The Government of Zimbabwe and its private-sector partner, Chirundu Border Consortium (CBC), have marked the achievement of Financial Close for the Chirundu Border Post Upgrade and Modernisation Project, confirming that the necessary financing arrangements for the project’s implementation have been secured.

The milestone, announced in Harare on 21 September, paves the way for the modernisation of one of Zimbabwe’s busiest and most strategically important ports of entry. Under the agreed framework, CBC will mobilise the capital required to deliver and operate the upgraded border post, providing modern public infrastructure without requiring capital funding from the Government of Zimbabwe. Construction mobilisation is already well advanced, with EPC contractors fully mobilised, the batch plant operational, and various contractors already on site.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Hon Felix T. Mhona said the achievement demonstrated government’s commitment to delivering high-impact national infrastructure through effective partnerships with the private sector, adding that the project would improve trade facilitation, strengthen regional connectivity and enhance efficiency along the North–South Corridor.

Chirundu Border Consortium Chairman Mr Glynn Cohen said the Financial Close reflected extensive cooperation between government, CBC, SAFAGA International, and the project’s equity, financing and technical partners, with SAFAGA having founded and sponsored the undertaking.

The transaction also drew backing from major financial institutions. Standard Bank of South Africa, acting as lead debt arranger and senior lender, said the deal reflected confidence in the project’s underlying fundamentals and long-term ability to service its debt, while Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Chief Executive Mr Solomon Nyanhongo welcomed the close as a testament to the potential of well-structured public-private partnerships to attract investment into strategic national projects. Strategic Partners Group (SPG) Founder and Group CEO Mr Mzoilisi Diliza described the deal as a landmark transaction aligning with SPG’s mandate to invest in world-class infrastructure across Southern Africa.

Officials say Chirundu Border Post serves as a critical gateway connecting Zimbabwe with Zambia and the broader regional market, and that its modernisation will overhaul legacy infrastructure, introduce advanced operational systems and drastically reduce transit delays for passengers and freight. The project builds on the successful redevelopment of Beitbridge Border Post, commissioned by President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa in August 2023, completing what officials describe as a vital dual-gateway upgrade along the North–South Corridor.

The statement was issued jointly by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and the Chirundu Border Consortium on 17 September 2026.