The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has announced the temporary closure of the Martin's Drift border post (South Africa: Grobler's Bridge/Groblersbrug) between Botswana and South Africa due to floods caused by the recent rains.
Travellers are advised to use alternative routes and ports of enty such as the Tlokweng border post (Kopfontein), Pioneer Gate border post (Skilpadshek) or the Ramatlabama border post for travel between Botswana and South Africa.
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03 March 2025
Botswana/South Africa: Martin's Drift border post temporarily closed!
15 January 2025
South Africa: The Border Management Authority (BMA) suspended operations at a key border crossing with Botswana after heavy rains caused flooding! [update #2]
update (30 January 2025): According to South African newspaper "The Citizen", operations at the Grobler's Bridge (Groblersbrug) Port of Entry between South Africa and Botswana (Martin's Drift) have resumed.
update (27 January 2025): According to a statement by the South African Border Management Authority (BMA) on 23 January 2025, operations at the Grobler's Bridge (Groblersbrug) Port of Entry between South Africa and Botswana (Martin's Drift) are still temporarily suspended. The floodwaters have now subsided and a comprehensive project plan has been developed to address the necessary repairs. The BMA is expecting to reopen the border around the 29 January 2025. We'll keep you posted!
Operations at the Grobler's Bridge (Groblersbrug) Port of Entry between South Africa and Botswana (Martin's Drift) have been temporarily suspended due to high water levels caused by heavy rainfall, the South African Border Management Authority (BMA) has announced. The rising water levels have severely impacted the safety and functionality of the border post.
The BMA recommends that travelers and small vehicle users consider alternative routes via the non-commercial Stockpoort Border Post (Parr's Halt) and Platjan Border Post. For cargo transport, truck operators are advised to use Skilpadshek, Ramatlabama, Beitbridge, or Kopfontein crossings.
We'll keep you posted!