Botswana and Zambia jointly opened the Kazungula bridge, which unites the two nations and serves as a one-stop border station over the Zambezi River. The 923-meter-long bridge is expected to boost the efficiency of the Southern African Development Community by facilitating access to international markets through connectivity with major seaports.

South Africa would benefit greatly from the new bridge since it will reduce traffic congestion at the notorious Beitbridge border crossing for freight truckers. Truckers transporting products from South Africa to Lusaka currently have to drive through Zimbabwe, passing through the notoriously clogged Beitbridge border crossing between Limpopo and its northern neighbor. Thanks to the new Kazungula bridge, South Africans may now travel via Botswana, completely bypassing the Beitbridge crossing — and Zimbabwe.

According to one of the financiers, the African Development Bank Group, the five-year project cost over $269 million. Approximately 250 trucks are projected to pass through the bridge each day. The bridge spans the Zambezi River and traverses the North-South commercial route that runs from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the port of Durban (South Africa). It will also provide relief to traders who have been forced to rely on unreliable ferries to reach marketplaces on both sides of the Botswana-Zambia border.

During the commissioning, Botswana’s President Masisi stated that the Kazungula bridge will help SADC countries enhance commerce, create jobs, and diversify their economies. “This will, in general, substantially accelerate the SADC’s regional integration process, which we are pursuing strongly.”

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, on the other hand, said the bridge highlighted the two countries’ great relations.
He further stated that “the Kazungula bridge project was well justified, and the one-stop border post will improved trade facilitation measures, and also border control operations will significantly increase transit traffic through Kazungula.”

According to previous reports, if the bridge is finished, Zimbabwe will be the loser since it will provide an option to vehicles who have long relied on the Beitbridge Border to enter SADC or vice versa.

Botswana’s President Masisi said during the bridge’s commissioning this week that, “He’s glad to notice that the Republic of Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia have agreed in principle to be a partner in this project.”
Our officials are striving to complete the remaining tasks with Zimbabwe, and they will work even faster and harder in the future.”

The Kazungula project began in 2014, and the border post is intended to be operational for 22 hours each day. The improved border management operations resulting from the One-Stop Border facilities are also expected to dramatically cut freight and passenger transit times.