Beitbridge border crossing just got a massive makeover that speeds up travel for millions of people. The old system made truck drivers wait up to four days just to cross into South Africa. Today these same drivers finish everything in under three hours thanks to computer systems that track every step. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials celebrate how much better things work at Africa's busiest inland border crossing.
The government teamed up with Zimborders Consortium to spend 300 million dollars upgrading the entire facility. This giant project will run for seventeen and a half years under a special building agreement. Seven million travelers pass through Beitbridge each year along with thousands of trucks, buses and cars every single day. Countries like Zambia, Congo, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Tanzania depend on this crossing for their trade.
Annie Nhekete runs customs operations at Beitbridge and recently told business leaders about the improvements. The upgraded border separates different types of travelers into their designated areas. People walking across get their special terminal separate from private cars, buses and big freight trucks. Properly declared goods move through the system fast without creating those terrible long lines that used to plague travelers.
The government teamed up with Zimborders Consortium to spend 300 million dollars upgrading the entire facility. This giant project will run for seventeen and a half years under a special building agreement. Seven million travelers pass through Beitbridge each year along with thousands of trucks, buses and cars every single day. Countries like Zambia, Congo, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and Tanzania depend on this crossing for their trade.
Annie Nhekete runs customs operations at Beitbridge and recently told business leaders about the improvements. The upgraded border separates different types of travelers into their designated areas. People walking across get their special terminal separate from private cars, buses and big freight trucks. Properly declared goods move through the system fast without creating those terrible long lines that used to plague travelers.
