Harare-Beitbridge Road Nears Finish Line

Authorities say the long-running rehabilitation of the Harare–Beitbridge Highway is finally nearing completion, with just 53.2km still outstanding on the 585km stretch.

In an update this week, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed that a newly upgraded 3km four-lane section at Ngundu has now been opened to traffic. The latest addition brings the total amount of completed road to 528.8km, a development the ministry described as a “major milestone” signalling that the project has entered its “home stretch”.

The Harare–Beitbridge route is one of southern Africa’s most critical commercial arteries, linking Zimbabwe with South Africa and carrying thousands of tonnes of freight every week. Any progress on the corridor is therefore widely welcomed by transporters, motorists and businesses dependent on uninterrupted regional trade.

However, despite the positive update, questions remain over the pace of the remaining works. Many Zimbabweans have expressed frustration at the slow finish, noting that the rehabilitation project has stretched far longer than initially anticipated.

Actual construction began in 2019 after preliminary works were undertaken in late 2018. Since then, progress has been gradual, delivered in small segments over several years. While authorities maintain that the final stages are underway, current timelines indicate that the remaining portion of the road will only be completed in early 2026 — almost seven years after the project started.

For now, officials insist the last kilometres are in sight. For road users, the hope is that the final stretch will not take as long as the journey so far.