Border guide · Kazungula · checked 24 October 2026
The bridge between Botswana and Zambia over the Zambezi, on the North-South Corridor. What we could confirm from the border agencies and the news, with the date and source beside each fact.
What we confirmed
| What | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 24 hours since February 2026, for trucks and travellers. | Botswana Daily News |
| One stop | Botswana and Zambia clear trucks in one facility, so a truck stops once, not twice. Bridge and post opened in May 2021. | SADC, 11 May 2021 |
| Building works | The Zambia Revenue Authority's Kazungula Smart Border civil works run from 12 October to 30 November 2026; expect slower lanes. | CTI Zambia, Oct 2026 |
| Before the reform | Freight operators at Kazungula used to wait up to seven days. | WTO case study, 2026 |
| Diesel on each side | Zambia's ERB diesel price is K33.27 a litre from 1 October 2026; Botswana's BERA price is P23.76 from 23 October 2026. | our fuel price pages |
Checked on 24 October 2026. Confirm with your clearing agent before you dispatch.
Papers
The customs transit document (T1) for goods passing through Zambia, lodged before the truck arrives. Botswana's trade ministry warned in 2026 that trucks without it are turned back and fined.
Invoices, the road manifest and any permits for the load, attached to the declaration.
The driver's passport and the truck's registration papers.
A cross-border road transport permit for a South African truck (C-BRTA).
A general list, not legal advice; your clearing agent confirms what your load needs. Sources: ZRA, goods in transit; ZRA, transit procedures; MTI Botswana alert; C-BRTA.
Less waiting
Botswana's Ministry of Trade and Industry posts Kazungula queue updates on its Facebook page; check it before the truck leaves Kasane or Nata.
Lodge the T1 and the declarations before arrival; a truck without them can wait days on the Zambian side.
Keep every slip from both sides. Fills in Pula and in Kwacha belong on the same truck's fuel sheet, or the km per litre for the trip makes no sense.
Other posts and their hours: border post hours for trucks.
Every slip, every truck
Pula and Kwacha on the same trip, from stations on both sides of the border. Your drivers WhatsApp a photo of each slip, and by 7 the next morning your fuel sheet is checked, one tab per truck, with anything that doesn't add up in red: more litres than the tank holds, the same slip twice, km per litre far off the truck's usual.
Questions
24 hours since February 2026, for trucks and travellers. Source: Botswana Daily News. Checked on 24 October 2026.
The customs transit document (T1) for goods passing through Zambia, lodged before the truck arrives. Botswana's trade ministry warned in 2026 that trucks without it are turned back and fined. Invoices, the road manifest and any permits for the load, attached to the declaration. The driver's passport and the truck's registration papers. A cross-border road transport permit for a South African truck (C-BRTA).
Botswana's Ministry of Trade and Industry posts Kazungula queue updates on its Facebook page; check it before the truck leaves Kasane or Nata. Lodge the T1 and the declarations before arrival; a truck without them can wait days on the Zambian side.
