Smugglers are turning the Beitbridge Border Post into a crime hotspot as they continuously flood with goods worth millions of rand every year.
Smuggling has become a perennial headache for authorities for both countries who in most cases are collaborating to minimise the issue.
A fight against smuggling
Early this year, Zimbabwean government introduced measures to curb smuggling under the Customs and Excise (Designated Deemed Smuggled Goods) Regulations 2025.
Authorities will deem ‘imported’ goods as smuggled unless wholesalers, retailers, or individuals provide valid evidence, including proof of duty payments and official receipts.
The border sees frequent smuggling of these items:
Cigarettes smuggling
Sources say South African customs laws restrict Zimbabwean exporters from legally moving cigarettes into the country. This leads to a surge in smuggling of various brands.
Cigarettes top the list of Beitbridge’s most lucrative contraband.
South African authorities have routinely seized brands such as Remington Gold smuggled from Zimbabwe. One of the largest busts in recent months involved cigarettes worth about R14 million.
This underscores how the trade continues to thrive despite tighter border controls.
Illicit cough syrups and pharmaceuticals
Smugglers are increasingly moving banned or controlled pharmaceuticals like Broncleer, a cough syrup often abused as a narcotic.
In April 2025, authorities intercepted a truck carrying 342 bottles valued at US$16,400 (R 283,000). Several other busts involving cough syrups and dagga show how smuggling is also feeding into the region’s drug problem.
Dagga (cannabis)
Beitbridge has become a key transit point for cannabis trafficking between southern African countries. In March 2025, police seized 163 kilograms of dagga valued at around R32 million. This was followed by another bust in June involving 307 kilograms hidden in a bus.
Explosives and dangerous materials
In one of the most alarming incidents, a Zimbabwean man was arrested for smuggling explosives worth about R600,000 through Beitbridge.
The Herald reports that a Zimbabwean truck driver was arrested at the Beitbridge Port of Entry on 11 March 2025; the haul included 16 reels of detonating fuse and 2 ,182 “Superpower 90” blasting cartridges, with a combined estimated value of over R600,000.
This highlighted that syndicates pose potential risks to public safety
Meat smuggling
In one case, Zimbabwean authorities seized 1.6 tonnes of frozen chicken.
Authorities believe smugglers brought the meat from South Africa into Zimbabwe through Beitbridge, reportedly bound for Harare.
Meat smuggling has raised food safety concerns, with authorities warning that such products often bypass health inspections.
Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs
In October 2025, South African authorities discovered hundreds of boxes of ARV tablets after a bus accident. Authorities believed syndicates stole the tablets from public health facilities to smuggle them across the border for resale.
Alcohol, clothing and appliances
Smugglers often move everyday items: clothing, shoes, electrical appliances, and alcohol, in mixed consignments.
