Report of the Rapid Situation and Needs Assessment at Chirundu/Beitbridge Borders in Zimbabwe

Informal cross-border trade (CBT) is significant in Southern Africa, accounting for between 30 and 40 per cent of total intra-Southern African Development Community trade, with an estimated value of USD 17.6 billion. Women make up approximately 70 per cent of informal traders, face gender-specific risks and are more susceptible to harassment, abuse and exploitation. The majority of female informal cross-border traders (ICBTs) are relatively poor, with low levels of education, yet they support some of the most fragile and impoverished communities. Accordingly, any threat to informal CBT poses a threat to the most vulnerable and least resilient. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to significant challenges regarding the continuation of informal CBT as a result of the measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus, including border closures and travel restrictions. These changes have had a catastrophic impact on the livelihoods of ICBTs, as they are unable to conduct their routine trade. COVID-19 restrictions have hit informal trade harder than other sectors, with women hit particularly hard by economic losses. A rapid needs and baseline assessment was undertaken in four countries, namely Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in order to understand the impact of COVID-19 on informal CBT. This report gives the findings and recommendations from the assessment done in Zambia. The assessment was conducted within the framework of a project supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.