MWAKA LENGALENGA
KAZUNGULA One Stop Border Post (OSBP) achieved 90 percent of its operational target last year, with authorities optimistic about attaining full performance in the current year, station manager Vincent Zyambo has said. Mr Zyambo said the border post has recorded steady year on-year improvements in traffic handling and revenue collection since the commissioning of the Kazungula Bridge and OSBP in 2021. “Before the establishment of the OSBP, operations at Kazungula were heavily constrained by the use of pontoons, which limited efficiency and traffic volumes. “When we were starting off, we would only clear a maximum of 80 trucks on the pontoon. At our peak last year, we could even clear up to 400 trucks a day,” he said. Mr Zyambo noted that while traffic volumes fluctuate during the year, with slower movement in the early months and peak activity after mid-year, there has been a significant overall increase. He said average daily truck clearance rose from about 80 previously to around 280 in 2024, with current averages approaching 300 trucks per day. Explaining the OSBP concept, Mr Zyambo said it is a trade facilitation initiative designed to simplify cross-border movement by allowing travellers and traders to complete exit and entry formalities at a single point. He recalled that prior to the OSBP’s launch in May 2021, Kazungula was known for delays caused by the use of pontoons, which were also affected by weather conditions such as rain and storms. Mr Zyambo said the OSBP has significantly reduced transit times, with clearance that previously took up to three days now being completed within a single day. He said the objectives of establishing the OSBP included improving the efficiency of transit traffic, enhancing regional connectivity along the North-South Corridor, and strengthening regional integration within the COMESA and SADC regions. Mr Zyambo noted that increased traffic throughput has contributed positively to the regional economy by enabling traders and transporters to move goods faster and increase business turnover. He added that the border post has embraced technology to further enhance efficiency, including the use of non intrusive cargo scanners that allow trucks to be scanned and declarations verified without physical inspections. He also highlighted the customs-to-customs data exchange system between Zambia and Botswana, which enables real-time sharing of export data to curb false declarations. “Our systems communicate with each other, so if quantities, weights or values are altered, the system will pick that up,” he said. In addition, passenger clearance has been automated, allowing traders to pre-lodge declarations before arriving in Zambia, with the system automatically calculating payable taxes. Mr Zyambo said these innovations have collectively transformed operations at Kazungula, marking a major shift from past inefficiencies to a modern, integrated and technology-driven border post
