Namibia and Botswana have recently announced that the full feasibility study for the long-awaited Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) project is expected to be completed by March 2026. The study, which began in April 2025, marks a major step toward realising a project that could transform trade and connectivity across Southern Africa.
The two neighbouring countries expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing study, describing the project as a vital link between Botswana’s mineral-rich regions and Namibia’s deep-water ports. Once completed, the railway is expected to unlock new economic opportunities, reduce transport costs, and enhance regional integration.
Namibia has already issued a licence to the Botswana Dry Port in Walvis Bay, allowing it to clear goods directly, an important move aimed at improving trade facilitation and operational efficiency.
Speaking during the second session of the Botswana–Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Windhoek, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah welcomed the progress made since the inaugural BNC in 2022. The meeting was attended by Botswana’s President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko.
Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted several milestones achieved since the first session, including the implementation of the One Stop Border Post at Trans-Kalahari/Mamuno. The post, located along the key trade corridor linking Gaborone to Walvis Bay, has streamlined customs procedures and improved efficiency for traders and transporters.
The two countries also introduced 24-hour border operations and mutual recognition of national identity cards for cross-border travel. These measures have significantly reduced transport costs and transit times, boosting regional trade flows.
Namibia reaffirmed the importance of its bilateral trade with Botswana, particularly in sectors such as cement and charcoal.
During the BNC session, Namibia and Botswana signed eight new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signalling a deepening of cooperation in areas including energy resources, employment and labour, science, technology, and innovation. The agreements underscore the countries’ shared commitment to expand collaboration into sectors of strategic importance.
Both presidents also voiced concern over the recent decline in diamond revenues, which remain central to the economies of both nations. They welcomed the commission’s decision to develop joint strategies to safeguard the competitiveness of natural diamonds and to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the mining sector.
Botswana reiterated its intention to operationalise the Botswana Dry Port in Walvis Bay and accelerate progress on the Trans-Kalahari Railway, describing both initiatives as key to strengthening trade and economic ties with Namibia.
The Trans-Kalahari Railway will link Walvis Bay in Namibia with Gaborone in Botswana. The line is mainly intended to transport coal from the Mmamabula coal fields to Walvis Bay. The plan is to export around 90 million tonnes of coal each year from Botswana to India and China.
Written by Chamwe Kaira for Railways Africa
