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Border post · Zimbabwe to Botswana

Mlambapele

Matabeleland South · 21.76°S 28.92°E

Short answer

Mlambapele border post is restricted from 07:30 to 16:30 on the Zimbabwean side (checked 18 October 2026). It crosses to Mabolwe in Botswana.

Restricted. A dry-season, 4x4 crossing with no bridge, absent from Botswana's latest list. In the rains Botswana sends travellers to Maitengwe or Ramokgwebana (Plumtree).

Hours
07:30 to 16:30Zimbabwean side · checked · restricted
Other side
Mabolwe (Botswana)
Nearest town
Gwanda
Vehicles
4x4 only. There is no bridge over the Shashe, which is full of deep sand, and in the rains the roads flood and the post is all but cut off.

What to know

  • Zimbabwe publishes no hours. Botswana announced 07:00 to 16:30 when Mabolwe opened on 1 June 2016, and that September its Home Affairs minister gave hours from 07:30 as a temporary arrangement; we found nothing newer, and Mabolwe is missing from Botswana's April 2025 list. The Herald spells the Zimbabwean side Mulambaphele.
  • A small seasonal post on the Shashe River, facing Botswana's Mabolwe. 5,366 people used it in its first three months, and on a busy day in 2019 Botswana's officers saw about 50 people on foot and 10 vehicles.
  • The Herald counts Mlambapele and Mphoengs as entry points under Plumtree.
  • Carry US dollar cash. Border charges in Zimbabwe are quoted in US dollars; the ZiG has been the local currency since 8 April 2024, and paying in foreign currency stays legal until the end of 2030.

Bring with you

  • Your passport
  • The vehicle's registration papers
  • For a hired car, the rental company's letter of authority to take it across
  • Whatever Botswana asks of your passport: visa, fees and the papers it wants to see
Entry rules for Botswana

Quick answers

What time does Mlambapele border post open and close?

07:30 to 16:30 on the Zimbabwean side. Zimbabwe publishes no hours. Botswana announced 07:00 to 16:30 when Mabolwe opened on 1 June 2016, and that September its Home Affairs minister gave hours from 07:30 as a temporary arrangement; we found nothing newer, and Mabolwe is missing from Botswana's April 2025 list. The Herald spells the Zimbabwean side Mulambaphele.

Where does Mlambapele border post go?

It crosses to Mabolwe in Botswana. The nearest Zimbabwean town is Gwanda.

Places to stay within 40 km

8
  • Pakenham Camp
    Guest house
    33.0 KM
  • Maliketwa Pools Ranger Station
    Wilderness hut
    19.5 KM
  • North Camp
    Campsite
    31.0 KM
  • South Camp
    Campsite
    37.9 KM
  • Tuli West Ranger Base
    Wilderness hut
    31.3 KM
  • WEF Tuli Camp
    Chalet
    33.6 KM
  • Bothoggo's Place
    Hostel
    16.6 KM
  • MmaKenny's Place
    Hostel
    15.8 KM

Sources

  1. Botswana Daily News (BOPA), Mabolwe border post opens June 1 (25 May 2016)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  2. Botswana Daily News (BOPA), Mabolwe Border Post fully utilised (4 September 2016)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  3. Botswana Daily News (BOPA), Mabolwe Border Post placid yet challenged (13 November 2019)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  4. Botswana Department of Immigration and Citizenship, ports of entry with operating hours (PDF, updated April 2025, copy hosted by pcf11.org)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  5. The Herald, Hive of activity at border posts (23 December 2019)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  6. The Herald, Govt scraps duplicative access fees in transport sector, on Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 (28 July 2026)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  7. Wikipedia, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG official currency since 8 April 2024; foreign currency payments valid until 31 December 2030)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  8. OpenStreetMap, Mlambapele Border police post nodechecked 18 Oct 2026, one source only

Cite as: Travel Africa Guide, "Mlambapele border post hours", checked 18 October 2026, https://travelafrica.guide/zimbabwe/border-posts/mlambapele/