Basic HTML Version
217
www.ebizguides.com
Transport, Works Supply & Communications
TRANSPORTATION OVERVIEW
Due to its landlocked status, an efficient transport
system is critical for the national and regional devel-
opment of Zambia. In addition to facilitating the influx
of business people and tourists, efficient transport
infrastructure is pivotal to both regional and interna-
tional trade. Zambia being a bulk mineral exporter,
Road and Rail transport are widely used while inland
water transport is also used, especially in areas not
serviced by other modes.
Mpulungu harbour on Lake Tanganyika, Zambia’s
only international port, facilitates the shipment of
cement, sugar, pharmaceuticals, steel and many
other products to the great lakes region of Burundi,
Rwanda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,
thus earning the country the much needed foreign
exchange.
Other traditional ports for international trade are Dur-
ban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Dar-
es-Salaam (Tanzania), Beira, Maputo (Mozambique)
and more recently Walvis Bay (Namibia). This sys-
tem of international transport linkages ensures that
the country is well connected to the client-preferred
ports in the region. The first national Transport Policy
was approved in 2002 by government to guide the
development of transport. The policy precipitated
a number of institutional, regulatory and legislative
reforms in all modes, with the road transport sec-
tor taking the lead in transformation. Thus the road
transport remains the dominant mode of transport,
second being rail for bulk carriage
Zambian water vessel
REGIONAL TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
The Zambian government is working with cooperat-
ing partners and regional governments to improve
and expand regional transportation networks, in or-
der to enhance regional integration and economic
development. The country is in a hurry to reduce
the cost of doing business in order to attract both
domestic and international investors. Realizing that
transport cost constitutes a large part of the final
cost of goods and services, improving cross-border
infrastructure is seen as a measure to reduce the ex-
pense of surface transport, both road and rail, thus,
make Zambia an attractive destination for invest-
ment. The aim is to reduce the landed cost of goods
on the Zambian market and that these benefits will
ultimately be passed on to consumers in lower pric-
es. Zambian exports can only be competitive inter-
nationally if the share of transport as a percentage of
the total sales cost is competitive with neighbouring
countries and other regions of the world.
One of the most critical transport corridors in south-
ern Africa, the North-South Corridor, together with its
adjacent spurs, services eight countries, Tanzania,
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Ma-
lawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South
Africa. The importance of the North-South Corridor
to Zambia is immense, as it links the mining centres
of the Copperbelt to the southern ports of South Af-
rica, and also interconnects with the Trans-Kalahari,
Beira, Lobito, Dar-es-Salaam and Nacala corridors.
The Chirundu One-Stop-Border Post (OSBP) be-
tween Zimbabwe and Zambia is a trade facilitating
pilot project that has sought to enhance the border
post operations by jointly streamlining procedures
and practices, by eliminating unnecessary duplica-
tion or repetition of activities, and producing ena-
bling legislation. The results of the pilot project are
encouraging with additional traffic both outbound
and inbound being attracted to the corridor on either
side, despite a number of challenges which remain
to be resolved.
The Dar-es-Salaam Corridor which links the port of
Dar-es-Salaam with the Copperbelt, while the Mt-
Chembe or Mwanawasa Bridge in Luapula Province