Kazungula Bridge: Connecting Botswana and Zambia over the Zambezi River

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In southern Africa, the borders of Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe are connected at a “quasi-quadripoint” border. Many believe this is the world’s only point where the borders of 4 countries meet; however, this is incorrect due to a very short, 440 ft (135 m) connection between only Botswana and Zambia that renders the quadripoint as “quasi”. Across this 440 ft span, the two countries built the Kazungula Bridge, opened in 2021.

For another map on a key bridge in Africa, check out the post on the Senegambia Bridge!

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The Kazungula Bridge is curved to avoid Namibia and Zimbabwe territory

Construction of the Kazungula Bridge was very intentional – the route is curved across the river to pass by only the short 440 ft border between Botswana and Zambia, which is the world’s second-shortest border (the shortest is a tiny peninsula between Spain and Morocco – Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera at 280 ft / 85 m). The route was planned purposefully to avoid Zimbabwe and Namibia territory.

The Kazungula Bridge replaces pontoon boats, and travelling through Zimbabwe

Before construction of the bridge, trade traffic would need to cross the Zambezi River by pontoon ferries which carried just two trucks at a time. Truck drivers travelling from Democratic Republic of the Congo through to South Africa remember 10 km queues to cross the Zambezi River by Pontoon, with waiting times of up to 2 weeks – these have all been eliminated by the constriction of the bridge, making pontoons more or less obsolete.

While pontoon operators were likely against construction of the bridge due to reduced fare income, the country of Zimbabwe similarly wasn’t thrilled by the Kazungula Bridge. Previously, land traffic operating between central Africa and South Africa had the potential of travelling through Zimbabwe.

There is a train line that runs down the center of the bridge

While currently open for road and pedestrian traffic (there are sidewalks on either end of the bridge to walk between the 3,000 ft across the bridge), there is also a single rail track that runs down the middle that is not yet operational. This rail link is part of the wiser Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone Railway line that will carry both passengers and freight across the bridge and connect with existing rail systems in both Botswana and Zambia.

Image of the Kazungula Bridge with the rail track clearly visible down the middle (Source: CNN / Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, due to the way the bridge was constructed both rail and road traffic cannot pass the bridge at the same time. Vehicles must stop at either end to wait for a train to clear the bridge. Despite this, transit will still be exponentially more efficient than the previous pontoon transit prior to the construction of the Kazungula Bridge.

Additional links and sources

Info on the economic benefits of the Kazungula Bridge (link, published in 2022)
Background and history on the quasi-quadripoint region (link, published in 2022)
Article on the area before construction of the bridge (link, published in 2022)

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