The Chirundu Border Post modernisation project is moving into full-scale construction in October, following financial close on the public-private partnership and coming shortly after Zimbabwe and Zambia reviewed the bilateral arrangements governing the troubled one-stop border post.

The timing gives the US$66.8 million upgrade a wider significance, with the construction phase beginning as the two countries seek to address operational problems that have increasingly undermined Chirundu’s original purpose as a one-stop gateway for regional trade.

Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona said the Chirundu Border Consortium was already mobilising equipment at the site, with major works expected to begin in October and take about 18 months.

“Chirundu Border Consortium is now mobilising at the site so that they start the real works, and according to the schedule, beginning of October it will be full throttle on the border modernisation,” Mhona said. “Thereafter, they will start the real works, which we anticipate to be completed in 18 months.”

The announcement follows recent negotiations between Zimbabwean and Zambian officials to review the bilateral agreement governing the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post, with the discussions aimed at improving the movement of goods and people between the two countries under SADC, COMESA and wider regional trade arrangements.

The review highlighted a border post struggling to maintain the efficiency gains for which it was originally established. An earlier UN assessment found that average crossing times fell from about 120 hours to 25 hours by June 2012, while traffic increased by 65%, with the reduction in delays estimated to save traders about US$600,000 a day.

An African Union assessment found that the average crossing time on the Zimbabwean side had risen to 51 hours and 26 minutes in 2021, a 267% increase from the 2007 figure. It attributed some of the problem to the border’s infrastructure, which was originally designed as a two-stop facility and lacked adequate bypass arrangements after being converted into a one-stop border post.

The commercial scanner has also been identified as a source of congestion because incoming trucks have to cross outgoing traffic flows to access it, creating delays in both directions.

Zambian Principal Economist Namabanda Mubukwanu said improved ICT infrastructure would “facilitate the integration of border agencies”, with the aim of streamlining operations and reducing delays.

More recent data suggests that the bottlenecks remain economically significant, with the 2025 Business Environment Monitoring Survey finding that the average time to cross Chirundu was about 15 hours, with customs clearance and vehicle queuing accounting for more than 80% of the total crossing time. The report said such delays increase the cost of doing business, reduce supply-chain reliability and weaken Zimbabwe’s competitiveness as a regional transit hub.

The modernisation project is therefore expected to address both the physical and operational weaknesses identified during the bilateral review.

Under the PPP, CBC will mobilise the capital to develop and operate the upgraded facility, with Standard Bank of South Africa acting as lead debt arranger and senior lender alongside equity and technical partners.

Standard Bank described the project as a critical driver of regional integration and trade facilitation, while Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe said the financial close demonstrated the ability of properly structured PPPs to attract private investment into strategic infrastructure.

Mhona said the works would be implemented in phases, with the main border facilities taking priority before accommodation and other associated infrastructure.

The project sits on the North-South Corridor, linking Zimbabwe and Zambia and providing a key transit route towards the Copperbelt and markets further north.

Its economic importance means that construction alone will not resolve Chirundu’s problems. The upgraded infrastructure will have to be matched by integrated ICT systems, coordinated border agencies, efficient scanning and clearance procedures, and effective traffic management.