From liberation lifeline to logistics bridge

•Nakonde anchors SADC integration drive

DOREEN NAWA Lusaka NAKONDE’S story begins not with congestion, but with survival. In the 1970s and 1980s, when apartheid South Africa and white minority-ruled Rhodesia sealed off trade routes, Zambia – a newly independent, landlocked nation – faced economic isolation. The answer came through regional solidarity. President Kenneth Kaunda turned to Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and, with support from China, forged alternative lifelines: the TAZARA railway, the TAZAMA oil pipeline, and the Great North Road linking Lusaka to the port of Dar es Salaam. At the heart of this network was Nakonde, a town bordering Tanzania. Then a frontier outpost, the Nakonde–Tunduma crossing became more than a border. It was a corridor of resistance, a route through which fuel, goods and hope flowed into Zambia and the wider southern African region. It symbolised African unity at a time when the region was politically divided. Decades later, that same crossing would come to represent a different challenge. From lifeline to bottleneck As regional economies expanded after independence and apartheid ended, Nakonde’s importance only grew. It became the main gateway linking Tanzania’s coast to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and beyond. But infrastructure and systems did not keep pace. For years, the border was synonymous with delay. Trucks queued for kilometres – sometimes stretching for several kilometres – waiting days, even up to a week, to clear. Traders slept on pavements guarding their goods. Passengers braced for uncertainty. Clearing cargo meant navigating separate systems on each side of the border. Documentation was duplicated. Processes were manual. Coordination was minimal. “Sometimes we could spend two or three days just waiting,” recalls cross-border trader Miriam Phiri. “By the time you crossed, you had already lost money.” The Nakonde–Tunduma crossing had become a chokepoint – slowing trade, raising costs and exposing the gap between regional ambition and reality. A turning point: The one-stop border post Today that narrative is shifting. The upgraded one-stop border post (OSBP) at Nakonde represents a deliberate move by Zambia and Tanzania to transform borders from barriers into bridges.

Under the OSBP model, officials from both countries operate in a single facility, conducting joint inspections and processing travellers and cargo once – rather than twice. Commissioning the new Nakonde OSBP recently, President Hakainde Hichilema described the facility as central to economic transformation, noting that Nakonde is “not just a border – but a strategic link to regional and global markets”. “This is about improving the lives of our people and strengthening regional integration,” President Hichilema added. Tanzania’s Works and Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa emphasised cooperation, saying the project reflects a shared commitment to improving trade, tourism and mobility. The impact is already visible. Ministry of Transport data indicates that about 800 trucks now cross daily, with more than six million metric tons of cargo moving through annually. Between 2,000 and 3,500 people pass through the border each day. Most importantly, clearance times have dropped significantly – transforming Nakonde from a delay point into a flow point. Policy meets practice Nakonde’s transformation is not accidental. It is the result of decades of regional policy frameworks under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) now taking shape on the ground. Key instruments such as the SADC Protocol on Trade, the Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020–2030), and the SADC Industrialisation Strategy (2015–2063) have long called for seamless borders and efficient corridors. The OSBP model is a practical expression of these ambitions – bringing coordination, harmonisation and efficiency to one of the region’s most critical crossings. A regional artery Nakonde is no longer just a national border – it is a regional connector. Situated along the Dar es Salaam Corridor, it links Zambia’s production centre, the Copperbelt, and neighbouring countries to global markets via Tanzania’s port. An estimated 65 percent of cargo passing through Nakonde is in transit to other countries, underlining its strategic importance as a trade artery for the wider region. Without it, supply chains across southern and Central Africa would falter. Undoubtedly, lives have been transformed at the frontier. For those who depend on the border, the change is tangible. Truck driver Jackson Mwansa says predictability has improved. “Before, you never knew how long you would stay. Now trips are more organised.” Tanzanian trader Abdul Mussa highlights efficiency. “Officers from both sides work together. It is faster and clearer.” For student Ruth Mwape, the difference is also about dignity. “The environment is better, safer and easier to navigate. It feels like a modern border.” Beyond trade: Unlocking movement

The improved border is also opening new opportunities beyond commerce. Tourists can now move more easily between Zambia’s national parks and Tanzania’s coastal attractions. Regional travel circuits – once constrained by delays – are becoming more viable. Nakonde itself is evolving, with prospects for expanded logistics services and future transport links positioning it as a growing hub in the regional network. From past to promise Nakonde’s journey mirrors that of southern Africa itself. From a liberation lifeline in a divided region, to a congested bottleneck in a growing economy, and now to a modern trade gateway anchored in cooperation. Where trucks once idled for days, goods and people now move with purpose. And in that movement lies something bigger: the realisation of a regional vision – where borders no longer divide, but connect. PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON APRIL 2, 2026.