Kasumbalesa border post heralds new era

A US$25-million border post between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at Kasumbalesa is the new face of border posts in Africa. The border post had been identified by SADC, COMESA and the North South Corridor forums as one of the main regional obstacles for the flow of regional trade. Queues of trucks stretched for up to six kilometres either side of the border. Opened in February this year, the new post is the result of a private public partnership (PPP), with the Zambian (IP) Border Crossing Company (ZipBCC) being contracted to design, build operate and transfer the facility. Funding partners include the Development Bank of South Africa, which gave the project its 2010 Africa Investor “Regional Project of the Year” award. It consists of a 5 000 sqm office complex, 6 000 sqm of warehousing, 100 000 sqm of truck parking, and 10 000 sqm of parking for light and passenger vehicles, as well as ablution facilities, restaurants, banks, an Internet café and duty-free shop. Modern IT systems are designed to speed up transit times through the border. Drivers no longer have to carry cash, and fleet owners can open pre-paid accounts. Pre-paid coupons may also be purchased and used for the payment of crossing fees. Value-added services for fleet owners include the provision of daily/weekly reports on truck movements identified through CCTV exit/ entry cameras, and licence recognition cameras. Work is under way on Phase 2 of the project to allow for further growth. According to freight companies using the border post, the improvements have started speeding up traffic but there still needs to be greater streamlining and co-ordination between the DRC and Zambian customs authorities.