Accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and opening up the mining hubs of Central and Southern Africa: this is the ambition behind the Lobito Corridor. This cross-border railway linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia aims to radically transform subregional trade logistics.
Revolutionizing subregional trade in Central and Southern Africa: this is the ambition behind the Lobito Corridor. This 1,300-kilometre railway connects the hinterland to the Atlantic Ocean, aiming to capture 50% of the 3 million tonnes of strategic minerals produced by the DRC and Zambia. By eliminating the 2,000-kilometre road detour through South Africa, the corridor is expected to reduce transport times from 30 to 45 days by road to just 4 to 8 days by rail, while cutting logistics costs by 30% to 40%. A major transformation for regional economic integration.
“Our mission as a continent must not be overlooked. We are a continent that trades and invests the least among ourselves. Africa has been fragmented and made vulnerable by this fragmentation. But we all know that our African Continental Free Trade Area cannot exist in a vacuum. Corridors like this are extremely important building blocks for achieving Africa’s continental vision.”
Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia
Beyond transport logistics, this project, led by the member states and supported by $753 million in international financing, is part of a broader industrial value chain strategy. The strategic objective is to move away from raw material exports and establish high-value-added local processing hubs through dedicated economic zones.
“The major Lobito Corridor project, this 1,300-kilometre railway in Angola stretching to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean, reflects the ambition of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, which also export mining products, to go beyond simply establishing a transport corridor. The aim is to turn this corridor into a genuine development zone, where processing plants would be located. Plans are already underway between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to establish a cross-border special economic zone for the production of electric battery components.”
Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister of the DRC
By integrating port logistics, agro-industry and freight transport, this railway opens up new prospects for intra-African trade.
“This will improve economic infrastructure across various sectors. This corridor will connect with global markets and local markets. It will encompass virtually every type of trade imaginable, from agriculture and logistics to the iron and steel industries.”
António Manuel Cabral, Chairman of the Benguela Railway, Angola
By replacing cross-border road transport with rail, the Lobito Corridor is emerging as a major infrastructure driver for turning Africa’s trade and industrial ambitions into reality.gration régionale.
