The Home Affairs branch in North End, Gqeberha, is moving to Baywest Mall, and though concerns regarding accessibility have been raised, stakeholders say it’s a good move. (Photo: Nkosazana Ngwadla) 
The relocation of Gqeberha’s busy North End Home Affairs office to Baywest Mall is being presented as a service upgrade by stakeholders — but for some residents the move raised questions and concerns.
According to Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Thulani Mavuso, the move is a “strategic relocation” prompted by space constraints at the current site, and the end of a private lease there.
And while a date for the move has not yet been confirmed, the decision has already sparked a flurry of online debate — with some welcoming the move to a more modern setting, and others saying it would make access more difficult for working-class commuters.
Speaking about the impending move outside the North End facility, Buyiswa Rala — who commutes from Motherwell to North End when she needs services from Home Affairs — said: “I’m worried about the availability of taxis from home all the way to Baywest; Greenacres Mall would have been a better option.”
Johannes Plaatjies relies on the people visiting the branch daily to make a living.
“I assist the people who need to take photographs for their documents. It’s easy for me because I walk here (the North End location) from home. Now if this branch moves far, what will I do?”
Bigger space, better service?
According to Mavuso, the new location was intended to ease pressure on staff and clients.
“This is a significant increase in floor space,” he said, adding that this would allow for better queuing systems, additional service counters and a more comfortable client experience.
“The Department of Home Affairs will be located on the upper ground, close to Entrance 1, and will occupy approximately 2,500m²,” confirmed Baywest Marketing Manager Lindsay Davies.
“This is a large space catering to their (Home Affairs) broad clientele, located near a major entrance with ample parking.”
Davies said a number of shopping centres across the country were “adding service businesses to their tenant mix as they are complementary to retail offerings”.
She added that the mall had not received any complaints about the move, and said that the feedback had been “generally positive, with many welcoming the convenience”.
Davies said the size of Baywest meant it was well equipped to handle increased foot traffic.
“We are not anticipating any operational difficulties. In fact, we believe the addition of Home Affairs at Baywest will be a significant benefit to both shoppers and tenants.”
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_3558.jpeg "Songezo Mpanda from the taxi association said the Baywest taxi rank was safe and reliable. (Photo: Nkosazana Ngwadla)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_3560.jpeg "Taxi rank officials at Baywest Mall said they welcomed the arrival of the new Home Affairs office, and were ready to transport Gqeberha residents. (Photo: Nkosazana Ngwadla)")
One of the biggest concerns about the move is public transport access, a worry that Home Affairs says was addressed during an impact assessment.
Baywest Mall has a dedicated taxi rank at Entrance 2, which is close to where the new Home Affairs office will be located.
“We have a large taxi rank that serves most areas around the city, and expands its routes from time to time depending on demand,” said Davies.
The taxi industry is also on board with the move. South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) Eastern Cape president, Songezo Mpanda, speaking on behalf of the taxi industry, welcomed the move.
“We are prepared to continue to provide convenient and reliable transportation services to commuters,” he said. “We have a functioning, non-disruptive system at the mall. Our offices are also there for extra services and support.”
He noted that taxis traveling from townships and residential areas to Baywest usually filled up during the morning rush. However, with the Home Affairs branch opening soon, he expected demand to increase throughout the day.
“We suspect that will change now that more people are expected to visit the mall for Home Affairs,” he added.
Free parking Monday to Thursday
The mall has more than 3,000 parking bays, which Davies said were “more than sufficient to satisfy customer demand”. Home Affairs customers, like all other Baywest customers, would enjoy free parking from Monday to Thursday, she added.
What about those long Home Affairs queues? The physical design had considered that too, said Mavuso.
“There are benches and space for more benches just outside where Home Affairs will be, but because there is plenty of space inside, there will be no need for that,” he said.
Davies added that the mall was well equipped in terms of facilities.
“Baywest has plenty of bathrooms with a lot of cubicles, and they are cleaned regularly.”
Although the final relocation date has yet to be announced, Home Affairs has said that the public would be given sufficient notice. In the meantime, four new mobile units had been added in Nelson Mandela Bay to extend services during the transition, said Mavuso.
“We are excited to welcome Home Affairs to Baywest,” said Davies. “We believe a refreshed, revamped and upgraded Home Affairs will add tremendous value to the people of Gqeberha.” DM