Lesotho and South Africa, supported by the World Customs Organization (WCO) Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme funded by the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), have embarked on a collaborative effort to improve cross-border trade efficiency through the launch of joint End-to-End Time Release Study (TRS) reports. Leveraging the 2025 WCO TRS Guide, the coordination highlights the significance of the Maseru Bridge and Ficksburg Bridge border posts, which process the largest share of cross-border traffic. Lesotho contributes to over 40% of all cross-border movement across South Africa's borders with neighboring countries.
At the occasion of the launch, WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders extended his congratulations to both countries in a virtual message. He emphasized that the end-to end studies exemplify effective coordinated border management and align with the WCO 2025 theme: Customs Delivering its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity. Mr. Saunders further underscored the significance of the TRS as one of the WCO’s key performance measurement tools, noting its role in identifying bottlenecks, measuring clearance times, and providing a foundation for evidence-based customs reforms.
The Acting Commissioner General for Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL), Mr. Rakokoana Makoa, expressed his gratitude to the WCO for its technical guidance, highlighting how it has inspired innovation and efficiency in border processes. He further stated, "This moment is particularly significant for the RSL as it aligns with our Strategy 2024–2027 LESOKOANA, loosely translated, A Relay. Central to this strategy is our focused pursuit of operational efficiencies, ensuring that our systems, processes, and services are modern, agile, and responsive to the needs of traders and travelers. The Time Release Study provides us with the empirical foundation to realize that ambition. Today marks not an end, but the beginning of a new era of cooperation with South Africa, thereby transforming points of delay into gateways that drive trade and lay the foundation for regional prosperity.” Ms. Martine Sobey, the British High Commissioner to Lesotho, emphasized that enhancing efficiency could create significant ripple effects across the region. These improvements would lead to tangible benefits for both businesses and governments, fostering economic growth and collaboration.
The culture of collaboration was demonstrated by the joint efforts of the two Members’ TRS Technical Working Groups, which brought together representatives from multiple government agencies overseeing border management and private sector partners in a good example of public-private partnership. Collaborating through the WCO's blended capacity building, the two Working Groups collected data, reviewed existing procedures, and proposed improvements to enhance efficiency and coordination among agencies at the two border posts.
Mr. Beyers Theron, Head of Customs Border Operations, Ports of Entry and Customs Compliance at the South African Revenue Service (SARS), emphasized the significant potential presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He noted that reducing non-tariff trade barriers could address persistent and less visible obstacles to the movement of goods and services, thereby unlocking approximately two-thirds of the anticipated $450 billion in income gains associated with the AfCFTA agreement. Mr. Theron further highlighted that an estimated $292 billion of this figure is projected to result solely from improved trade facilitation. By streamlining procedures and minimizing administrative hurdles at borders, he stated, African businesses would be better positioned to access global supply chains, fostering tangible and measurable economic growth across the continent.
The recommendations of the TRS reports identified tangible, specific as well as measurable short-, medium-, and long-term solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, optimizing resource utilization through value-added work, implementing compliance segmentation, and strengthening risk management. A key focus are the principles for Coordinated Border Management (CBM) and outlined mechanisms to implement One Stop Border Management (OSBP), which is a crucial step toward reducing trade costs, stimulating investment, and creating an environment where businesses of all sizes can flourish.
Both Members signed a declaration of acceptance to implement and monitor the recommendations of the TRS reports – strengthening the economic ties between Lesotho and South Africa through trade facilitation and paving the way for a more resilient and interconnected regional economy.
For more information on the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, please see here.
For more information on WCO capacity-building initiatives, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.