Kasumbalesa border post (Zambia and DRC)

Location, hours and agencies

The post lies near Chililabombwe in Copperbelt Province. Ndola is 153.5 km away and Lubumbashi in the DRC is about 100 km away ¹. Dar es Salaam port is about 1,750 to 1,940 km away, or 7 to 10 days by truck ¹.

The WFP Logistics Cluster lists the post as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ZRA handles customs and is the managing authority. ZMART Borderlink Ltd is named as concessionaire ¹. Zambian and DRC authorities both serve the border. WFP says it is not yet a one-stop border post and that procedures on each side are separate ¹.

Facilities and the concession

The present facility opened in February 2011 at a cost of US$25 million, as reported by Ed Richardson of Freight News ². It was built as a public-private partnership in which the Zambian (IP) Border Crossing Company was contracted to design, build, operate and transfer the post. The Development Bank of South Africa was a funding partner ².

The 2011 report listed a 5,000 square metre office complex, 6,000 square metres of warehousing and 100,000 square metres of truck parking. Drivers paid crossing fees with pre-paid coupons, and fleet owners could hold pre-paid accounts ².

WFP now reports a US$110 million modernisation under a PPP with ZMART Borderlink. Truck parking has grown from 800 to over 1,800 spaces and a park for 2,000 trucks is being built ¹. Phase one was expected around May 2026 ¹. This guide did not find a source confirming completion.

Congestion and the 24-hour decision

In May 2022 northbound trucks queued for more than 70 km south of the crossing, as reported by Eugene Goddard of Freight News ³. ZRA confirmed that Zambia and the DRC had agreed to open the border 24 hours a day after a Joint Permanent Commission in Lusaka, with each country still to pass supporting laws ³. ZRA northern revenue district commissioner Levy Simatimba said longer hours were the only solution ³.

WFP reports export delays that sometimes average more than 100 hours, often from bottlenecks on the DRC side. It says the DRC's electronic seals clearance system caused congestion when it started ¹.

SADC response

Ten SADC member states met in Harare from 4 to 7 February 2025 on congestion, infrastructure and insecurity at Kasumbalesa, according to the SADC Secretariat ⁴. They discussed a Framework of Collaboration and Action Plan that the DRC and Zambia agreed in Kinshasa on 9 May 2024 ⁴.

Problems listed by SADC include poor infrastructure on both sides, long truck queues, weak sanitary facilities, night-time security risks for drivers and non-harmonised procedures for truck drivers ⁴. The meeting recommended a corridor-wide approach and prepared for a ministerial task force meeting set for April 2025 ⁴.

Documents and payment

Duties and taxes are paid to ZRA, whose official site carries its online payment service ⁵.

• Import and export declarations, commercial invoices, packing lists and road manifests ¹.
• A Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) for the importer and the agent, registered with ZRA ¹.
• A phytosanitary certificate for plants and seeds, and a SADC certificate of origin to claim preferential duty ¹.
• For food imports, a Ministry of Agriculture import permit and possible Ministry of Health inspection ¹.
• Electronic submission is required for trucks, and all VAT and duty must be paid before goods are released ¹.