Workshop on The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North-South Corridor (South AfricaZimbabwe) via Beit Bridge

The document identifies trade policy and administrative barriers as the primary non-tariff barriers (NTBs) on the North-South Corridor between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Key obstacles include foreign exchange (FX) controls, administrative delays at the Beit Bridge border, and high transport costs. Sector-specific analysis reveals that Zimbabwean exports (nickel, cotton, tobacco, and manufactured goods) are heavily impacted by FX remittance requirements, while South African exports (fuel, vehicles, and steel) are hindered by Zimbabwean FX shortages and price controls. The briefing also highlights infrastructure issues, such as trucking queues at Durban harbour costing transporters ZAR150,000 per hour and the lack of maintained rail infrastructure.

• Trade policy and administrative barriers are the primary non-tariff barriers (NTBs) on the Beit Bridge route. These include foreign exchange (FX) controls, administrative delays at the border, and specific regulatory requirements such as South Africa's two-stage conversion requirement for Zimbabwean textiles.
• Foreign exchange (FX) controls significantly increase costs for Zimbabwean exporters. For nickel, 25% of earnings must be remitted at the official exchange rate, while for cotton and manufactured goods, the requirement is 40%, which is described as a 40% export tax.
• Logistical and administrative inefficiencies cause substantial financial losses and trade diversion. Trucking queues at Durban harbour cost transporters ZAR150,000 per hour, and one-third of trucks using Beit Bridge diverted to the Botswana border due to administrative barriers and diesel shortages in Zimbabwe.
• South African exports to Zimbabwe, specifically fuel, vehicles, and steel, are hindered by Zimbabwe's inability to provide hard currency and the imposition of price controls.

APA

Mthembu-Salter, G. (2007). Workshop on The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North-South Corridor (South AfricaZimbabwe) via Beit Bridge. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dttp_min_ntb_workshop_20070829.pdf

Chicago

Mthembu-Salter, Gregory. Workshop on The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North-South Corridor (South AfricaZimbabwe) via Beit Bridge. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2007. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dttp_min_ntb_workshop_20070829.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mthembu-Salter |first1=Gregory |title=Workshop on The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North-South Corridor (South AfricaZimbabwe) via Beit Bridge |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=29 August 2007 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dttp_min_ntb_workshop_20070829.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mthembusalter2007workshop, author = {Mthembu-Salter, Gregory}, title = {{Workshop on The Cost of Non-tariff Barriers to Business along the North-South Corridor (South AfricaZimbabwe) via Beit Bridge}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2007}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dttp_min_ntb_workshop_20070829.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }