Namibia and Angola have established a Railway Joint Technical Committee (RJTC), with members mandated to consult with their counterparts as and when necessary, on matters related to cross-border rail development.
According to Robert Kalomho, Director of Railway Infrastructure Management at the Ministry of Works and Transport, the RJTC is an extension of the Cabinet Task Force that was established as far back as 2009 to examine infrastructure development in and around Oshikango, the Namibian border town with Angola.
This work included consideration of a railway connection to the Angolan railway network system.
Kalomho said discussions on the project date back even further, including the period before the construction of the Oshivelo–Oshikango railway line by Namibia, with both countries engaging in the possibility of a future rail link.
He said the project has consistently featured on the agenda of the Bilateral Commissions and Joint Permanent Commissions between Namibia and Angola. In June 2025, the Namibian Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, together with his technical team, held discussions with Angolan counterparts on this specific project, as well as on other transport infrastructure-related matters. The Namibian railway network currently ends about 100 metres from the Namibia–Angola border.
On the Trans Zambezi and Trans Kalahari railway projects, Kalomho said the initiatives are at the procurement stage, with the process under way to appoint a transactional adviser. The adviser will, among other tasks, explore modalities for the development of the proposed railway extensions.
He said the specific objectives of the assignment include the development of a full feasibility study and detailed design documentation, exploration of structuring options for a public-private partnership (PPP) development, drafting of a PPP agreement document, preparation of a Request for Proposals (RFP), and assistance in the selection of suitable PPP partners through an Open International Bid (OIB) method.
Late last year, Angola’s Ministry of Transport launched a public tender for the concession of the right to operate, manage and maintain the Namibe Corridor. Interested entities are invited to submit proposals by 4 May 2026.
The concession, with an initial duration of 30 years and the option to extend it to up to 50 years, covers the operation, management, maintenance and preservation of the Moçâmedes–Menongue Railway Line. This includes rolling stock, associated infrastructure, workshops and a training centre. The concession also provides for the potential design and construction of new sections, extensions and branch lines, as well as railway connections to Namibia and, at a later stage, to Zambia.
The Namibe Corridor is expected to strengthen Angola’s role as a regional logistics platform, enhance supply chains, attract new investments and improve the competitiveness of exports.
The corridor comprises the Moçâmedes Railway, with a total length of 855 kilometres, and the Port of Namibe, forming a strategic logistics axis for the export of minerals, ornamental stones, agricultural products and other goods. The infrastructure has a theoretical capacity of up to five million tonnes per year and serves as a key connection point for landlocked countries in the region, in coordination with the Lobito and Walvis Bay corridors.
Written for Railways Africa by Chamwe Kaira.
