Clearance Time Reduced to One Third at the Critical Border Post in Zambia

As a land-linked country, it is critical for Zambia to reduce the time and cost for transportation toward affordable and stable commodity price and economic growth. The North-South Corridor, which connects the Port of Durban, the biggest port in South Africa, and Lusaka, carries about 40% of international transport in Zambia. However, the time it takes to cross the borders is the biggest ongoing challenge faced.

Zambia and neighboring countries introduced “One Stop Border Post (OSPB)” to address this challenge. OSBP enables passengers and cargo to cross borders more efficiently by integrating exit and entry procedures. However, operational structures and the capacities of stakeholders are limited.

In this regard, JICA commenced “The Project for Capacity Development on Smooth Operation of OSBPs on the North-South Transport Corridor” with the countries which are located on the Corridor which are Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The Project is establishing the operational structure and building capacities of stakeholders on the 3 OSBPs.

In 2022, a survey on the progress of the Project was conducted, and the report was launched in August 2023. The survey found that the clearance time for cargo at Kazungula OSBP, which is located at the border of Zambia and Botswana, has been highly reduced from 30 hours to 12 hours, approximately one third. Moreover, the transit time for passengers has been reduced to a few minutes only.

Though the Project has achieved significant outcomes, there remain some challenges. The cargo vehicles still take several hours to cross the border. One of the reasons is that stakeholders have not fully utilized the pre-clearance option.

The Project will seek further improvement for smooth logistics, toward “Zero Stop Border Post” in the future, as was advocated by H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia.