Heavy post‑festive travel continues at the Beitbridge Border Post, where the Border Management Authority has processed more than 30 buses by midday amid sustained queues of travellers. Picture Credit: Facebook
By Aisha Zardad
Beitbridge — The Beitbridge Border Post between South Africa and Zimbabwe has continued to experience heavy travel volumes as post‑festive season movement peaks, with authorities reporting the processing of more than 30 buses by midday on Monday amid ongoing queues of travellers.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) said the elevated activity follows a particularly busy weekend, when the post recorded the processing of around 100 buses and more than 22 000 travellers in a single day, marking the highest daily volume during the current post‑festive return period.
Speaking to broadcasters from the busy border post, BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato confirmed that the numbers of arrivals remained high well into the new week, with both buses and pedestrians continuing to move through the crossing at a sustained pace. He said that by midday on Monday, officials had already processed more than 30 buses, with additional buses still arriving from across the border.
“We have already processed over 30 buses since this morning. The others are actually still on the way. We keep on talking to the Zimbabwean side and they indicate the buses that are coming through,” Masiapato said, noting that bus queues remained visible on the approach to the border.
The BMA has estimated that the combined number of travellers processed by midday — including pedestrians — was around 15 000 people, with the figure likely to rise as the day progressed and additional buses were cleared.
Beitbridge is one of the busiest land border posts in southern Africa, serving large numbers of Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who reside in South Africa as well as other travellers returning from holiday visits or family stays abroad. The crossing has seen extended queues and increased processing demands during the peak festive and post‑festive travel periods each year.
Large crowds of travellers frequently form as buses and private vehicles arrive in waves, requiring border officials to coordinate processing across passport control, customs and health screening stations. Despite the congestion, BMA spokespersons have emphasised that operations are ongoing and that staff are working to ensure travellers are processed as efficiently as possible, while also applying standard security and customs measures.
The BMA has previously warned travellers about prohibited items, including fresh agricultural produce and unauthorised medicines, which are often confiscated at border posts to protect South Africa’s biosecurity and public health standards. Items such as mangoes, watermelons and certain skin‑lightening creams have been among those seized in recent days.
Officials have suggested that while mid‑week volumes could ease slightly, another surge is expected as the week progresses and additional buses make their way toward the border crossing. Border authorities continue to liaise with their Zimbabwean counterparts to manage the influx and maintain smooth processing flows.
For many travellers returning from across the border, the sustained volumes reflect a broader pattern of movement tied to holiday season breaks, family reunions and economic activity, underscoring the strategic importance of the Beitbridge crossing for regional mobility and trade.