The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North–South Corridor (South Africa–Zimbabwe) via Beit Bridge A Preliminary Study

The report identifies administrative and trade policy non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that increase the cost of business along the South Africa-Zimbabwe trade route. Key findings highlight severe delays at the Beit Bridge border crossing, where some trucks take an average of 2.5 days to clear. Zimbabwean foreign exchange controls are identified as the most costly trade policy NTB across multiple sectors, effectively acting as an export tax. Additionally, the report notes significant infrastructure failures in the regional rail network, forcing a reliance on more expensive road transport, and capacity constraints at Durban port that lead to costly truck congestion.

• The Beit Bridge border crossing is the busiest in SADC, with up to 400 trucks crossing daily. Research from 2005–06 indicates that Consolidated Multiple Entry (CME) trucks travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe took an average of 2.5 days to clear the border.
• Zimbabwean foreign exchange controls are consistently ranked as the most expensive non-tariff barrier across various sectors. For nickel exporters, the requirement to liquidate 25% of foreign exchange earnings into Zimbabwean dollars acts as an effective 25% export tax due to the gap between official and market exchange rates.
• Dysfunction in the regional rail network, characterized by a lack of rolling stock, theft, and prolonged delays, forces bulk importers and exporters to use the more expensive road network.
• Durban port faces severe capacity and efficiency issues, resulting in truck queues up to 5 km long. These delays can last 3 to 6 hours, costing transporters approximately R300 ($46) per hour per truck.
• South Africa's ban on second-hand vehicles from the Middle and Far East travelling on South African roads to destinations north of the border increases costs for importers. Transporting these vehicles via carrier truck typically adds $700 to the cost of the vehicle.
• Administrative delays at Beit Bridge are particularly acute for certain goods; for example, tobacco trucks are subject to more thorough inspections by SARS due to high excise duties, which creates incentives for smuggling and under-invoicing.
• The implementation of a single administrative documentation (SAD) system piloted in the second quarter of 2007 for traffic from South Africa to Malawi via Zimbabwe and Mozambique reportedly reduced transit times by nearly 40%.
• Zimbabwean fuel importers face numerous administrative levies, including a 5% tax on load value, road levies for petrol (Z$8.95/litre) and diesel (Z$9.08/litre), and various other taxes such as a carbon tax of ZS$100/litre.

APA

Mthembu-Salter, G. (2008). The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North–South Corridor (South Africa–Zimbabwe) via Beit Bridge A Preliminary Study. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/dttp_rep_20_mthembu_salter_2008.pdf

Chicago

Mthembu-Salter, Gregory. The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North–South Corridor (South Africa–Zimbabwe) via Beit Bridge A Preliminary Study. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2008. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/dttp_rep_20_mthembu_salter_2008.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mthembu-Salter |first1=Gregory |title=The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North–South Corridor (South Africa–Zimbabwe) via Beit Bridge A Preliminary Study |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/dttp_rep_20_mthembu_salter_2008.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mthembusalter2008cost, author = {Mthembu-Salter, Gregory}, title = {{The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North–South Corridor (South Africa–Zimbabwe) via Beit Bridge A Preliminary Study}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/dttp_rep_20_mthembu_salter_2008.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }