Italy and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have respectively pledged $320 million and $500m towards Angola’s $4.5 billion ambition to build a rail link between the Port of Lobito and Zambia’s Copperbelt region, transport minister Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu has said in Luanda.
He added that Egypt had also shown interest in the infrastructure project, which is expected to fundamentally change bulk ore and mining supply chain logistics for the Copperbelt.
The planned 800-kilometre Zambian spur will link the country’s copper mines to an existing line running from the Angolan port of Lobito into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
It forms a crucial part of the broader Lobito Corridor, which aims to connect the interior of southern Africa with the Atlantic Ocean.
The project, which is set to break ground next year, represents the largest rail investment in Zambia since the Chinese-built Tazara (Tanzania-Zambia Railway) in the 1970s.
Costs have risen significantly from earlier estimates and the Africa Finance Corporation, which holds the concession to oversee the work, has refrained from announcing a final price until tenders are submitted in the coming months.
Initially it was reported that the envisioned link, including branch extensions into Zambia, would exceed $1-7bn, depending on the length of the rail link infrastructure and related infrastructural developments.
The corridor’s development comes as Zambia and the DRC increase copper production to meet soaring global demand, driven by the transition to clean energy.
The new line will provide a more direct route to European and American markets than current transport options.
In addition to Italy and the AfDB, the European Union has also expressed interest in supporting the project. While the United States backed the corridor under former President Joe Biden, its financial contributions have been gradual.
The US International Development Finance Corporation approved a $553m loan for the Angolan section in June 2024, and d’Abreu confirmed the transfer was still expected before the end of the year.
