Home Affairs says more than 2,000 people were processed in a single day at the Musina repatriation centre, with additional buses expected to transport Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals back to their home countries.
The Department of Home Affairs says at least 50 buses are expected to arrive at the Musina repatriation centre to help clear a growing backlog as thousands of Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals wait to return home.
The move comes as anti-migrant organisations continue to call for undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa.
Some foreign nationals have also been deported or voluntarily repatriated amid rising anti-migrant tensions and protests.
The repatriation and deportation process is taking place at the Beitbridge Port of Entry in Musina following the closure of the Durban Repatriation Centre.
