• Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia signed binding commitments to improve cross-border transport connectivity and efficiency.

• The partnership targets border congestion, regulatory harmonisation and infrastructure gaps along key trade corridors.

• SADC projects freight traffic for landlocked members to reach 50 million tonnes by 2030 and 148 million tonnes by 2040, implying 8.2% annual growth.

Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia have signed binding commitments to improve transport connectivity and efficiency across southern Africa, as the three countries seek to ease border congestion and strengthen regional trade flows.

The three governments signed the commitments at the end of a three-day working session in Harare between the Joint Trilateral Route Management Committee and the Joint Committee. The agreement aims to ensure the smooth and secure movement of people and goods across their territories.

Officials focused the discussions on resolving border congestion, harmonising regulations and addressing infrastructure gaps that affect key trade corridors linking the three countries. The governments will implement the agreed resolutions to develop more efficient transport corridors, support trade and industrialisation, advance the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and deepen regional integration within the Southern African Development Community.

This partnership follows a recent move by Zambia and Botswana, which inaugurated the Kazungula Bridge Authority days earlier. The Kazungula corridor also plays a strategic role in the region. Authorities designed that initiative to boost sub-regional trade, reduce traffic congestion and strengthen economic integration among member states.

Southern Africa has historically structured its development around major transport corridors linking industrial hubs to commercial zones. Producers move raw materials from production sites through roads, railways and pipelines to ports for export. As industries and economies expand within SADC, transport network usage will increase.

“By 2030, traffic for SADC landlocked countries will reach 50 million tonnes, and 148 million tonnes by 2040 – representing an annual growth rate of 8.2%,” the organisation stated.

In response to this projected growth, SADC has developed plans to manage mounting pressure on regional transport infrastructure. The bloc has adopted a policy framework that includes inter-state agreements to maintain a safe, secure and reliable regional transport system.

Lydie Mobio