Construction of a new railway link connecting Zambia’s copper belt to Angola’s Lobito port is expected to begin in 2026, marking a major step in the revival of the Lobito Corridor and a shift in how Southern Africa exports minerals to global markets.

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) said it will invite bids in the coming months for the project, which will connect Zambia to the existing Benguela Railway that runs to the Atlantic port of Lobito. AFC President Samaila Zubairu said the tender will be structured in three parts: rail works within Angola, construction of a new track in Zambia, and the supply of rolling stock and operating systems.

If implemented on schedule, the project will be Zambia’s first major railway construction since the Tanzania–Zambia Railway (TAZARA), which was financed and built by China in the 1970s.

The new link is expected to transform mineral exports from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both of which are ramping up copper production as global demand rises. Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer after the DRC, is targeting output of more than 1.3 million metric tonnes a year by 2026, up from about 850,000 tonnes in 2023. The DRC, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of Africa’s copper production, is also expected to route a growing share of its exports through Lobito.

Backed by the United States and its Western partners, the Lobito Corridor offers an alternative to traditional export routes through South Africa or Tanzania, shortening the distance from Zambia’s Copperbelt to the Atlantic coast by nearly 1,000 kilometres. This will reduce transport costs and delivery times, enhancing the region’s competitiveness in supplying copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.

Beyond mining, AFC says the corridor could unlock wider economic benefits by improving logistics for agriculture, manufacturing and regional trade.

“Africa’s young population is becoming increasingly impatient with a lack of opportunities,” Mr Zubairu said, warning that large-scale unemployment poses risks not only to the continent but also to global stability.

The Lobito Corridor itself is a 1,300-kilometre railway stretching from Lobito to Luau on Angola’s border with the DRC, with planned connections into Zambia’s North-Western Province. Built along the historic Benguela Railway, construction began in 1902 and was completed in 1931 after delays caused by difficult terrain and the First World War.

At its peak, the railway was the most efficient export route for minerals from Zambia and the DRC to Europe and the Americas. By 1937, it was carrying 3.3 million tonnes of cargo annually and generating about US$30 million in freight revenues. Before Angola’s civil war, it handled 60 per cent of the DRC’s diesel exports and 45 per cent of Zambia’s copper shipments.

The 27-year civil war that began in 1975 crippled operations, forcing Zambia to divert exports through Beira in Mozambique and later TAZARA, which opened in 1976. When the war ended in 2002, less than three per cent of the railway was operational.

China later rehabilitated the line between 2004 and 2014 under a US$2 billion rail-for-oil programme, upgrading stations and track to allow trains to run at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour. Despite ambitions to move up to 20 million tonnes of cargo annually, traffic volumes have remained well below capacity.

Renewed momentum has built since 2023, following agreements between Angola, the DRC and Zambia under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to harmonise transit policies and ease cross-border trade. International interest has also intensified, with the United States, the European Union, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and AFC committing funding and technical support.

Washington has pledged about US$1 billion through the AFC to improve rail connectivity to Zambia, while the AfDB estimates that roughly US$1.6 billion is required for extension works. In July 2023, the Lobito Atlantic Railway Company—a consortium involving Trafigura, Moto-Engil and Vecturis South Africa—secured a 30-year concession to operate the railway, committing hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in Angola and the DRC.

The corridor’s revival also aligns with broader industrial ambitions, including Zambia–DRC plans for electric vehicle battery manufacturing and EU-backed infrastructure projects under the Global Gateway initiative.

As construction preparations gather pace ahead of a planned 2026 start, the Lobito Corridor is once again emerging as a central artery in Southern Africa’s bid to strengthen its position in global supply chains.