The completion of the Phase 1 feasibility assessment gives Botswana and Namibia a basis for determining how the Trans-Kalahari Railway can move forward, including the financing, procurement and implementation arrangements still required.
At 1,850km, the proposed corridor would combine new railway construction with upgrades to existing lines and provide Botswana with a rail connection through Namibia to the Port of Walvis Bay, supporting wider regional freight and trade flows.
Botswana and Namibia are preparing to advance the Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) following the completion of the feasibility assessment for Phase 1 of the project.
The feasibility report was received at a Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Kasane, Botswana, on 31 July 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah S.L.M. Salakae, and Namibia’s Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi.
Attention is now turning to the recommendations of the study, financing mechanisms, procurement strategies and the implementation framework required to take the project forward.
The ministers called for the project to be expedited, in line with the position expressed by the Heads of State of Botswana and Namibia, including shortening the timeframe for the procurement phase.
Botswana and Namibia are pursuing the TKR as a multi-commodity corridor linking Botswana through Namibia to the Port of Walvis Bay. The railway is intended to support freight beyond the mineral sector while strengthening regional trade and logistics connectivity within SADC and under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The project is supported by existing agreements between the two countries, including the Memorandum of Understanding, Bilateral Agreement and TKR-PMO Agreement.
The meeting also highlighted opportunities for Namibian and Batswana contractors, professionals and suppliers, together with continued engagement with communities along the proposed railway.
Trans-Kalahari Railway will span a total of 1,850km, linking Botswana and Namibia. The route comprises 1,025km of greenfield railway (entirely new track) and 825km of brownfield (upgrades to existing rail lines).
