SADC Member States Address Kasumbalesa Border Issues for Improved Regional Trade
From February 4-7, representatives from Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States convened in Harare to address the persistent challenges at the Kasumbalesa Border Post, a vital trade hub between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The meeting, organized by the SADC Secretariat and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aimed to find lasting solutions to congestion, trade facilitation delays, infrastructure shortcomings, and security concerns affecting truck drivers and the broader trade community.
Attended by officials from 10 SADC Member States—including Angola, Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—as well as representatives from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the meeting focused on reviewing the Framework of Collaboration and Action Plan agreed upon by the DRC and Zambia in May 2024 in Kinshasa. Participants also prepared for an upcoming SADC Inter-Ministerial Task Force meeting scheduled for April 2025.
Key recommendations included adopting a corridor-wide strategy to address the emerging challenges along the North-South Corridor.
The approach will focus on improving customs and trade facilitation, infrastructure development, security, and immigration management.
The discussions emphasized the need for better coordination between the DRC and Zambia to resolve long-standing border issues, particularly inadequate infrastructure, congestion, and security risks for traders and truck drivers—especially at night.
As a critical node in several regional trade corridors, the Kasumbalesa Border Post has been plagued by inadequate facilities, long traffic queues, and health-related challenges, such as the risk of disease transmission.
The meeting also explored ways to streamline border formalities and harmonize visa fees for commercial truck drivers, with an emphasis on simplifying procedures for the thousands of daily cross-border commuters.
The SADC Ministerial Task Force will continue its efforts when it meets in April 2025, focusing on sustainable solutions to enhance regional trade and cooperation at the border post.
