Ladybrand:The Border Management Authority (BMA) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) are participating in the Lesotho-South Africa Steering Committee (STEERCO) meeting with the objective of enhancing border management operations.

According to South African Government News Agency, the meeting in Ladybrand provides an opportunity for South Africa and Lesotho to advance bilateral discussions on shared border-management priorities, aiming for more secure, efficient, and integrated border operations.

Key areas of discussion at the meeting include progress on the joint action plan, smart-border initiatives, One-Stop Border Post arrangements at Maseru and Ficksburg, and border infrastructure and the Border Operating Model. Additional agenda items include risk management, traveler processing, enabling legislation, and the Authorised Economic Operator pilot, all contributing to efforts aimed at enhancing coordination, improving border operations, and supporting regional trade and economic development.

The meeting is part of the World Bank-Southern Africa Regional Trade Facilitation Programme (SARTFP) Technical Joint Working Group and Steering Committee engagements, focusing on strengthening border management and trade facilitation in the region. Dr. Michael Masiapato leads the BMA's participation, while Beyers Theron, Director of Customs Border Operations, Ports of Entry, and Customs Compliance, leads the revenue services' participation.

SARS and the BMA indicated that this meeting follows previous engagements held in Oshoek in August 2026 with Eswatini and in Komatipoort in September 2026 with Mozambique, which focused on trade facilitation, border reform, and the implementation of joint action plans to enhance border efficiency and facilitate movement across the region.