Kasumbalesa is a border town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It sits across the international border from the much smaller town of Kasumbalesa, Zambia.

Location

Kasumbalesa is located in Haut-Katanga Province, approximately 100 km, south-east of Lubumbashi, the provincial headquarters. The geographical coordinates of Kasumbalesa are: 12°15'23.0"S, 27°48'10.0"E (Latitude:-12.256389; Longitude:27.802778). Kasumbalesa sits at an average elevation of 1420 m above sea level.

Population

The national census, conducted on 1 July 1984, enumerated the population of the town at 31,773 people. As of 1 July 2004, the town's population was estimated at 47,213.

Overview

Kasumbalesa is a major crossing point for both human traffic and cargo for both Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. It is the main conduit of trade that amounted to US$575 million that DR Congo imported from Zambia compared to US$1.7 billion that Zambia imported from its northern neighbor, based on 2015 data. An average of over 500 long-haul cargo trucks are cleared daily in each direction. In April 2019, the traffic at the border crossing snarled, leading to congestion on both sides of the border.