Mozambique is leading the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) shift toward soft infrastructure with a major initiative to modernize its key border posts. The country has launched a World Bank-supported project aimed at transforming major crossings into fully operational one-stop border posts (OSBPs) and implementing an integrated customs data-sharing system.
Transport corridor consultant Lovemore Bingandadi explained that Mozambique has recently issued terms of reference for a consultancy to develop and operationalize the system. “That system will cover Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and will be implemented at all six OSBPs that Mozambique is working on,” he said, highlighting key border posts such as Nyamapanda/Machipanda, Ressano Garcia/Komatipoort, Zobue/Mwanza, Mandimba/Chiponde, and Milange/Mulanje. As part of the project, mutual recognition agreements and the legal framework for data exchange will be established. Bingandadi noted that while some member states had lagged behind, Mozambique is now achieving many of its original goals, having already signed multiple agreements with Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa on coordinated corridor development and OSBP design.
This approach mirrors trends on other regional transport corridors. On the North-South Corridor—which handles more than 60% of regional traffic—OSBPs at Kazungula and Chirundu are already operational. Meanwhile, a SADC-led initiative is addressing bottlenecks at Kasumbalesa on the Zambia-DRC border, along with three satellite posts at Sakania, Kipushi, and a third inland crossing.
Private sector stakeholders strongly support prioritizing “soft” interventions over new construction. Desiderio Fernandes, president of the Federation of Clearing and Forwarding Associations of Southern Africa (FCFASA), warned that many so-called OSBPs are little more than “straddle border posts,” with duplicate processes on each side of the border. “At the moment, we are building bigger storage yards for trucks and moving the problem from point A to separate points B and C,” he said. Fernandes emphasized that without data exchange and single-window systems, hard infrastructure alone cannot solve delays.
He argued that addressing soft infrastructure first is both cost-effective and ensures new facilities are purpose-built. Basic data sharing—including shipping details, commodity values, vehicle and driver information—is already public and manually exchanged at every border. “If we start with that low-hanging fruit, it will actually make the building of one-stop border posts more efficient, effective, and cost-effective,” Fernandes said.
Bingandadi agreed, noting that previous approaches often “put the cart before the horse” by prioritizing physical infrastructure over systems integration. “Previously we were starting on the infrastructure side and only then asking questions about soft infrastructure—and nothing was happening. Things are happening now,” he added.
