Five private consortia have been selected as preferred bidders to upgrade South Africa’s six busiest border crossings.

Work on the border posts – Beitbridge in Limpopo; Oshoek in Mpumalanga; Lebombo, also in Mpumalanga; Maseru Bridge in Free State; Kopfontein in North West; and Ficksburg Bridge, also in Free State – is slated to start later this year or early next year. Engineering

It is envisaged that border traffic will be divided into separate lanes for cargo, buses, taxis, private vehicles and pedestrians and that new technology will transform the border posts into smart ports of entry.

‘So literally […] it is a complete destroying of the current infrastructure and making sure that we have a separated cargo section, separated passenger vehicle section and also a separated area solely for pedestrians,’ said Border Management Authority commissioner and CEO Michael Masiapato.

The smart infrastructure includes biometric verification systems, automated processing for travellers and advanced cargo management technologies, according to Engineering News.

The one-stop border post model allows neighbouring countries to share facilities and process travellers and goods in a single, integrated space.

The preferred bidders are – Baobab Concession (Beitbridge, Oshoek); Raulux Consortium (Lebombo); Kgorong Consortium (Maseru Bridge); Kopfontein Consortium (Kopfontein); and Imbani Consortium (Ficksburg Bridge).

The public-private partnership model will see the consortia finance, build and operate the ports of entry under a 25-year concession.

12 May 2026
Image: Freepik