Botswana’s President Duma Boko and his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday officially launched the Kazungula Bridge Authority at the border post in northern Botswana, marking a significant step towards strengthening cross-border trade and infrastructure management.
The newly established authority will oversee operations of the Kazungula Bridge and its one-stop border post. Both leaders described the move as pivotal to unlocking the bridge’s full economic potential and advancing opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
They called for deeper joint investments to accelerate trade and development between their countries.
Addressing the ceremony, Boko said the authority would solidify bilateral relations by facilitating the seamless movement of goods and people. He underscored the obligation placed on African leaders by AfCFTA to increase intra-African trade volumes and re-engineer infrastructure to enable smoother continental commerce.
He further announced plans to transition the border facility from a one-stop border post into a “nonstop border system”, introducing 24-hour operations aimed at easing congestion, shortening waiting times and reducing transportation costs along the North-South Corridor.
The North-South Corridor is a major regional transport network linking the port of Durban in South Africa to the Copperbelt region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, and extending to the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania through interconnected routes, facilitating trade across Southern and East Africa.
Hichilema emphasised the need to anchor AfCFTA and Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade frameworks through strategic initiatives such as the Kazungula Bridge.
On Monday, the two governments signed an addendum agreement in Kasane, Botswana’s North West District, formalising the establishment of the authority. It will be hosted on Botswana’s side, with Zambia assuming the executive director position to ensure balanced oversight.
A Council of Ministers comprising infrastructure, finance and trade ministers from both nations will govern the authority, supported by an inaugural Board of Directors drawn from both countries.
Officially inaugurated in May 2021, the Kazungula Bridge has emerged as a strategic trade artery within the SADC region, benefiting countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa.