How the Lobito Corridor is paving the way for economic growth

The Lobito Corridor, a railway line, covers four provinces in Angola (Huambo, Benguela, Bié and Moxico), four provinces in the DRC (Katanga, Tanganyika, Lomami and Lualaba) and two provinces in Zambia (Copperbelt and North-Western). It is named after Lobito, a coastal city in western Angola known for its long natural harbour and active port. It has important railway terminals and connections to the continental road network and also offers Zambia and the DRC, two major mineral-producing countries, access to export markets.

Now the route is to be expanded and improved. The expansion is supposed to begin in 2026. In Zambia’s North-Western Province, local farmers expect the corridor to be a game changer for social and economic growth. “We anticipate that it will boost agricultural productivity, create jobs and open new markets,” said Anthony Kalunga, a local farmer based in Kalumbila district in the North-Western Province.

While the corridor primarily facilitates mineral exports, Kalunge believes that agriculture can also benefit from it. “It will help us access new export markets,” he added.

A game changer for Central Africa’s mineral trade

The 1200-kilometre-long Benguela railway forms the backbone of the Lobito Corridor. Experts believe the expansion will reduce transport times and strengthen regional supply chains. Companies have welcomed the inaugural shipment of copper concentrate from the Kamoa-Kakula quarrying area to Lobito by rail, calling it a key step in building a new supply chain. Currently, copper concentrates are trucked from Kamoa-Kakula to ports in South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Namibia. In 2023, about 90 % of Kamoa-Kakula’s concentrates were exported via the ports of Durban and Dar es Salaam, which takes up to 50 days per trip. 

In contrast, Lobito is about half the distance, and rail transport is faster and more energy-efficient, according to Ivanhoe Mines, a Canadian mining company that runs the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex as a joint venture together with the Chinese company Zijin Mining. According to Robert Friedland, Founder and Executive Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, Kamoa-Kakula is the fastest growing copper mine in the world. Friedland described the first trial shipment a “milestone” and emphasised the need for modern rail infrastructure. Zambia’s government under President Hakainde Hichilema has emphasised the corridor’s importance too. 

The Lobito Corridor will be operated through a 30-year concession awarded to a private consortium. The African Development Bank (AfDB) supports the project with an $ 8.1 million grant for trade facilitation and corridor management. However, some experts worry that shifting US policies could impact progress, particularly if President Donald Trump’s administration scales back support.

“This corridor presents an opportunity – but are we just creating another route for raw exports, rather than adding value to our resources?” questioned Jacob Makambwe, Secretary General of the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association. “We need to add value and not only take them as raw into countries that eventually will start bringing back the finished products for Africa to start utilising,” he added. 

Depending on the mineral, the value could be added in different ways. Copper, for example, could be refined into wires or battery components locally. Such added value would create jobs and retain more wealth within Africa.

Balancing trade opportunities and economic sovereignty

Despite optimism, Makambwe warned that African nations must control their exports to maximise benefits. “We must learn from past experiences. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), for example, was meant to boost African exports to the US, but many businesses struggled to use it due to regulatory hurdles,” he noted. AGOA, enacted in 2000, grants duty-free access to certain African exports, but limited industrial capacity has restricted its impact. 

Derrick Silimina is a freelance journalist based in Lusaka, Zambia. 
derricksilimina@gmail.com