The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is shifting its focus from constructing new infrastructure to optimising the management of existing trade corridors, as member states adopt digital solutions at border posts, share customs data, and strengthen corridor management institutions.
Transport corridor consultant Lovemore Bingandadi emphasizes that regional integration is a gradual process, with member states progressing at different paces. “The SADC Transport Protocol clearly identifies regional trade corridors as central to facilitating trade between and among member states,” he told Freight News. The SADC Corridor Development Master Plan, adopted in 2009, outlined 18 regional corridors, of which ten are considered primary. These include the North-South Corridor anchored on the port of Durban, Mozambique’s Maputo, Beira, and Nacala corridors, the Dar es Salaam corridor (now integrated into the Central Corridor), Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi, and the rejuvenated Lobito Corridor.
“On the majority of these ten corridors, clear development plans exist,” says Bingandadi. “Some have corridor institutions coordinating member states’ efforts, and others have signed legal frameworks for collaboration. Those with MoUs and established institutions are clearly making the most progress.”
From Hard Infrastructure to Efficiency
The debate around corridor development has moved beyond building roads, rail, and ports. “The hard infrastructure is largely in place; deficiencies are minimal, less than 25%,” Bingandadi notes. “SADC has one of the most integrated transport networks in Africa. What we lack is efficiency. Achieving this requires harmonised laws, regulations, systems, and procedures—both on the transport side and for trade and customs operations.”
Digitalisation as the Critical Frontier
Digital solutions, particularly pre-clearance of goods, are now the most critical element in improving corridor efficiency. “Vehicles shouldn’t wait in queues at borders—they should be pre-cleared before starting their journeys,” Bingandadi explains.
Equally important are corridor management institutions, which coordinate the complex interplay of multiple ministries and agencies across sovereign states. Bingandadi describes these institutions as a “necessity and prerequisite” for translating corridor plans into tangible efficiency gains.
Looking Ahead
Bingandadi is cautiously optimistic about the region’s progress. “If the current pace of digitalisation, one-stop border post (OSBP) implementation, and institutional reform continues, the corridor landscape could look very different within a few years,” he says. “Corridor development is a progressive journey with cumulative achievements. In the next five years, we could see significantly improved capacity and efficiency—provided we maintain stable governments, strong political leadership, and a SADC Secretariat that drives coordinated implementation across member states.”
