Transforming Africa's Borders into Gateways for Development

Cape Town, South Africa, 18 December 2025 - Senior policymakers, immigration officers, technical experts, and partners from across the African continent gathered in Cape Town for the 9th Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM IX), under the theme: "Smart, Integrated and Secure Border Management: Leveraging Technology for Efficient Human Mobility and Trade in Africa."

The 9th Pan-Africa Forum on Migration with a central focus on how technology serves as a catalyst in transforming human mobility and trade across Africa. The forum underscored that technology holds the promise of enabling unprecedented efficiencies in cross-border movement-if it is harnessed to address the longstanding barriers faced by African businesses and communities while appropriately regulated.

This Forum marked a pivotal moment as Director Generals, Heads and Chiefs of Immigration, African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa's officials among others came together in an inaugural high-level segment to take stock of migration trends, review policy responses, and chart a coordinated path for the future of migration and border governance in Africa.

Key Highlights:

1.      Technology as an Enabler:

Panelists stressed that solutions like e-visas, digital border management systems, biometric controls, and data-sharing platforms have the potential to minimize visa bottlenecks and administrative delays, adding "These innovations can reduce discretionary practices, increase transparency, and facilitate a faster movement of both people and goods".

2.      The Reality of African Mobility

While the aspiration for a borderless Africa is strong, the current reality depicts cross-border mobility as costly, uncertain, and exclusionary. And challenges extend beyond a single border checkpoint, involving visa regimes, bureaucratic processes, and limited access to social services that collectively hinder free movement.

3.      Bridging the Gap for Informal Sectors

A critical part of the discussions focused on the large informal sector in Africa - comprising small-scale traders, seasonal workers, and many others who rely on mobility for their livelihoods. There is an acute need to adapt technology to consider these informal movers, particularly women engaged in informal trade, to avoid exposing them to arbitrary enforcement and undue financial burdens.

4.      Strengthening the Digital Infrastructure and Closing the Digital Divide

The Forum underscored that or accelerated that digitalization and integration of border management systems that would support faster, safer cross-border movement hinges on development of adequate digital infrastructure. Addressing the digital divide and aligning tech innovations with structural reforms in institutions is also paramount to avoid amplifying current inefficiencies and inequalities.

5.      Beyond Digital Infrastructure

Participants agreed that while digital tools are essential, they cannot substitute for comprehensive investments in physical and social infrastructure. Weak transport networks, inadequate housing, healthcare, education, and limited social protection remain significant challenges that need to be addressed in tandem with technological solutions. A system approach is necessary, where digital improvements complement broader investments in transport, border, and social infrastructure to truly transform mobility in Africa.

6.      A Call for Institutional Reform

The forum reiterated that technology cannot replace the essential task of institution-building and to harness the full potential of tech-driven mobility, reforms that clarify agency mandates and strengthen institutional capacity across borders are urgently needed.

In conclusion, the AUC-led forum emphasized that the road to efficient human mobility and thriving trade in Africa lies in aligning technological advancements with deep-rooted infrastructure and institutional reforms. Such a holistic strategy will help transform borders from physical barriers into strategic enablers-making free movement a tangible reality rather than a distant aspiration.

About the Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM)

The Pan African Forum on Migration (PAFoM) was established in 2006 following an African Union Executive Council Decision (EX.CL/276(IX)) on the Migration Policy Framework for Africa , which mandated the AU Commission to collaborate with IOM and other partners to support Member States in strengthening migration governance. It serves as a continental interstate dialogue platform  that brings together:

Its objectives are to:

Deliberate on topical and emerging issues on migration and mobility in Africa;

Inform and shape policy development at national, regional and continental levels;

Share experiences, knowledge and good practices on migration governance.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]

Source: UNECA