Zimbabwe Secures Funds to Upgrade Chirundu Border Gateway
By Aboki Forex —
Zimbabwe’s government has announced a funding agreement for the upgrade of the Chirundu border with Zambia, clearing the way for construction on a vital gateway linking the central African copperbelt to southern African ports.
The transport and infrastructure development ministry said on Tuesday, September 22, that the deal with private sector partners, the Chirundu Border Consortium, opens the path to construction work. The ministry did not disclose the final investment for the public-private partnership.
What the project covers
Chirundu was inaugurated in 2009 as Africa’s first one-stop border post. It sits on the North-South Corridor and handles freight between ports in South Africa and Mozambique and the Zambia-DRC Copperbelt.
Traffic through the crossing includes copper, cobalt, fuel, mining equipment, reagents, fertilizers and other traded goods. Trucks often face bottlenecks and lengthy delays.
The modernisation project will overhaul old infrastructure and introduce advanced operational and processing systems to reduce delays and congestion at one of Africa’s busiest transit points, the ministry said.
Cost and partners
Zimbabwe’s Cabinet has previously said the project would cost $66.8 million and be operated by private investors for 20 years under a concession agreement.
Safaga International is leading the Chirundu border project. The company led the $300 million upgrade of Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border with South Africa.
South Africa’s Strategic Partners Group is also a strategic investor in the project. Standard Bank is the lead debt arranger and senior lender.
Why it matters
The Chirundu upgrade matters for regional trade because the border is a key transit point for copper, cobalt and other commodities moving between the Copperbelt and southern African ports. Faster processing could cut delays for truckers and traders using the North-South Corridor.