Five Southern African nations unites on customs data exchange to cut logistics costs

SOUTHERN AFRICA – Customs administrations from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have agreed on a joint roadmap to interlink their systems and enable trade information to move ahead of cargo, a move expected to significantly reduce border delays and lower logistics costs across Southern African trade corridors.

The agreement was reached during a three-day meeting held in Pretoria from August 24–26, 2026, where senior customs, legal and ICT officials adopted a joint Roadmap and Action Plan for the development and rollout of Customs-to-Customs (C2C) data exchange across the region.

The five countries reaffirmed C2C data exchange as a tool to support pre-arrival processing, strengthen risk management and revenue assurance, improve transparency and facilitate the faster movement of compliant cargo along regional trade corridors.

Border delays and logistics cost burden

For logistics operators, unpredictable border transactions have been a persistent challenge.

For instance, trucking companies operating along major corridors such as the North-South Corridor and the Beira Corridor have historically faced lengthy clearance times, tying up vehicles and working capital, reducing fleet utilization, and increasing operational costs.

Beyers Theron, SARS Director for Customs and Excise, said customs administrations must balance trade facilitation with revenue protection and compliance enforcement.

 “When neighbouring customs administrations exchange trusted information securely and efficiently, the benefits extend beyond our institutions. Traders experience faster and more predictable processes, governments strengthen revenue assurance, border agencies make better-informed decisions, and our region becomes more connected and competitive,” Theron added.

Pre-arrival processing and supply chain predictability

The C2C data exchange will enable customs authorities to receive and process trade documentation before shipments physically arrive at border posts.

TMA Regional Director for Southern Africa, Hope Situmbeko, highlighted the impact of border delays on regional manufacturing and logistics costs.

Situmbeko stressed that trade information must move ahead of cargo and that C2C’s success should be measured by its operational impact rather than its technical implementation.

Economic impact and regional logistics competitiveness

Southern Africa accounted for around 41% of intra-African trade, valued at approximately US$192 billion, in 2023, according to Afreximbank.

The figures highlight the potential benefits of making cross-border trade faster, safer and more predictable.

Ultimately, this collaboration seeks to reduce operational costs for businesses and logistics operators by transforming borders into points of confirmation rather than sources of delay.

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