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Analysis · Economy · Logistics · For Individual members

Has the Kazungula Bridge diminished taxable trade for Zim through the Chirundu Border Post?

Edwin Chabuka · 19 October 2023 · 6 min read · Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia

Kazungula Bridge

The Chirudu border post situated northwest of Zimbabwe is a One-Stop border post (OSBP) that recently jacked up its operating times to 24 hours. It is considered one of the busiest border posts of the North-South corridor, a cargo, goods, and trade route that connects the northern and southern parts of SADC.  It aims to reduce the costs and delays of cross-border trade and improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the region. Approximately 365 trucks per day cross both ways through the post.

The North-South Corridor (NSC)

Sources: SSATP Discussion Paper No. 10

With a road network spanning approximately 8,600 km, (Nov 2010), the North-South corridor comprises inter-related projects that connect 8 countries in the region: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Total infrastructure in the NSC is at US$ 1.2 billion in assets and planned projects as well as projects underway. It is estimated to be handling 75% of trade in the SADC region with a potential market of 200 million people.

Sources: Infrastructure components of the North-South Corridor

State of the OSBP before the commissioning of the Kazungula Bridge post

Chirundu's OSBP is the second busiest border in the North-South corridor. It is the more popular route of transit from South Africa (via the Beitbridge border post) to the Nothern leg of the corridor servicing Zambia, Malawi, DRC, and terminating in Tanzania. When it first operated as an OSBP, traffic was around 6,000 trucks a month or about 225 a day (Sept 2007). Northbound traffic was higher at 120 trucks daily versus 105 southbound trucks. As of 2019, this figure rose to an average of 365 trucks a day and 10,971 trucks a month, an increase of 183%.

Source: SSATP Discussion Paper No. 10 & Time Release Study for Imports & Transit Cargo Chirundu OSBP, Zambia

South Africa is the largest trading nation of the nations in the NSC which is shown by the Beitbridge border post being the busiest in the region. In GDP terms, South Africa's share is 51% of all SADC member states as of November 2021. Angola comes second at 13.8% and Tanzania 3rd at 9.8%. South Africa also holds the highest share of intra-SADC trade at 38.6% followed by Namibia with 16.6% and DRC in 3rd place with 10%. All these factors make South Africa a key player in the NSC and it is very active in trade fuelling a majority of the traffic experienced in this corridor.