The project involves the design, construction and operation of a 772 km railway extension connecting the existing railhead in Grootfontein with Rundu, Divundu and Katima Mulilo on the Zambia border. Developed by the Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT) with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project aims to complete the missing link in the Trans-Zambezi Corridor. The railway is intended to transform a predominantly road-based route into an efficient multimodal corridor by shifting heavy bulk cargo, including minerals, industrial inputs and cross-border goods, from road to rail. It will provide a direct connection between the Port of Walvis Bay and the Copperbelt region of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, strengthening regional economic integration across SADC.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
The project offers investors a unique opportunity to participate in the long-term concession of a strategic trade corridor linking the mining and industrial markets of Southern Africa's interior with Atlantic maritime routes. The low saturation of the Port of Walvis Bay and Namibia’s strong institutional stability provide an operating environment with low political risk. Investors will participate through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) structure and may play roles in financing, track construction, the management of intermodal terminals (dry ports), and the provision and commercial operation of trains and rolling stock, benefiting from cargo flows generated by the region’s mining and industrial activity.
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Feasibility & due diligence
Current status / progress to date
Feasibility study update and PPP transaction preparation underway. A transaction advisor was appointed in June 2026 to support feasibility study updates and PPP structuring for the Trans-Zambezi railway extension linking Namibia and Zambia. Geotechnical, socio-environmental and stakeholder engagement activities are in progress.
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- Ministry of Works and Transport (MWT) of Namibia in coordination with TransNamib Holdings Ltd
Expected impact
Jobs created / supported
It is estimated that more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created during the construction phase, along with over 800 skilled permanent jobs in railway operations, maintenance, dry port management and associated intermodal logistics services.
Economic & development benefits
- Significant reduction in transport costs and times for mining exports and bulk imports between the Copperbelt (Zambia/DRC) and the Atlantic
- Reduction in deterioration of the national road network through the modal shift of heavy cargo from road to rail
- Transformation of the transport corridor into an axis of regional economic development integrating dry ports and value-added logistics
- Increased competitiveness of the Port of Walvis Bay as a logistics gateway in SADC
- Facilitation of cross-border trade through unified customs and intermodal processes
Climate & resilience benefits
- Substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through the modal shift from road to rail
- Climate-resilient alignment designed to withstand extreme weather events and recurrent flooding in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins
- Reduced road congestion, noise pollution and risk of hazardous material spills
- Integration of environmental safeguards in sensitive areas adjacent to national parks, including Bwabwata National Park
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.