Botswana/South Africa: Tlokweng Border Post temporarily closed! [update]

update (24 September 2025): BURS has confirmed that services at the border post have resumed! 

The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has announced the temporary closure of the Tlokweng Border Post, known on the South African side as the Kopfontein Border Post, on 24 September 2025. The closure is due to operational challenges and will affect all travellers, commuters, and cross-border trade for the day.

The Tlokweng/Kopfontein Border Post is one of the busiest crossings between Gaborone, Botswana, and Zeerust, South Africa, located just 15 km east of Gaborone's city centre. It is a key port of entry for private travellers, tourist traffic, and commercial trucks heading to and from South Africa.

Alternative Ports of Entry

During the closure, travellers are advised to use nearby border posts, such as:

• Ramotswa Border Post (South Africa: Swartkopfontein) – located southwest of Gaborone, ideal for those heading to or from Zeerust or Rustenburg.
• Pioneer Gate Border Post (South Africa: Skilpadshek) – the main border crossing on the Trans-Kalahari Highway (A2/N4), suitable for commercial and long-distance travellers between Gaborone and Johannesburg/Pretoria.
• Lobatse Border Post (South Africa: Ramatlabama) – located further south, convenient for travellers connecting to Mahikeng.

Travellers should plan their journeys accordingly, allow extra time for possible congestion at alternative crossings, and stay updated on announcements from BURS and the South African Border Management Authority.

 

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Botswana/South Africa: Only two border posts remain open! [update]

update (09 January 2021): The Kopfontein Border near Zeerust in South Africa's North West Province has been reopened, after a confirmed coronavirus case was reported. As a result, the adjoining Tlokweng Border Post in Botswana was also temporarily closed and has now also been reopened (08 January 2021).
Botswana's Pioneer Gate Border Post has also been reopened on 06 January 2021.

According to the facebook page of Botswana's Government, the Kopfontein Border Post in South Africa which is adjoining to Botswana's Tlokweng Border Post has been temporarily closed with effect from 05 January 2021 until further notice. This therefore renders the Tlokweng Border Post to be temporarily closed. The South African Skilpadshek Border Post that is adjoining to Botswana's Pioneer Gate Border Post (Lobatse) has also been closed with immediate effect. Therefore the only routes to enter into and out of South Africa and Botswana are currently through Martins Drift Border Post (South Africa: Groblersbrug Border Post) and Ramatlabama Border Post respectively.

According to a previous announcement by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) the Tlokweng Border Post has been closed on 05 January 2021 due to Covid-19 precautions that need to be undertaken.