Zimbabwe, Mozambique infrastructure projects set to boost regional trade

HARARE – Zimbabwe's drive to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 has received a major boost, with the expansion of Mozambique's Beira Oil Terminal and the planned upgrade of the Forbes-Machipanda Border Post expected to improve fuel security, cut transport costs and strengthen regional trade. The multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects are set to reinforce the Beira Corridor, Zimbabwe's principal gateway for fuel imports and international trade, while enhancing connectivity within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Speaking during a tour of the Beira Oil Terminal, Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM) chief of service Lucas Vidigal said the expansion would increase the terminal's annual fuel-handling capacity from five million tonnes to seven million tonnes.

The project includes the installation of two new 16-inch pipelines and two modern loading arms dedicated to petrol and diesel, enabling the terminal to handle more vessels and reduce turnaround times.

"With this project, we will reduce the vessels' stay from three days to a day or one and a half days. We expect to finish the project next year and increase the number of vessels handled from 12 to 15 per month," Vidigal said.

The expansion follows sustained growth in fuel volumes moving through the Port of Beira, with Zimbabwe remaining the terminal's largest customer. CFM statistics show that of the 1.86 million tonnes of fuel handled during the first half of 2026, 1.3 million tonnes about 70%, was destined for Zimbabwe. Fuel transported to Zimbabwe has risen steadily over the past five years, increasing from 1.26 million tonnes in 2021 to 2.39 million tonnes in 2025, highlighting Zimbabwe's growing energy demand.

Zimbabwe's fuel imports through Beira significantly exceed those of neighbouring Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana and Mozambique. Zimbabwe's Consul General in Beira, Malvern Bere, said authorities were also pushing for the expansion of the port's cargo terminal to accommodate increasing trade volumes.

"Virtually all fuel destined for Zimbabwe passes through the Port of Beira, making it critical that the expansion project is expedited to meet growing demand and support economic activity," Bere said.

He added that Zimbabwe's rapid infrastructure development had convinced CFM to accelerate investment in the terminal.

"As the economy grows, demand for fuel will inevitably increase. Adequate fuel supplies are essential to sustaining industrialisation, infrastructure development and overall economic growth," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Misheck Mugadza welcomed progress on the Beira expansion and the planned modernisation of Forbes Border Post, describing the projects as critical to regional integration.

He said fuel vessels that previously waited more than 100 days to offload were now taking an average of six days following interventions by Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The two countries have also agreed to establish a One-Stop Border Post at Forbes-Machipanda to reduce congestion and speed up the movement of goods and travellers.

"The introduction of a one-stop border post will go a long way in addressing traffic congestion and delays while enhancing trade efficiency and improving the ease of doing business," Mugadza said.

The infrastructure investments are expected to support Zimbabwe's industrialisation agenda, improve supply chain resilience and strengthen the country's position as a regional logistics hub under Vision 2030.

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