Africa Finance Corp to Launch Bids for Zambia-Angola Railway Linking Copper Mines to Lobito Port
New Zambia-Angola Railway to Boost Copper Exports and Create Jobs, Says Africa Finance Corp
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) plans to issue bids in the coming months for the construction of a new railway connecting Zambia’s copper-rich region to the Angolan port of Lobito, a move set to strengthen regional trade and infrastructure.
According to Samaila Zubairu, AFC President, the tender will be divided into three parts, covering:
Construction of rail links in Zambia,
Construction of rail links in Angola, and
Provision of rolling stock and railway systems.
Groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for next year, marking the first major railway development in Zambia since the 1970s, when China financed and helped build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara).
The Lobito Corridor project is strategically significant as global demand for copper and other critical minerals rises. While Washington supports the corridor, China is simultaneously investing $1.4 billion to modernize the Tazara line, highlighting intensifying geopolitical competition in African infrastructure and mineral access.
“The globe needs to understand that it is in their best interest to work with us to create jobs,” Zubairu said. “Because 400 million people without jobs is not just a risk to Africa, it is a risk to the world.”
The railway will facilitate the export of growing copper production from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while also generating local employment and boosting industries like agriculture that benefit from improved transportation networks.
Africa’s young and rapidly expanding population faces a growing need for employment opportunities, making infrastructure projects like the Lobito Corridor critical for both economic development and social stability.
