Lesotho and South Africa, through the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme funded by the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), have embarked on a collaborative effort to improve cross-border trade efficiency through the launch of joint end-to-end Time Release Study (TRS) reports. Leveraging the 2025 WCO TRS Guide, the coordination highlights the significance of the Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg Bridge border posts, which process the largest share of cross-border traffic. Lesotho accounts for over 40% of all cross-border movements across South Africa’s borders with neighbouring countries.
On the occasion of the launch, WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders congratulated both countries in a virtual message. He emphasised that the end-to-end studies exemplified effective coordinated border management and aligned with the WCO 2025 theme: Customs Delivering its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity. The WCO SG further underscored the significance of the TRS as one of the WCO’s key performance measurement tools, noting its role in identifying bottlenecks, measuring clearance times, and providing a foundation for evidence-based customs reforms.
The Acting Commissioner General (CG) for Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) expressed his gratitude to the WCO for its technical guidance, highlighting how it has inspired innovation and efficiency in border processes. The CG further stated, “This moment is particularly significant for the RSL as it aligns with our Strategy 2024–2027 LESOKOANA, loosely translated, a relay. Central to this strategy is our focused pursuit of operational efficiencies, ensuring that our systems, processes, and services are modern, agile, and responsive to the needs of traders and travellers. The Time Release Study provides us with the empirical foundation to realise that ambition. Today marks not an end, but the beginning of a new era of cooperation with South Africa, thereby transforming points of delay into gateways that drive trade and lay the foundation for regional prosperity.” Martine Sobey, the British High Commissioner to Lesotho, emphasised that improving efficiency could have significant ripple effects across the region. These improvements would yield tangible benefits for businesses and governments alike, fostering economic growth and collaboration.
The culture of collaboration was demonstrated by the joint efforts of the two members’ TRS Technical Working Groups, which brought together representatives from multiple government agencies overseeing border management and private-sector partners, in a good example of public-private partnership. Collaborating through the WCO’s blended capacity-building, the two working groups collected data and reviewed existing procedures. They proposed improvements to enhance efficiency and coordination among agencies at the two border posts.
The Head of Customs Border Operations, Ports of Entry and Customs Compliance at the South African Revenue Service (SARS) emphasised the significant potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The head noted that reducing non-tariff trade barriers could address persistent and less-visible obstacles to the movement of goods and services, thereby unlocking approximately two-thirds of the anticipated $450 billion in income gains associated with the AfCFTA agreement. The head further highlighted that an estimated $292 billion of this figure was projected to result solely from improved trade facilitation. By streamlining procedures and minimising administrative hurdles at borders, he stated, African businesses would be better positioned to access global supply chains, thereby fostering tangible, measurable economic growth across the continent.
The recommendations of the TRS reports identified tangible, specific, and measurable short-, medium-, and long-term solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, optimising resource utilisation through value-added work, implementing compliance segmentation, and strengthening risk management. A key focus is the principles of Coordinated Border Management (CBM) and the mechanisms outlined to implement One Stop Border Management (OSBP), a crucial step toward reducing trade costs, stimulating investment, and creating an environment where businesses of all sizes can flourish.
Both members signed a declaration of acceptance to implement and monitor the recommendations of the TRS reports, strengthening economic ties between Lesotho and South Africa through trade facilitation and paving the way for a more resilient, interconnected regional economy.
More details on the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme are accessible at: