South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has launched a procurement process to acquire handheld biometric devices that will allow immigration officials to verify the legal status of foreign nationals in real time during field operations.
The department has issued a public tender seeking a service provider to develop, implement and support a new Biometric Case Management System (BCMS), which will integrate with portable biometric verification devices capable of accessing Home Affairs databases remotely.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen immigration enforcement and improve the identification of undocumented foreign nationals through digital technology.
In recent years, the Department of Home Affairs has intensified deportation efforts amid increasing public pressure for stricter immigration controls. Earlier this month, the department reported that inland deportations had increased by 46%, attributing the improvement partly to enhanced technological capabilities introduced by the Border Management Authority (BMA).
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber previously announced that portable biometric devices would play a central role in future immigration enforcement by enabling officials to confirm an individual’s immigration status immediately while conducting inspections.
According to the minister, instant access to Home Affairs systems will allow officers to identify immigration violations more efficiently and take enforcement action without waiting for manual document verification.
The department has already demonstrated the effectiveness of biometric technology during previous operations. In 2025, officials used biometric scanners during an enforcement operation in District 6, Cape Town, leading to the identification and arrest of 25 suspected undocumented foreign nationals.
Unlike traditional document-based inspections, biometric verification compares fingerprints and facial data directly with records stored in the Home Affairs database, reducing the risk of forged or fraudulent documentation.
New System Designed For Real-Time Field Verification
Tender documents show that the proposed BCMS will provide immigration inspectors with a mobile platform capable of verifying identities while operating away from Home Affairs offices.
Officials will be able to capture fingerprints and facial photographs on-site and immediately compare that information with existing biometric records.
Where no previous biometric profile exists, the system will also allow new records to be created and stored for future investigations, detention procedures and deportation processes.
The department said the platform is also intended to improve detainee tracking by enabling biometric verification during detention, transportation and handovers at ports of entry before deportation.
As part of the initial rollout, Home Affairs intends to procure 600 handheld biometric verification devices.
Devices Will Capture Fingerprints, Faces And Documents
According to the technical specifications outlined in the tender, each handheld device must be capable of capturing and verifying all ten fingerprints against the department’s database in real time.
The units must also include high-resolution front and rear cameras capable of producing images that comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
Additional requirements include QR code and document scanning capabilities, SIM card and SD card slots, Android 10 or later operating systems, at least 8GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, battery life of at least eight hours and fully waterproof, rugged designs suitable for field conditions.
The tender closes on 24 July 2026, with submitted bids remaining valid for 90 days after the closing date.
Home Affairs expects the contract to run for 36 months, with an option to extend it by a further two years. If procurement proceeds as planned, the department is expected to begin rolling out the new biometric verification system later in 2026.
Source: Department of Home Affairs tender documents and official statements.