Digitising the Environment to Move Traffic and Secure Revenue: A Case Study of the Beitbridge Zimbabwe Border Modernisation

The Beitbridge border - situated between South Africa and Zimbabwe - holds the distinction of being the busiest land border in Africa. Historically, this critical gateway has struggled under the weight of outdated infrastructure, unable to handle the increasing traffic and volume of vehicle processing transactions. The reliance on paper-based systems and manual processes further compounded delays, leading to freight vehicles queuing for an average of three days to clear the border. This inefficiency not only had a detrimental impact on the region’s GDP but also took a toll on the well-being of drivers.

Moreover, the border faced significant revenue losses due to inadequate controls, with gaps in manual processes being exploited for fraud and corruption. To address these challenges, the Zimbabwean government embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade and modernise the Beitbridge Zimbabwe border. This included constructing new facilities and implementing the ICE Borders ICT solution.

ICE Borders was introduced to digitise the manual, paper-based vehicle flow, and data collection functions, streamlining and accelerating processes. The solution facilitates communication between various internal and external government departments at the border, verifying vehicle and citizen records throughout the clearance process. By integrating multiple border systems and devices ICE Borders enabled high-volume processing at unprecedented speeds.

The following functionalities were implemented:

1. Full Vehicle Intelliflow System: This system, equipped with built-in intelligence and queue management, helped integrate processes from nine different government agencies into a single, real-time view of vehicle status.
2. Mobile Inspection Applications: Replacing paper-based systems, these applications were able to increase compliance and control capabilities. 
3. High-Volume Transaction Processing: Delivered increased capacity to handle the high volume of transactions between systems and hardware devices.
4. Transparent Vehicle Status Tracking: Provided a clear view of a vehicle’s status in the overall flow, facilitating quick clearance of goods and vehicles.
5. Integration with Traffic Control Equipment: ICE-supported equipment was rolled out to assist with directing traffic through the border site, enhancing efficiency and turnaround time. 

The implementation of ICE Borders delivered immediate benefits across several areas:

1. Compliance Assurance: The intelligent traffic control equipment and transparent vehicle status tracking ensured almost 100% vehicle compliance, revealing that vehicles previously did not meet exit compliance criteria before the system’s implementation.
2. Reduced Revenue Losses and Corruption: System-driven compliance rules and automated authorisation of vehicle movement significantly minimised human fraud and bribery. Additionally, the increased speed of payment processing expedited traffic flow through the border.
3. Improved Productivity: With valid data readily available and visible, border operations could identify bottlenecks and make quicker decisions. This level of efficiency was unattainable with the prior manual and paper-based information sharing between government departments.
4. Accelerated Traffic Flow and Improved Driver Wellbeing: Automation in traffic flow and processes reduced the average queue waiting time for freight vehicles from over 72 hours to just 3 hours, substantially enhancing driver wellbeing and operational efficiency.
5. Facilitated Regional Trade: By significantly lowering waiting times for commercial trade vehicles, the system increased the volume of vehicles processed at the border each day. This improvement also allowed for the transport of perishable goods that previously could not be processed due to extended waiting times, thereby enhancing regional trade.

According to Jaco-Albert Bakker (The ICT Project Manager who led the ICT part of the Beitbridge Zimbabwe Modernisation Project), “The Beitbridge Border Post Zimbabwe Modernisation project has brought about the biggest impact in terms of waiting times at the borders, where freight transport waiting times were a real issue with blockage for regional trade causing a frustration for border users”.

The digitisation of the Beitbridge Zimbabwe border through the ICE Borders ICT solution stands as testament to how modern technology can revolutionise border operations. By addressing the critical issues of outdated infrastructure and manual processes, the project not only enhanced traffic flow and reduced revenue leakage but also significantly improved the overall experience for all stakeholders involved. This effort to modernise processes and ways of working underscores the vital role of digital solutions in driving efficiency and securing revenue in high-traffic environments.