South Africa Sets $18.5M Repatriation Bill for 3 African Nations

• South Africa's Home Affairs Department spent R292 million repatriating foreign nationals, far exceeding its R60 million deportation budget
• Director-General Tommy Makhode told Parliament that 82,875 foreign nationals had been processed through repatriation centres by August 6
• Pretoria has formally requested repayment from the governments of Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia through DIRCO

South Africa has formally requested that the governments of Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia reimburse costs tied to a repatriation operation.

Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode disclosed the financial strain to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, stating that the department spent nearly R300 million on the operation against an allocated budget of only R60 million for deportations.

Transport costs incurred while moving undocumented migrants from various locations across the country to repatriation centres and border crossings accounted for the bulk of that expenditure.

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South Africa turns to DIRCO for repayment

Makhode confirmed that formal letters seeking reimbursement were dispatched through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

"We have also written to the government of Malawi and, of course, the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia requesting reimbursements of this cost through the department of DIRCO," he told lawmakers. South Africa is awaiting responses from all three governments.

Makhode acknowledged that the repatriation programme had no dedicated budget line, and described the resulting financial pressure as a serious concern for the department going forward.

Scale of the repatriation operation

By 6 August 2026, a total of 82,875 foreign nationals had been processed through Home Affairs repatriation centres.

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That figure excludes individuals repatriated before 30 June or those handled directly by the Border Management Authority, suggesting the actual number processed is considerably higher.

Malawian nationals made up the largest share of those returning or deported, followed by Zimbabwean and Mozambican citizens.

Operations through the Lindela Repatriation Centre resulted in 44,607 deportations during the previous financial year, with a further 16,078 processed through the same facility between 20 April and 28 July this year alone.

The operation was set in motion following a wave of anti-immigrant protests across parts of South Africa earlier in the year. Several African governments organised voluntary return programmes for their citizens amid safety concerns, while South African authorities simultaneously intensified enforcement as part of a broader push to tighten immigration control.

Nigerian praises Ghana over Ramaphosa visit reports

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Nigerian senator Shehu Sani praised Ghana’s handling of reports that a planned state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had been deferred.

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This came amid growing concerns at the time over the killing of a Ghanaian national in South Africa and the repatriation of Ghanaian citizens from the country.

South Africa’s presidency later dismissed reports that Ramaphosa had formally requested to visit Ghana, denying the claims on Tuesday, July 7.

Source: YEN.com.gh