Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
ABOUT 13 000 travellers are currently being cleared daily at the Beitbridge Border Post as traffic volumes steadily rise ahead of the festive season peak, with Zimbabwean and South African authorities activating a coordinated system to manage the expected surge.
Officials from the two countries are implementing an integrated festive season traffic-flow management plan running from Wednesday until January 15 next year aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring the safety of travellers during the busy holiday period.
Beitbridge, which links South Africa to the north-bound regional corridor serving countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana, traditionally experiences sharp increases in both human and vehicular traffic during major holidays.
Assistant regional immigration officer at Beitbridge, Mr Lucky Matyora, said the border post cleared an average of about 8 000 arriving travellers and 5 000 departing travellers daily between December 6 and December 12, a trend that signals a gradual build-up towards peak festive movement.
Zimbabwe and South Africa, Mr Matyora added, were working with harmonised systems that include permanent separation of traffic streams and close coordination between the authorities on both sides of the border to enhance movement.
“We are equal to the task; we have adequate manpower and so far, we haven’t felt the effects of increased traffic,” said Mr Matyora. “As a department, we have deployed adequate manpower to all the three terminals, which include the bus, light vehicles and pedestrians and the freight terminals to enhance efficiency and compliance. We also encourage the travellers to report directly to immigration counters and avoid the use of third parties, including touts and con men who often come with unnecessary inconveniences.”
The senior immigration officer said the modernised Beitbridge Border Post, which permanently separates traffic, has significantly improved service delivery, with travellers now accessing customised services through three automated terminals.
The introduction of the Online Border Management System and electronic gates (eGates) has further enhanced efficiency, enabling faster clearance compared to previous years, he added.
“We encourage visitors to Zimbabwe to make use of the Online Border Management System, especially those needing visas so that they are cleared prior to their arrival in the country,” he said.
“They may lodge entries via our website . . .This makes the process easier since we will have to make a few compliance checks upon arrival rather than starting the whole visa process at the port of entry”.
He also encouraged holders of the new e-passports to use the eGates, noting that they are less time-consuming.
Parents and guardians were urged to ensure children are accompanied by reliable relatives and to carry all the necessary supporting documents, in addition to valid passports, when crossing the border.
During off-peak periods, Beitbridge clears about 15 000 travellers, 1 000 commercial trucks, 120 buses and 2 000 light vehicles daily, figures that typically double during the festive season.
On the South African side, Border Management Authority spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Mmemme Mogotsi said the country’s 2025/2026 festive season operational plan was launched in Pretoria on Sunday.
Asst-Comm Mogotsi said major corridors leading to South Africa’s land ports will be fully monitored, with support from the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency and provincial traffic authorities, to ensure effective traffic management.
She said additional resources are being deployed to border posts, with some operating between 16 and 24 hours daily to manage the festive season traffic.
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