South Africa and Lesotho are moving closer to a major travel shake-up that could allow citizens to cross the border using national ID documents instead of passports. This plan is also set to include a proposed amnesty for thousands of Basotho previously banned for overstaying.
GroundUp reported that these developments were announced last week in Cape Town by Lesotho and South Africa’s Ministers of Home Affairs, Lebona Lepheme and Leon Schreiber.
At the centre of this proposal is a new migration model that would allow both South Africans and Basotho to use their national ID cards when travelling between the two countries. Officials say the move is aimed at simplifying border processes, cutting down long queues and easing administrative blockages.
Under the proposed system, travellers would pass through electronic gates, scanning their ID cards for automatic clearance, thus removing the need to be processed separately on each side of the border.
Immigration manager Bertha Piletso said, ‘We recommended that the document to be used by both Basotho and South Africans when crossing the border should be the national identity card.‘
‘In other words, if I am Mosotho, I will use my Lesotho ID to cross the border. Similarly, a South African will use their national ID.’
– Bertha Piletso, Immigration Manager
Some restrictions will remain, with children under 16 still required to have passports.
Along with this development, there is a proposal for amnesty for Basotho nationals who were declared undesirable and barred from South Africa for overstaying their visas.
‘We want these processes to begin on a clean slate’
– Puleng Mbangamthi, Lesotho’s Director of Legal Affairs.
Lesotho’s Director of Legal Affairs, Puleng Mbangamthi, urged that the proposed amnesty will only apply to those who overstayed their visas and did not commit any criminal offences. Affected individuals will need to register with Lesotho’s immigration authorities, after which their details will be verified with South African officials before being cleared.
Basotho will soon be able to enter South Africa using only national ID cards, following an agreement between Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber of the EF…I mean the DA @Our_DA and Lebona Lephema of Lesotho.
The new migration model includes a One Stop Border Post to… pic.twitter.com/PMOKnVndQB
— 🇿🇦 Apostle Dr D Mekgwe🇹🇼 (@ApostleDeza) April 21, 2026
The process is expected to bring relief to many Basotho who have been unable to legally return to South Africa due to previous bans.
While the proposals signal a major policy shift, officials cautioned that not all measures will be rolled out immediately. Some reforms could be introduced in the near future, while others are expected to be finalised at the next Bi-National Commission meeting later this year.
If adopted, the changes could reshape travel, work and study opportunities between South Africa and Lesotho, making cross-border movement faster, more accessible and more efficient.
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Picture: @ApostleDeza / X
