The Lobito Corridor: Reviving a Vital African Trade Route
ISS (issafrica.org)
A Historic Gateway to the Sea
The Lobito Corridor was once one of Africa’s most significant transportation routes, linking the interior regions of Central and Southern Africa to the Atlantic Ocean via the Angolan port of Lobito. Its central feature, the Benguela Railway, was constructed in 1928 to transport copper and cobalt from mines in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia.
For decades, this railway served as the primary channel for exports from the Copperbelt region, making it a strategic artery for regional trade and economic development.
Disruption and Decline
The potential of the Lobito Corridor was severely undermined by conflict in the region. The Angolan civil war, which began in the mid-1970s, led to the near-complete shutdown of the Benguela line. In the DRC, insecurity suspended rail operations in 1997. As a result, Zambia was forced to rely on longer, less efficient export routes through Dar-es-Salaam, Beira, and Durban.
A New Chapter: Reconnecting West and East
In 2015, the presidents of Angola, DRC, and Zambia met in Luau, Angola, to mark the completion of a US$1.9 billion rehabilitation of the 1,344 km Benguela Railway. This Chinese-backed project restored the corridor’s operational backbone, reconnecting Lobito with the DRC border.
Bilateral agreements between Angola and Zambia included plans to connect NWR to the Benguela line. This strategic move repositions Zambia as a key transit nation between Africa’s western and eastern coasts, restoring the Lobito Corridor as a vital trade route.
International Backing and Strategic Significance
In April 2025, the United States reaffirmed its financial commitment to the Lobito Corridor despite widespread federal spending cuts. Through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a $550 million loan has been pledged to support the refurbishment of the railway. This funding underlines the global strategic importance of the corridor, particularly for securing critical mineral supply chains.
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