosystems are threatened. Declining government budgets and competing socio-economic priorities demand innovative, cost-effective conservation solutions.

Biodiversity Stewardship emerged in the early 2000s as South Africa’s response to these challenges — enabling conservation authorities to enter into voluntary agreements with private and communal landowners to secure biodiversity priority areas. Two decades later, it has become the country’s primary and most effective mechanism for expanding protected and conservation areas, delivering measurable ecological, economic, and social results at scale.

This World Bank report, Analysis of 20 Years of Implementing South Africa’s Biodiversity Stewardship Program, developed in partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and with technical support from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), presents the first comprehensive 20-year assessment of the program. It analyzes its development, impacts, lessons learned, and future requirements — and demonstrates why Biodiversity Stewardship stands as a South African innovation with strong potential for global replication. The report was prepared by experts from Conservation Outcomes, and reflects feedback from a substantial consultation effort, drawing on 71 direct interviews, engagement with 11 traditional communities across four provinces, and five structured workshops/technical sessions with DFFE, SANBI, the National Biodiversity Stewardship Technical Working Group, and the Legal Reference Group.

Key Findings

●      Nearly 2.8 million hectares have been secured across 469 sites, representing approximately 90% of South Africa’s protected area expansion since the promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEM:PAA).

●      It is cost-effective conservation: Biodiversity Stewardship delivers conservation outcomes at 6–25% of the cost of traditional state land acquisition and management.

●      Inclusive growth on communal and reform land: The program delivers strong outcomes on communal land, land reform sites, and rural landscapes — supporting jobs, enterprises, and inclusive development.

●      Climate and water resilience: The program protects over 650,000 hectares of Strategic Water Source Areas and extensive areas of threatened ecosystems, safeguarding ecosystem services valued at hundreds of billions of rand annually.

●      Global scalability: Biodiversity Stewardship, similar to Community Based Natural Resource Management, offers a scalable pathway for achieving the global 30×30 target through other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), partnerships, and innovative governance.

●      Investment leverage: The program has enabled $64.5 million in multilateral funding (Global Environment Facility (GEF), Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)) and R179.3 million from local conservation funds, alongside significant unquantified private investment from corporate and individual landowners.

hy Biodiversity Stewardship Works

The program’s success rests on a flexible, “building block” approach that accommodates all land ownership types — from formally-declared nature reserves and national parks to partnership-based conservation measures. Key drivers of its effectiveness include:

  • A strong NGO–government partnership model at its core;
  • Clear, standardized national guidance that improves credibility and consistency across actors;
  • A people-centered approach built on long-term relationships with landowners;
  • Proven capacity to attract donor and private sector investment by reducing risk and strengthening governance in communal and rural landscapes.

Beyond conservation, Biodiversity Stewardship functions as a key policy enabler, underpinning South Africa’s commitments under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Target 3), the National Development Plan, and the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy.

Recommended Actions

The report identifies ten priority actions to strengthen and sustain Biodiversity Stewardship. Immediate priorities include:

  • Establish strong national leadership — DFFE must play a stronger coordination role, lodging Biodiversity Stewardship at an appropriate level within departmental structures;
  • Improve legal and policy coherence — including reform of NEM:PAA, finalization of OECM norms and standards, and streamlined protected area declaration processes;
  • Build and retain dedicated capacity — with locally embedded, experienced, and continuously resourced Biodiversity Stewardship facilitators in both government and NGOs.

Medium-term priorities include deepening cross-sectoral integration with water security, climate adaptation, land reform, and rural development programs — and significantly scaling up community inclusion to unlock the full socio-economic potential of the program.

– on behalf of The World Bank Group.

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African Development Bank Group launches up to USD 5.1 billion response plan to offset energy and fertilizer shocks in African countries

Source: APO – Report:

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a new framework to mitigate the impact of the global energy and fertilizer crisis on African countries.

The Global Energy And Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework (GEFCRF), approved on 1 September 2026, enables the Bank Group to deliver timely, targeted support to address the immediate needs stemming from the crisis and to strengthen African member countries against future shocks.

Building on successful experiences from the Bank’s COVID-19 Response Facility and the African Emergency Food Production Facility, the framework is designed to provide immediate relief while laying foundations for stronger, more self-reliant and resilient African economies

The framework will be financed through an additional USD 4.1 billion in African Development Bank lending and up to USD 960 million from the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm.  The additional resources will increase the Bank’s 2026 lending target to approximately USD 12.7 billion, enabling the Bank Group to provide timely and targeted support to countries affected by the crisis while strengthening resilience to future shocks.

The response is temporary and valid for one year from the Board’s approval date, after which it will be reviewed before extending. The GEFCRF will be demand-driven, with support tailored to address the specific vulnerability levels with an appropriate financial and policy response.

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East continues to pose a significant external shock to African economies, reflected in rising global prices for energy, food, fertilizers and other commodities on which many African countries remain heavily dependent and import massively.

Disruptions to global trade routes and logistics, including key maritime corridors, are compounding these pressures by increasing transport costs, delaying deliveries, and amplifying supply chain fragility.

The GEFCRF will work across four main pillars to:

  • Stabilise macroeconomic conditions: Provide rapid counter-cyclical financing, short-term buffers, and coordinated fiscal, monetary, and debt policy responses during shocks.
  • Secure critical food, energy and fertilizer supply systems: Use emergency and trade finance to protect food, energy, and fertilizer supplies, while supporting vulnerable populations in particular vulnerable women and stabilising markets.
  • Protect essential spending and vulnerable households: Safeguard priority public expenditures and deploy targeted social protection to cushion vulnerable groups in particular women and youth, reduce reliance on broad subsidies and prevent deepening of fragility.
  • Sustain reforms for medium to long-term resilience building: Policy space preserved for medium-term reforms that reduce dependence on volatile external energy, food and fertilizer markets, establish foundations for diversified supply chains and regional solutions and enhance fiscal resilience and crisis-response readiness.

“This framework is about listening and responding to the urgent needs of African countries, helping them protect households and vulnerable populations, keep food, fertilizer and energy systems functioning, and preserve hard-won development gains while building greater resilience for the future,” said Abdul Kamara, Acting Vice President for Country and Regional Operations, “A crisis response must do more than cushion the shock. It must make countries stronger. That is exactly what this framework aims to achieve.”

“The Bank’s new Global Energy and Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework gives us a way to respond to the pressures African farmers are facing as the conflict in the Middle East disrupts global trade,” noted Martin Fregene, Officer in Charge Vice President for the Agriculture, Human and Social Development.

“When fertilizer becomes too expensive or difficult to find, farmers use less and harvests can suffer. Access to finance is part of the solution, helping businesses keep fertilizer moving to farmers, while we work to build stronger fertilizer markets and more local supply in Africa, “he added.

– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations
email: media@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

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EU Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP): Building Stronger Police Institutions Through International Cooperation

Source: APO – Report:

Through legal and institutional reform, capacity building, operational development and maritime security, EUCAP works alongside Somali partners to strengthen capabilities, accountability, command and control, and national ownership.

Our approach is clear: from training individuals to strengthening institutions; from externally supported capacity to Somali-owned capability; and from fragmented assistance to coordinated international partnership. Effective police cooperation is about building trust, connecting institutions and creating sustainable security together.

– on behalf of EU Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia).

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IMC prioritises action on 2 400 non-compliant buildings across metros

Source: Government of South Africa

IMC prioritises action on 2 400 non-compliant buildings across metros

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration Management has prioritised three interventions to address about 2 400 non-compliant buildings across South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities, including a national funding model for temporary emergency accommodation.

The interventions follow the IMC’s consideration of a consolidated report on so-called bad and hijacked buildings across the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the report showed that municipalities already had the necessary by-laws, structures and enforcement processes to identify and act against hijacked buildings, with the main challenge lying in executing court orders for evictions and remediation.

“The constraint lies at, among other things, the point of execution because court orders for eviction or remediation cannot lawfully be carried out because municipalities have no funded temporary emergency accommodation to place occupants in. The Constitutional Court has confirmed on several occasions that this duty rests with the municipalities,” Kubayi said. 

The report drew on submissions from the Cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung and Buffalo City, together with published information on the City of Cape Town.

Three interventions prioritised

Following engagements with mayors from all eight metropolitan municipalities, the IMC has resolved to prioritise three measures.

The first is the development of a national funding model for temporary emergency accommodation, led by the Department of Human Settlements.

The second is the prioritisation of hijacked-building matters by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in the Magistrates’ and High Courts.

The third is the adoption of a single national definition and reporting template, to be coordinated by the Department of Cooperative Governance.

This common definition and reporting system is intended to ensure that the scale of the problem is measured consistently across all eight metropolitan municipalities.

The IMC’s engagements with mayors also highlighted the financial and infrastructure pressures created by hijacked buildings, including lost municipal revenue resulting from non-payment of rates and excessive consumption of water and energy when buildings are used beyond their approved regulatory capacity.

Repurposing vacant buildings

Mayors also called for consideration to be given to repurposing underutilised and vacant buildings for student accommodation and affordable rental housing.

The proposal is intended to serve as a preventative measure against inner-city decay and dilapidation, while also addressing the criminal activity that has taken hold in many hijacked buildings.

Kubayi said the IMC’s approach is not only about addressing the condition of buildings but also tackling criminal networks operating from them.

“Again, we would like to emphasise that we are undertaking this important assignment to bolster our efforts to rehabilitate the dilapidated inner-city environment [and] also to get rid of the criminal enclaves in these buildings. 

“Our law enforcement is also geared towards dealing with the criminal syndicates that operate these buildings through illegal collection of rent and other forms of abuse suffered by illegal occupiers,” the Minister said. 

The IMC said hijacked and abandoned buildings were, in many cases, illegally occupied and being used for criminal activities, including human trafficking, drug dealing, illicit goods trading and substance abuse.

Mayors expressed support for a coordinated national effort to reclaim hijacked buildings, including joint law enforcement operations and cooperation between relevant government departments.

The measures form part of the broader implementation of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Five-Point Plan on Migration Management, which seeks to restore public confidence, strengthen the rule of law, protect South Africa’s borders, modernise migration systems and enhance cooperation with regional and international partners. – SAnews.gov.za

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Government steps up efforts to secure South Africa’s borders

Source: Government of South Africa

Government steps up efforts to secure South Africa’s borders

Government is stepping up efforts to secure South Africa’s borders through improved infrastructure, technology, surveillance and coordinated law enforcement operations, as part of the implementation of the Five-Point Plan on Migration Management.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi noted that significant progress had been made in strengthening border management and improving coordination among agencies operating at ports of entry and vulnerable border areas.

The minister announced that Cabinet has approved the Borderline Infrastructure Improvement Plan (2026–2030), which will be implemented across all seven border provinces. 

The plan is intended to improve border security, patrol mobility, operational response times, personnel safety, infrastructure maintenance and intergovernmental coordination, while deterring illegal cross-border incursions.

More than 4200 intercepted

Despite the progress, government continues to face challenges along the country’s extensive borders.

More than 4 200 undocumented foreign nationals were intercepted attempting to enter South Africa outside formal ports of entry between April and July 2026.

Most were intercepted along the northern corridor bordering Zimbabwe, followed by areas bordering Lesotho and Mozambique.

Almost 90 000 people have been repatriated, while 81 joint border law enforcement operations were conducted in July.

“South Africa has an extensive land borderline of approximately 4471km, shared with six neighbouring countries and traversing varied and challenging terrain. Overtime, border security infrastructure has deteriorated significantly, with large sections of fencing damaged, vandalised, or absent and critical access roads in poor condition.

“This has negatively affected border safeguarding operations, limiting patrol mobility, delayed response time, increased strain on personnel and equipment, and creating vulnerability exploited by illegal crossing, smuggling and transnational crime.

“A cabinet memorandum on the proposed borderline infrastructure improvement solution was approved by cabinet recently and National Treasury is finalising the funding model for the project,” Kubayi said.

Technology to strengthen border control

At the same time, the Department of Home Affairs has intensified efforts to modernise the border management environment through the Electronic Traveller Authorisation and the upgraded Enhanced Movement Control System, launched at OR Tambo International Airport by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 12 August 2026.

The IMC said that the Customs Online Traveller Declaration system also began operating on 1 July 2026 and is functioning without major concerns. 

The Minister added that scanners are also operational at all major land ports, airports and seaports.

The Border Management Authority is currently operating five drones at critical border points in Lebombo, Maseru, Oshoek, Beitbridge and KwaZulu-Natal, while procurement of nine additional drones is underway.

About 40 body-worn cameras are also being deployed at critical ports of entry to improve operational visibility and combat internal corruption.

Repatriation operations return to normal

Between 14 June and 20 August 2026, some 86 596 foreign nationals were processed for deportation and repatriation through coordinated law enforcement operations.

Malawians constituted the largest group, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.

The IMC’s data indicates that 90% of repatriated foreigners entered the country illegally, with 95% classified as border jumpers.

The Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina has also since been shut down and decommissioned following a significant decline in demand.

The centre, which had capacity for 20 000 people, processed more than 4000 repatriations at its peak. However, this declined to 58 repatriations in August.

The repatriation operations at the centre were shut down on 21 August 2026, marking a return to normal immigration law enforcement operations.

Government said it would continue working with neighbouring countries and regional structures to strengthen border security and address undocumented migration.

“Government remains committed to improving surveillance, inspections and operational coordination at ports of entry to ensure that South Africa’s borders are secure while facilitating legitimate travel and trade,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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Over 55 000 people initiated on groundbreaking Lenacapavir

Source: Government of South Africa

Over 55 000 people initiated on groundbreaking Lenacapavir

The Department of Health (DoH) has reported “significant progress” in the rollout of the twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention medication, Lenacapavir.

The medication, officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June this year, together with Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has since been rolled out to some 360 public health facilities across 24 districts in six provinces.

“More than 55 123 people had been initiated on Lenacapavir as of 7 September 2026, reflecting strong demand for this long-acting HIV prevention option. Majority [or 71%] of the recipients are females, mostly the pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

“Gauteng province has recorded the highest number of Lenacapavir initiations, with more than 26 357 people initiated, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 11 941, North West 4 479, Western Cape with 4 446, Mpumalanga with 4294 and Eastern Cape with 3 606,” the department said.

The rollout has been carried out with the collaboration of stakeholders, including provincial Health Departments. Healthcare workers and implementing partners are monitoring uptake, commodity availability, quality of service delivery, client follow-up and safety”.

“Lenacapavir is being offered within a comprehensive PrEP-choice programme alongside other available HIV prevention options. 

“Lenacapavir has been approved and registered by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority as safe and effective for preventing HIV infection, following a thorough review of preclinical, clinical and manufacturing data. Individuals who experience serious or persistent adverse events after receiving the injection are encouraged to report these promptly to healthcare workers at their nearest health facility. 

“The department remains committed to the safe, responsible and evidence-based implementation of Lenacapavir and other medical products, supported by strengthened pharmacovigilance, clinical monitoring and rapid investigation of any serious adverse events,” the DoH stated. – SAnews.gov.za

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Improvement noted in migration management

Source: Government of South Africa

Improvement noted in migration management

The overall situation regarding migration management in South Africa has significantly improved since the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) last reported on progress in implementing the Five-Point Plan on Migration Management. 

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi made the assessment on Tuesday when providing an update on government’s efforts to implement the plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 7 June 2026.

“The situation has significantly improved since then and on behalf of government and the entire team that is hard at work in implementing these interventions, we would like to appreciate and thank the support of all role players, including the fraternity of non-governmental organisations, who continue to support our efforts in this regard. 

“We also want to thank the people of South Africa, who continue to heed our call for conducting peaceful protests, [with] vital cooperation with law enforcement authorities,” Kubayi said. 

The Five-Point Plan is aimed at restoring public confidence, strengthening the rule of law, protecting South Africa’s borders, modernising migration systems and enhancing cooperation with regional and international partners.

Government has reported progress across the five areas, including intensified law enforcement operations, strengthened border management, reforms to the immigration system, legislative and policy interventions, and increased cooperation with neighbouring countries.

More than 350 000 inspections conducted

As part of the crackdown on migration violations, multidisciplinary law enforcement operations have targeted illegal border crossings, fraudulent documentation, labour exploitation, human trafficking networks, illegal mining operations and other forms of organised crime linked to migration vulnerabilities. 

To date, 205 cases have been registered, with 354 people arrested and 123 cases on the court roll.

More than 350 000 inspections have also been conducted across industries and sectors, including factories, supermarkets and spaza shops.

Government said a number of businesses were found to be non-compliant with labour and health-related standards and legal requirements, particularly in relation to the employment of undocumented migrants.

Government has warned employers to comply with the law and desist from deliberately employing undocumented migrants.

To bolster enforcement capacity, 6 317 labour inspectors have been finalised for multidisciplinary law enforcement operations, comprising 4 017 interns recruited and 2 300 inspectors released for joint blitz operations.

A further 301 Department of Home Affairs Immigration Inspector posts have been advertised, with recruitment expected to be finalised by the end of September.

Strengthening the regulatory environment

Government is also progressing with reforms affecting small businesses, particularly spaza shops.

Thirty-four municipalities have adopted the Standard Draft By-laws for Township and Rural Economies, while 105 have adopted them through council resolutions and 21 are in the process of adoption.

The Business Licensing Bill was presented to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) in June 2026 and seeks to reserve certain businesses to citizens.

Government has also acted against the abuse of the Traffic Register Number system. All dormant Traffic Register Numbers that could not be verified were cancelled as of 4 September 2026. A Traffic Register Number is a temporary identification number used in South Africa’s National Transport Information System to allow foreign nationals and non-legal entities to conduct lawful road traffic and vehicle-licensing transactions. 

“These operations demonstrate government’s zero-tolerance approach to criminality, irrespective of nationality, while ensuring that all enforcement actions are undertaken within the framework of the law and respect for human rights,” Kubayi said. – SAnews.gov.za 

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