South Africa has joined Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tunisia in deploying advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence and drones, to enhance border security.
South Africa’s technology upgrade includes four quadcopter drones to monitor locations known for illegal crossings. The drones can operate around the clock and use infrared cameras to track people crossing at night. Laser range finders pinpoint the potential border crossers’ location. A 10-day trial of the technology by South Africa’s Border Management Authority resulted in a 61% increase in apprehensions of people crossing the border.
Experts believe that AI can help secure porous borders against traffickers, terrorists and illegal migration.
“The issue of artificial intelligence becomes very much fundamental, particularly when it comes to issues of your risk management, in terms of enhancing effective border management,” South Africa’s Commissioner of Border Security Michael Masiapato said in a video statement.
Adding AI to the border security mix lets security personnel analyze huge amounts of data collected at border crossings to predict potential threats and to deploy security personnel more effectively, according to Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s deputy president. Kindiki told a 2024 regional gathering on border security that AI has an important role to play in border protection.
“The use of technology, in particular digital technology, is crucial for future border control and management,” Kindiki said. “Future border control management is going to be driven by data.”
Experts with the African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies recommend using AI to analyze border crossing images in real time and then securely store them for study and to share among agencies and nations.
“In this way, this digital technology capability can help African countries better manage their borders against potential crimes,” panel experts wrote in a 2021 blog post. “Adopting such measures can also secure peace and stability across the African continent.”