Mozambique: Works on US$37.2 million Machipanda one-stop border post to start in October

Manica Provincial Director of Transport and Logistics Izidine Opressa announced on Tuesday that the financial resources required to implement the project had already been secured. “We will also build three new bridges over the Machipanda River and a residential area for staff. The project will cover a total area of 55,500 square metres,” Opressa said.

The project, which is expected to be completed within 30 months, aims to modernise one of the country’s main logistics corridors by reducing waiting times at the border and speeding up document processing and customs clearance for goods entering and leaving Mozambique through Machipanda. The Machipanda border post is one of the main gateways linking Mozambique and Zimbabwe. More than 2,000 trucks travelling to and from inland countries in the region, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pass through the border post every day, transporting a wide range of goods, many of them destined for or originating from the Port of Beira in Sofala Province.

However, lengthy customs procedures have resulted in long queues of heavy goods vehicles stretching between 10 and 15 kilometres. In many cases, drivers spend two or three days waiting to cross the border, facing poor conditions with inadequate access to food, drinking water and basic sanitation. The situation is further aggravated by acts of vandalism and theft targeting trucks parked in the queues, particularly at night, causing losses to transport operators and undermining security along the corridor.

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To address these challenges, the government has completed the design of the Machipanda One-Stop Border Post, an infrastructure project that will integrate the border services of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, simplifying control procedures and significantly reducing border crossing times. According to Opressa, the new facility will include a 35,000-square-metre multimodal freight terminal, equipped for joint inspections, warehouses and an area dedicated to handling bulk cargo. The project also includes a 18,500-square-metre tourist border facility, designed to handle around 3,000 passengers a day.

The official added that the project will be implemented through a public-private partnership, with a 30-year concession period, after which the infrastructure will revert to State management. During the concession period, part of the revenue generated will be channelled to the State. The Road Fund will contribute 15% of the total investment, while the Manica Provincial Government will provide a further 10% of the financing.

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