Rapid Situation and Needs Assessment of Informal Cross-border Traders at the Chirundu and Mwami Border Posts in Zambia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is significant informal cross-border trade in the Southern Africa region, accounting for 30–40 per cent of total trade between countries of the Southern African Development Community, with an estimated value of USD 17.6 billion. Women make up around 70 per cent of informal cross-border traders (ICBTs) and face gender-specific risks that make them more susceptible to harassment, abuse and exploitation. The majority of female ICBTs are relatively poor, with low levels of education, yet they support the economies of some of the most fragile and impoverished communities in the region. Accordingly, any threat to informal cross-border trade poses a threat to the most vulnerable and least resilient.

The outbreak of COVID-19 led to significant challenges to the conduct of cross-border trade resulting from containment measures such as border closures and travel restrictions. These had catastrophic impacts on the livelihoods of ICBTs, who were suddenly unable to ply their trade. COVID-19 restrictions hit informal trade harder than many other sectors, with women particularly struck by economic losses. A rapid needs and baseline assessment was undertaken in Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe to understand the impact of COVID-19 on ICBTs. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the assessment in Zambia, conducted within the framework of a project supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the Government of the United Kingdom.