Staff Writer
The Lobito Corridor Investment Promotion Authority (LCIPA) has highlighted renewed international confidence in the development of the trans-Africa transport route, following a recent high-level discussion between LCIPA director Alex Stonor and former senior U.S. State Department official and former Ambassador to Guinea, Troy Fitrell.
The conversation, featured in the latest edition of the LCIPA newsletter Thoughts on the Corridor, examined the progress, challenges, and strategic significance of the Lobito Corridor, which links the mineral-rich Copperbelt region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast via the Benguela Railway.
Fitrell, who has been one of the most prominent US voices advocating for the corridor, said the current phase of development marks a departure from earlier decades in which similar ambitions failed due to political and commercial constraints in the region.
He said that over the past 15 years Angola has undertaken major reforms to attract investment and promote sustainable development, while the DRC has also begun shifting toward more commercially driven policies in recent years.
These changes, he noted, have created conditions that did not previously exist for such a cross-border infrastructure project to succeed.
Fitrell also framed the corridor within a broader shift in global economic strategy, contrasting Western market-led investment approaches with China’s long-term strategic investments in mineral processing capacity.
He argued that the Lobito Corridor reflects a new Western-led effort, supported through initiatives such as the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, to secure alternative supply routes for critical minerals and strengthen global supply chains.
On progress already achieved, Fitrell pointed to the operational handover of Angola’s 1300-kilometre Benguela Railway, ongoing freight operations, and binding agreements between mining companies such as Kamoa-Kakula and rail operators to transport copper through the corridor.
He said transit times from the Copperbelt to the Atlantic have been reduced from more than a month by road to about a week by rail.
He added that investments in telecommunications, energy, and agriculture along the route are increasing, with agricultural goods now being transported back into the DRC along the corridor.
However, he cautioned that while rail extensions toward Kolwezi and potential links to Zambia remain under discussion, expectations should be tempered due to the complexity of involving additional sovereign stakeholders and infrastructure development timelines.
Fitrell identified cross-border execution and regulatory harmonisation among Angola, the DRC, and Zambia as the single biggest constraint to faster progress.
He said that while financing and market demand are no longer major obstacles, the success of the corridor depends on aligning customs procedures, rail operations, and regulatory systems across three jurisdictions to ensure uninterrupted freight movement.
“All three countries are committed in principle, but implementation is always the challenge,” he noted, highlighting the need for sustained political coordination to realise a fully integrated regional logistics network
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) believes that the port of Lobito in Angola is a significant regional competitor due to its strategic location and infrastructure investments.
The company believes that as an alternative gateway for landlocked countries such as the DRC and Zambia, the port has grown in recent years and has attracted cargo traditionally routed through the Port of Walvis Bay.
