Earthworks have begun on the US$80.25 million upgrade of the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post, with the project targeting infrastructure bottlenecks at a crossing where clearing the border can take an average of 15 hours.
The project has reached financial close, with South Africa’s Standard Bank providing senior debt financing backed by insurance from the country’s Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC).
Contractor BD Stodart said construction would take 18 months and include widening the main access road on the Zimbabwean side, rehabilitating internal roads and improving bus zones, parking areas and drainage systems.
“Over the next 18 months, our scope of works will include widening the main access road on the Zimbabwean side, extensive rehabilitation of the internal road network, bus zones and parking areas, together with stormwater extensions, drainage improvements and associated civil works,” BD Stodart said.
The project is being undertaken by the Chirundu Border Consortium, which is responsible for mobilising capital, developing and operating the upgraded facility under a 20-year concession.
SAFAGA International is the project sponsor, with Strategic Partners Group serving as an investment partner. SAFAGA includes investors involved in the US$300 million redevelopment of the Beitbridge Border Post, while investor Glynn Cohen also has interests in Zimborders, the consortium behind that project.
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ECIC is providing insurance cover to Standard Bank South Africa for the US$80.25 million loan, covering 100% of political risks and 95% of commercial risks. The cover protects the lender against specified losses arising from political and commercial risks associated with the financing.
The insurer has previously provided risk cover for the Plumtree-Mutare Highway and supported banks financing the Beitbridge border expansion.
The Chirundu project was previously valued at US$66.8 million in a 2024 Cabinet announcement. The latest financing figure of US$80.25 million represents an increase of US$13.45 million, although the reasons for the difference were not immediately available.
The upgrade comes amid persistent congestion at Chirundu, a key crossing between Zimbabwe and Zambia that handles regional freight and passenger traffic.
A 2025 Business Environment Monitoring Survey put the average border-crossing time at approximately 15 hours, with customs clearance and vehicle queues accounting for more than 80% of the time spent crossing the border.
The planned road widening, parking improvements and rehabilitation of internal circulation routes are expected to address physical bottlenecks at the facility.
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