SADC bridge eases cargo movement

THE construction of the US$259 million Kazungula Bridge across the Zambezi River has increased the daily number of cargo trucks crossing between Botswana and Zambia.

The bridge serves as a vital infrastructure component in the North-South Corridor (NSC), a crucial trade route from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through Zambia and Zimbabwe, to the port of Durban in South Africa.

Before the bridge was built, crossing the river was done on a slow, low-capacity ferry that often led to delays of several days because of the limited capacity. This process now takes a matter of hours, increasing the number of haulage trucks crossing the river daily and highlighting its economic significance in the region.

Japanese ambassador to Namibia Shinichi Asazuma last Thursday visited the 923-metre road-and-rail bridge at the only quadripoint in the world where four countries – Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – meet.

“This bridge, designed to improve the efficiency of transit traffic through the Kazungula border, was commissioned in 2021, and was constructed with Japanese support. The project was advanced under a co-financing arrangement led by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the African Development Bank and other partners.

“Jica established border management facilities, simplified customs procedures, significantly reduced border crossing times and eliminated logistics bottlenecks,” Asazuma said, highlighting Japan’s contribution to the economic development of the four countries as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

During a visit to the bridge with a delegation of parliamentarians last year, then National Assembly speaker Peter Katjavivi said, since its commissioning, the impact was visible across the entire SADC region.

“There have been positive changes for the four countries of Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.”
Speaking to members of parliament last year, project engineer Lazaros Nyawali said the bridge serves as a vital infrastructure component in the NSC.

According to Asazuma, the project includes one-stop border facilities on both sides, which streamlines customs, cuts costs and reduces the bureaucratic burden, improving the efficiency of trade.

According to regional reports on trade, the Kazungula Bridge aligns with the SADC Infrastructure Vision 2027 and the SADC Protocol on Trade, which aim to boost intra-regional trade.
While the bridge connects the DRC, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, it has spillover benefits for Lesotho and Eswatini.

By reducing the time and cost of transport, the bridge boosts the competitiveness of goods and supports the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The project solidified Japan’s role as a key development partner in southern Africa, with the ambassador highlighting the project as a “bridge of friendship” between Japan and Africa.

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