Infrastructure push as cross-border volumes climb

Southern Africa’s busiest trade corridors are demonstrating their growing strategic importance as freight volumes surge, with new infrastructure plans, stronger enforcement and corridor coordination now under way to support safer, more efficient cross-border movement. According to Lwazi Mboyi, CEO of the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), higher cargo volumes are a clear sign of economic activity and regional connectivity. “The Maputo corridor is giving us a run for our money,” he told Freight News. “There has been a significant increase in volumes through that port. Minerals that previously moved through Richards Bay are now going to Maputo, resulting in the highest volumes out of the country.” The North–South corridor is also under strain due to growing demand. “Groblersbrug and Beitbridge are now among the busiest and most pressured ports of entry into the country,” said Mboyi. “The sheer volumes are giving us more work than the other borders.” Some operators have cited cost pressures at Beitbridge as one of the reasons they are diverting to Groblersbrug, creating a serious bottleneck at a single-lane bridge built in 1938. “Engineers tell us bridges only have a 100-year lifespan, and the volumes there were never experienced before. Suddenly, many trucks are diverting from Beitbridge and transiting through Groblersbrug. With hazardous substances mixed with ordinary goods in a limited space, open flames and cooking next to trucks, one incident could result in a serious disaster.” Despite this, Mboyi stressed that solutions were advancing on several fronts, with public and private partners stepping in to stabilise operations. “There are initiatives to address the hard infrastructure limitations at Groblersbrug and governments have agreed to move ahead with planning for a new bridge,” he said. The design phase has already begun and a regional task team remains active. The CBRTA has stepped up enforcement to improve safety and flow. “We have deployed our law-enforcement team more frequently to manage the movement of trucks, and when our officers are on the ground, it creates order,” he said. On the Maputo corridor, congestion relief is being supported by a new processing facility at Kilometre 7 through the Trac N4 concession. “Every truck will be processed there before reaching the border. It is an opportunity to introduce technology and free movement, declogging the crossing and speeding up cargo clearances,” said Mboyi. He said rising traffic volumes underlined the need for permanent corridor institutions and harmonised planning. “When freight volumes rise, the answer is not more delays or checks – the answer is better coordination and investment. We are seeing positive movement and stronger partnerships are the way forward.” LV