Beitbridge

Beitbridge
Town
Beitbridge Borderpost, Zimbabwe
Seal
Beitbridge
Coordinates: 22°13′S 30°00′E / 22.217°S 30.000°E / -22.217; 30.000Coordinates: 22°13′S 30°00′E / 22.217°S 30.000°E / -22.217; 30.000
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Matabeleland South
District	Beitbridge
Established	1929
Elevation	457 m (1,499 ft)
Population (2012 census)
• Total	41,767
Time zone	+2
Climate	BSh

Beitbridge or Mzingwane is a border town in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. The name also refers to the border post and bridge spanning the Limpopo River, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The town lies just north of the Limpopo River about 1 km from the Alfred Beit Road Bridge which spans the Limpopo River between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The main roads lead from the border 321 km north-west to Bulawayo and 585 km north-east to Harare via Masvingo. According to the 2002 population census, the town had a population of 22,387 dominated by the local Venda people, who are also found across the international border in the Vhembe District of the Republic of South Africa. The Beitbridge border post is the busiest road border post in southern Africa, and is best avoided during busy border-crossing seasons.

Beitbridge has an estimated 2,570 houses in formal settlements (primarily for government officials and mid-level private sector staff) and 3,000 in informal settlements. Formal-settlement dwellings are mainly two- to three-room brick houses, while those in the informal settlements are among the worst mud houses in Zimbabwe. The mud houses have since been demolished. Average house occupancy in the low-income and informal settlements varies considerably, as many people do not bring their families to Beitbridge, but includes at least four people. Recreational facilities are limited in low-income areas, consisting largely of bars and soccer pitches.

The major sources of local employment—freight, retail, construction, customs and the police—employ about 1,200 people. Informal sector activities—primarily vending and sex work—are as large as those in the formal sector, employing about 1,400. Outside Beitbridge town, farming is a major employer. A diamond mine recently closed, increasing unemployment and poverty. Most women rely on vending, sex work and cross-border trading for income. Truckers are present in the area with work coming from the border area of South Africa.