Speaking at a two-day capacity building workshop for the Francistown informal traders organised by the City of Francistown on Tuesday, senior trade officer in the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Ms Kelebogile Nyathi identified prolonged and unprecedented delays as the primary issue, requiring urgent resolution.

Ms Nyathi highlighted that trucks travelling from Zambia to Botswana spend between eight and 12 hours waiting at the Kazungula One-Stop Border post due to slow processing and intermittent system failures.

She pointed out that the absence of harmonised NTB charges within the SADC region was a significant contributor to recurring delays.

“The major reason is the too long and unprecedented delays, which need to be addressed with immediate effect,” Ms Nyathi said.

According to Ms Nyathi, NTBs in the SADC region, were largely driven by government monopolies aiming to protect domestic markets, cumbersome customs and pre-shipping procedures, poor inter-agency coordination, and multiple weighbridge stops, practices that Botswana does not follow.

She noted that these barriers had substantial economic impacts, with the SADC region losing over P3 million annually due to NTBs. Additionally, NTBs increase the cost of doing business and reduce competitiveness, equivalent to a 10 per cent increase on SADC imports and seven per cent on exports.

Ms Nyathi proposed several policy recommendations to address these issues, including strengthening national NTB focal points, enhancing awareness of reporting tools, improving border digitalisation, and holding regular coordination meetings.

She urged traders to report discriminatory NTBs to policymakers and stressed the need for private sector collaboration.

“Going to other blocks away from SADC, there is no stronger coordination amongst regional blocks,” she said, appealing for unity in tackling NTBs.

Traders, particularly those importing from Zambia, voiced their major concerns about excessive NTBs, including numerous roadblocks and unwarranted charges.

Ms Kgalalelo Yuyi, a trader, reported being charged exorbitant prices for her vehicle when crossing into Zambia, citing a P3,800 charge for her vehicle, and complained of unwarranted charges at roadblocks in Zambia.

“Bribery in Zambia amongst security agents is an order of the day,” Ms Yuyi said, calling on the Botswana government to waive charges as a means of boosting the country’s revenue.

Ms Yuyi also criticised the lack of regulation of informal sector operations at the Francistown bus and taxi rank, where she said foreign traders operated without licences. Another trader, Ms Lulwamisani Tothodzani, echoed Ms Yuyi’s sentiments, urging that Zambia be reined in.

“They are terrorising us in Zambia, making us pay exorbitant charges without apparent reasons,” Ms Tothodzani said, mentioning a six-month ban on entering Zambia that was imposed on her without clear justification.

The workshop was organised by the City of Francistown in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme with facilitators from Botswana Unified Revenue Services.

It aimed to empower informal sector traders with the knowledge and skills to utilise African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opportunities, expand their cross-border businesses, and understand the basic principles of AfCFTA and rules of origin. ENDS