Copper from the DRC, Zambia and Tanzania travels south before being shipped to China. Food from South Africa traveling north. Mining equipment from Tanzania bound for DRC and Zambia. Everything goes through Kazungula, says Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, secretary general of the SADC Truck Drivers Association of Zambia. The bridge opened in May 2021 but was more than a decade in the making, explains Kazungula project engineer Isaac Chifunda. Geopolitics played a large role in the design of the bridge. Kazungula straddles an area of Africa known as “the square,” says Chifunda. Sixty-five kilometers (40 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe converge at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. The countries’ borders span the rivers, so the Kazungula Bridge was shaped with a sharp curve to weave through the landscape, avoiding the waters of Zimbabwe, Chifunda says. “Africa was massively represented in this project,” says Chifunda. Although construction was overseen by South Korean company Daewoo E&C, the team was multinational, he says, and raw materials such as cement, steel and aggregates were sourced from across southern Africa. As a major investment for Zambia and Botswana, the bridge is packed with technology to ensure its long-term future. Chifunda explains that a structural health monitoring system “signals which part of the bridge needs maintenance. And we also have a weather station — we measure wind speed, rainfall, we even measure excitation, which is its movement (post ) cables. “If there is a risk, the station will send a signal by text to the phone, and by email, so that the two member states can respond to any maintenance needs.”
New customs
There are one-stop customs at each end of the bridge, so goods crossing the border need only be processed by one country. Expediency is essential now that there is a greater volume of daily traffic. Chikumbi Chama, an assistant commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority, says the bridge has allowed for longer operating hours, with the border open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. he adds, and “the numbers are increasing every day.” But despite the higher traffic volume, “(the) transit period was reduced to half a day.” Truck driver Memory Lambie drives through the area with a sign that reads “BOSS LADY” on her windshield. However, he remembers the “big challenge” crossing the Zambezi before the bridge. 10km queues at the border and up to two weeks waiting to enter Zambia. “Now it’s easy,” says Lambie, adding that with faster trips, she can spend more time with her children.
Keeping the wheels in motion
A year after opening, the bridge has yet to reach its full potential because the train line that runs through its center is not yet operational. The rail link is intended for both passengers and goods, says Chifunda, the project engineer, but the crossings will not carry cars and trucks at the same time. “The bridge is designed in such a way that the train and vehicles cannot use the bridge at the same time,” he explains. Vehicular traffic is cleared, then a train passes, and then vehicular traffic can resume. Once connected to existing rail infrastructure in Botswana and Zambia, an even greater volume of cargo will be able to travel over the bridge and around southern Africa, says Chama. This will likely reduce freight costs. A 2015 African Development Bank report identified poor rail connections in landlocked countries (such as Botswana and Zambia) as limiting their economic potential. Diesel-powered rail freight can be up to 75% cheaper than road freight, yet roads still handle the vast majority of freight in SADC. “In the future landscape, I see rail freight becoming a prominent feature,” adds Chama. But the timeline for when the bridge will be fully connected is unclear as talks between Botswana and Zambia are ongoing, Chifunda says. Meanwhile, trucks continue to pass back and forth on the Zambezi River, with greater haste and ease than ever before. For drivers like Lambie, it has already proved a revelation. “The bridge is 100% perfect for us,” he says.
title: “How A 260 Million Bridge Negotiated Africa S Most Unusual Border Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-18” author: “Warren Brown”
Copper from the DRC, Zambia and Tanzania travels south before being shipped to China. Food from South Africa traveling north. Mining equipment from Tanzania bound for DRC and Zambia. Everything goes through Kazungula, says Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, secretary general of the SADC Truck Drivers Association of Zambia. The bridge opened in May 2021 but was more than a decade in the making, explains Kazungula project engineer Isaac Chifunda. Geopolitics played a large role in the design of the bridge. Kazungula straddles an area of Africa known as “the square,” says Chifunda. Sixty-five kilometers (40 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe converge at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. The countries’ borders span the rivers, so the Kazungula Bridge was shaped with a sharp curve to weave through the landscape, avoiding the waters of Zimbabwe, Chifunda says. “Africa was massively represented in this project,” says Chifunda. Although construction was overseen by South Korean company Daewoo E&C, the team was multinational, he says, and raw materials such as cement, steel and aggregates were sourced from across southern Africa. As a major investment for Zambia and Botswana, the bridge is packed with technology to ensure its long-term future. Chifunda explains that a structural health monitoring system “signals which part of the bridge needs maintenance. And we also have a weather station — we measure wind speed, rainfall, we even measure excitation, which is its movement (post ) cables. “If there is a risk, the station will send a signal by text to the phone, and by email, so that the two member states can respond to any maintenance needs.”
New customs
There are one-stop customs at each end of the bridge, so goods crossing the border need only be processed by one country. Expediency is essential now that there is a greater volume of daily traffic. Chikumbi Chama, an assistant commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority, says the bridge has allowed for longer operating hours, with the border open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. he adds, and “the numbers are increasing every day.” But despite the higher traffic volume, “(the) transit period was reduced to half a day.” Truck driver Memory Lambie drives through the area with a sign that reads “BOSS LADY” on her windshield. However, he remembers the “big challenge” crossing the Zambezi before the bridge. 10km queues at the border and up to two weeks waiting to enter Zambia. “Now it’s easy,” says Lambie, adding that with faster trips, she can spend more time with her children.
Keeping the wheels in motion
A year after opening, the bridge has yet to reach its full potential because the train line that runs through its center is not yet operational. The rail link is intended for both passengers and goods, says Chifunda, the project engineer, but the crossings will not carry cars and trucks at the same time. “The bridge is designed in such a way that the train and vehicles cannot use the bridge at the same time,” he explains. Vehicular traffic is cleared, then a train passes, and then vehicular traffic can resume. Once connected to existing rail infrastructure in Botswana and Zambia, an even greater volume of cargo will be able to travel over the bridge and around southern Africa, says Chama. This will likely reduce freight costs. A 2015 African Development Bank report identified poor rail connections in landlocked countries (such as Botswana and Zambia) as limiting their economic potential. Diesel-powered rail freight can be up to 75% cheaper than road freight, yet roads still handle the vast majority of freight in SADC. “In the future landscape, I see rail freight becoming a prominent feature,” adds Chama. But the timeline for when the bridge will be fully connected is unclear as talks between Botswana and Zambia are ongoing, Chifunda says. Meanwhile, trucks continue to pass back and forth on the Zambezi River, with greater haste and ease than ever before. For drivers like Lambie, it has already proved a revelation. “The bridge is 100% perfect for us,” he says.
title: “How A 260 Million Bridge Negotiated Africa S Most Unusual Border Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Thea Teague”
Copper from the DRC, Zambia and Tanzania travels south before being shipped to China. Food from South Africa traveling north. Mining equipment from Tanzania bound for DRC and Zambia. Everything goes through Kazungula, says Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, secretary general of the SADC Truck Drivers Association of Zambia. The bridge opened in May 2021 but was more than a decade in the making, explains Kazungula project engineer Isaac Chifunda. Geopolitics played a large role in the design of the bridge. Kazungula straddles an area of Africa known as “the square,” says Chifunda. Sixty-five kilometers (40 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe converge at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. The countries’ borders span the rivers, so the Kazungula Bridge was shaped with a sharp curve to weave through the landscape, avoiding the waters of Zimbabwe, Chifunda says. “Africa was massively represented in this project,” says Chifunda. Although construction was overseen by South Korean company Daewoo E&C, the team was multinational, he says, and raw materials such as cement, steel and aggregates were sourced from across southern Africa. As a major investment for Zambia and Botswana, the bridge is packed with technology to ensure its long-term future. Chifunda explains that a structural health monitoring system “signals which part of the bridge needs maintenance. And we also have a weather station — we measure wind speed, rainfall, we even measure excitation, which is its movement (post ) cables. “If there is a risk, the station will send a signal by text to the phone, and by email, so that the two member states can respond to any maintenance needs.”
New customs
There are one-stop customs at each end of the bridge, so goods crossing the border need only be processed by one country. Expediency is essential now that there is a greater volume of daily traffic. Chikumbi Chama, an assistant commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority, says the bridge has allowed for longer operating hours, with the border open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. he adds, and “the numbers are increasing every day.” But despite the higher traffic volume, “(the) transit period was reduced to half a day.” Truck driver Memory Lambie drives through the area with a sign that reads “BOSS LADY” on her windshield. However, he remembers the “big challenge” crossing the Zambezi before the bridge. 10km queues at the border and up to two weeks waiting to enter Zambia. “Now it’s easy,” says Lambie, adding that with faster trips, she can spend more time with her children.
Keeping the wheels in motion
A year after opening, the bridge has yet to reach its full potential because the train line that runs through its center is not yet operational. The rail link is intended for both passengers and goods, says Chifunda, the project engineer, but the crossings will not carry cars and trucks at the same time. “The bridge is designed in such a way that the train and vehicles cannot use the bridge at the same time,” he explains. Vehicular traffic is cleared, then a train passes, and then vehicular traffic can resume. Once connected to existing rail infrastructure in Botswana and Zambia, an even greater volume of cargo will be able to travel over the bridge and around southern Africa, says Chama. This will likely reduce freight costs. A 2015 African Development Bank report identified poor rail connections in landlocked countries (such as Botswana and Zambia) as limiting their economic potential. Diesel-powered rail freight can be up to 75% cheaper than road freight, yet roads still handle the vast majority of freight in SADC. “In the future landscape, I see rail freight becoming a prominent feature,” adds Chama. But the timeline for when the bridge will be fully connected is unclear as talks between Botswana and Zambia are ongoing, Chifunda says. Meanwhile, trucks continue to pass back and forth on the Zambezi River, with greater haste and ease than ever before. For drivers like Lambie, it has already proved a revelation. “The bridge is 100% perfect for us,” he says.
title: “How A 260 Million Bridge Negotiated Africa S Most Unusual Border Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-23” author: “Joshua Potts”
Copper from the DRC, Zambia and Tanzania travels south before being shipped to China. Food from South Africa traveling north. Mining equipment from Tanzania bound for DRC and Zambia. Everything goes through Kazungula, says Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, secretary general of the SADC Truck Drivers Association of Zambia. The bridge opened in May 2021 but was more than a decade in the making, explains Kazungula project engineer Isaac Chifunda. Geopolitics played a large role in the design of the bridge. Kazungula straddles an area of Africa known as “the square,” says Chifunda. Sixty-five kilometers (40 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe converge at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. The countries’ borders span the rivers, so the Kazungula Bridge was shaped with a sharp curve to weave through the landscape, avoiding the waters of Zimbabwe, Chifunda says. “Africa was massively represented in this project,” says Chifunda. Although construction was overseen by South Korean company Daewoo E&C, the team was multinational, he says, and raw materials such as cement, steel and aggregates were sourced from across southern Africa. As a major investment for Zambia and Botswana, the bridge is packed with technology to ensure its long-term future. Chifunda explains that a structural health monitoring system “signals which part of the bridge needs maintenance. And we also have a weather station — we measure wind speed, rainfall, we even measure excitation, which is its movement (post ) cables. “If there is a risk, the station will send a signal by text to the phone, and by email, so that the two member states can respond to any maintenance needs.”
New customs
There are one-stop customs at each end of the bridge, so goods crossing the border need only be processed by one country. Expediency is essential now that there is a greater volume of daily traffic. Chikumbi Chama, an assistant commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority, says the bridge has allowed for longer operating hours, with the border open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. he adds, and “the numbers are increasing every day.” But despite the higher traffic volume, “(the) transit period was reduced to half a day.” Truck driver Memory Lambie drives through the area with a sign that reads “BOSS LADY” on her windshield. However, he remembers the “big challenge” crossing the Zambezi before the bridge. 10km queues at the border and up to two weeks waiting to enter Zambia. “Now it’s easy,” says Lambie, adding that with faster trips, she can spend more time with her children.
Keeping the wheels in motion
A year after opening, the bridge has yet to reach its full potential because the train line that runs through its center is not yet operational. The rail link is intended for both passengers and goods, says Chifunda, the project engineer, but the crossings will not carry cars and trucks at the same time. “The bridge is designed in such a way that the train and vehicles cannot use the bridge at the same time,” he explains. Vehicular traffic is cleared, then a train passes, and then vehicular traffic can resume. Once connected to existing rail infrastructure in Botswana and Zambia, an even greater volume of cargo will be able to travel over the bridge and around southern Africa, says Chama. This will likely reduce freight costs. A 2015 African Development Bank report identified poor rail connections in landlocked countries (such as Botswana and Zambia) as limiting their economic potential. Diesel-powered rail freight can be up to 75% cheaper than road freight, yet roads still handle the vast majority of freight in SADC. “In the future landscape, I see rail freight becoming a prominent feature,” adds Chama. But the timeline for when the bridge will be fully connected is unclear as talks between Botswana and Zambia are ongoing, Chifunda says. Meanwhile, trucks continue to pass back and forth on the Zambezi River, with greater haste and ease than ever before. For drivers like Lambie, it has already proved a revelation. “The bridge is 100% perfect for us,” he says.
title: “How A 260 Million Bridge Negotiated Africa S Most Unusual Border Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-04” author: “Evelyn James”
Copper from the DRC, Zambia and Tanzania travels south before being shipped to China. Food from South Africa traveling north. Mining equipment from Tanzania bound for DRC and Zambia. Everything goes through Kazungula, says Kaiko Salim Wamunyima, secretary general of the SADC Truck Drivers Association of Zambia. The bridge opened in May 2021 but was more than a decade in the making, explains Kazungula project engineer Isaac Chifunda. Geopolitics played a large role in the design of the bridge. Kazungula straddles an area of Africa known as “the square,” says Chifunda. Sixty-five kilometers (40 mi) upstream from Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe converge at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers. The countries’ borders span the rivers, so the Kazungula Bridge was shaped with a sharp curve to weave through the landscape, avoiding the waters of Zimbabwe, Chifunda says. “Africa was massively represented in this project,” says Chifunda. Although construction was overseen by South Korean company Daewoo E&C, the team was multinational, he says, and raw materials such as cement, steel and aggregates were sourced from across southern Africa. As a major investment for Zambia and Botswana, the bridge is packed with technology to ensure its long-term future. Chifunda explains that a structural health monitoring system “signals which part of the bridge needs maintenance. And we also have a weather station — we measure wind speed, rainfall, we even measure excitation, which is its movement (post ) cables. “If there is a risk, the station will send a signal by text to the phone, and by email, so that the two member states can respond to any maintenance needs.”
New customs
There are one-stop customs at each end of the bridge, so goods crossing the border need only be processed by one country. Expediency is essential now that there is a greater volume of daily traffic. Chikumbi Chama, an assistant commissioner at the Zambia Revenue Authority, says the bridge has allowed for longer operating hours, with the border open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. he adds, and “the numbers are increasing every day.” But despite the higher traffic volume, “(the) transit period was reduced to half a day.” Truck driver Memory Lambie drives through the area with a sign that reads “BOSS LADY” on her windshield. However, he remembers the “big challenge” crossing the Zambezi before the bridge. 10km queues at the border and up to two weeks waiting to enter Zambia. “Now it’s easy,” says Lambie, adding that with faster trips, she can spend more time with her children.
Keeping the wheels in motion
A year after opening, the bridge has yet to reach its full potential because the train line that runs through its center is not yet operational. The rail link is intended for both passengers and goods, says Chifunda, the project engineer, but the crossings will not carry cars and trucks at the same time. “The bridge is designed in such a way that the train and vehicles cannot use the bridge at the same time,” he explains. Vehicular traffic is cleared, then a train passes, and then vehicular traffic can resume. Once connected to existing rail infrastructure in Botswana and Zambia, an even greater volume of cargo will be able to travel over the bridge and around southern Africa, says Chama. This will likely reduce freight costs. A 2015 African Development Bank report identified poor rail connections in landlocked countries (such as Botswana and Zambia) as limiting their economic potential. Diesel-powered rail freight can be up to 75% cheaper than road freight, yet roads still handle the vast majority of freight in SADC. “In the future landscape, I see rail freight becoming a prominent feature,” adds Chama. But the timeline for when the bridge will be fully connected is unclear as talks between Botswana and Zambia are ongoing, Chifunda says. Meanwhile, trucks continue to pass back and forth on the Zambezi River, with greater haste and ease than ever before. For drivers like Lambie, it has already proved a revelation. “The bridge is 100% perfect for us,” he says.
