Zambia is set to strengthen cargo inspection and border security at the Livingstone border post after the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) signed a contract with US-based Astrophysics Inc. to install advanced X-ray scanning technology.

The project is expected to improve the speed and accuracy of customs inspections while reducing delays for trucks using the important gateway between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The agreement covers the supply, installation and commissioning of a drive-through cargo scanner, enabling customs officers to examine trucks and their cargo without routinely unloading consignments for physical inspection.

The technology will help ZRA detect undeclared goods, contraband, smuggled products and potentially dangerous materials while allowing compliant shipments to move through the border more efficiently.

The contract was signed in Lusaka by ZRA Commissioner General Dingani Banda and Astrophysics Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Development Vincent Zayek during a ceremony at the US Embassy.

US Chargé d’Affaires Mich Coker said the project demonstrated how technology could support legitimate trade while strengthening border security.

The investment is also expected to support Zambia’s efforts to improve domestic revenue collection, enhance the ease of doing business and strengthen the country’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub.

The Livingstone crossing, also known as the Victoria Falls border post, is one of Zambia’s important international trade gateways. It links the country with Zimbabwe and provides access to markets and transport corridors serving South Africa and other Southern African countries.

Zambia is land-linked and relies heavily on road and rail corridors through neighbouring countries to connect its economy to seaports and global markets. Major routes link the country with the ports of Durban in South Africa, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The scale of freight moving through the region makes efficient border clearance critical to transporters, importers and exporters.

An estimated 100 trucks cross the Victoria Falls/Livingstone a day in both directions, translating to approximately 36,500 truck movements a year if maintained throughout the year.

The new scanner will allow customs officials to inspect the contents of trucks using non-intrusive technology. The approach is expected to allow ZRA to adopt a more risk-based inspection system, with physical searches concentrated on consignments identified as potentially high risk.

For transporters, the benefits will include shorter truck turnaround times, lower fuel costs associated with idling, and reduced expenditure caused by prolonged border stays.

Faster clearance will also make regional supply chains more predictable, particularly for time-sensitive commodities and manufacturers dependent on regular deliveries of imported inputs.

Banda said the use of scanners would strengthen customs compliance by enabling officers to verify declarations more effectively while improving the processing of traffic. The initiative forms part of Zambia’s broader efforts to modernize customs administration and facilitate trade along the country’s six major trade corridors.

The Livingstone contract also expands an existing partnership between Astrophysics and ZRA. The US company has previously supplied similar cargo-scanning technology at Nakonde, Zambia’s major border crossing with Tanzania.

The facility provides customs authorities with non-intrusive inspection capabilities and forms part of Zambia’s efforts to strengthen controls at major points of entry.

For Zambia, expanding scanning infrastructure could help improve cargo controls while strengthening the country's ability to identify smuggling and other forms of illicit cross-border trade.