Zimbabwe has cleared the way for a major upgrade of the Chirundu border with Zambia, unlocking a project previously valued at $66.8 million that could reshape one of the busiest freight gateways connecting the central African Copperbelt with ports in southern Africa.

The government signed a funding agreement with the Chirundu Border Consortium, a group of private-sector partners, paving the way for construction at the crossing, Zimbabwe’s Transport and Infrastructure Development Ministry said Tuesday.

The final investment value under the public-private partnership was not disclosed.

Project targets a critical Copperbelt trade bottleneck

Chirundu sits on the North-South Corridor, a key trade route carrying freight between the Zambia-DRC Copperbelt and ports in South Africa and Mozambique.

The crossing handles copper, cobalt, fuel, mining equipment, reagents, fertilizers and other goods moving through the region.

Heavy truck traffic has made congestion and lengthy border delays a recurring challenge for businesses using the route.

For mining companies and other exporters across the Copperbelt, faster border processing can directly affect the time and cost involved in moving commodities to international markets.

The modernization will replace aging infrastructure and introduce advanced operational and cargo-processing systems designed to improve the movement of trucks and reduce congestion, according to the ministry.

Chirundu has particular significance for regional trade because it was inaugurated in 2009 as Africa’s first one-stop border post, bringing customs and border agencies from both countries into a more integrated process.

Private investors take 20-year concession

Zimbabwe’s Cabinet has previously put the cost of the modernization at $66.8 million and said private investors would operate the facility for 20 years under a concession arrangement.

Safaga International, which led the $300 million upgrade of Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border with South Africa, is leading the Chirundu project.

South Africa’s Strategic Partners Group is also participating as a strategic investor.

Standard Bank is the lead debt arranger and senior lender for the project, bringing major financial-sector backing to an infrastructure investment aimed at improving one of the region’s important freight corridors.

For Zimbabwe and its neighbors, the project is tied to more than border infrastructure.

A more efficient Chirundu crossing could support the flow of minerals and industrial supplies between the Copperbelt and southern African ports, strengthening a trade route that serves some of Africa’s most important mining markets.