KEY POINTS
-
Tanzania and Angola plan to link their rail corridors through Zambia and the DRC.
-
The proposed route will connect the Lobito Corridor to TAZARA.
-
Tanzania is also assessing investment in Angola’s Lobito oil refinery project.
Tanzania and Angola have agreed to connect their Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean transport corridors through a railway network running across Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced the agreement on Thursday, October 29, 2026, saying the proposed link would connect the Benguela Railway in Angola to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), extending transport connections between the two sides of the continent.
The project would link Angola’s Lobito Corridor on the Atlantic coast with Tanzania’s Central Corridor, which runs towards the port of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean.
Hassan did not provide a timeline for the proposed railway connection or disclose the estimated cost of the project.
Railway link to connect two major trade routes
The proposed connection is expected to create a continuous rail transport route between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts, passing through Zambia and the DRC.
The Benguela Railway forms part of Angola’s Lobito Corridor, which provides access to the Atlantic Ocean and serves mining and export activities in the region.
On the eastern side, TAZARA connects Zambia to Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam, providing an important route for transporting goods to international markets.
Connecting the two railway systems would improve regional transport links and provide landlocked countries, particularly Zambia and the DRC, with additional options for moving minerals and other commodities to seaports.
The initiative comes amid growing competition and investment in railway infrastructure across southern and central Africa, particularly around routes serving major mineral-producing areas.
China backs TAZARA modernisation
The proposed link follows a major agreement involving China, Zambia and Tanzania to modernise the TAZARA railway.
In 2025, the three countries signed a $1.4 billion agreement for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the railway, which China originally financed during the 1970s to facilitate copper exports and fuel imports.
TAZARA has also been viewed as a strategic alternative to the US and European Union-backed Lobito Corridor, which runs from Angola through Zambia towards the mineral-rich areas of the DRC.
This week, Italian construction company Webuild announced that it had won a tender to construct a section of the Zambia-Lobito Railway Corridor, further advancing development of the western route.
The competing infrastructure projects underline the growing international interest in improving access to Africa’s mineral resources and strengthening regional trade connections.
Tanzania considers investment in Angolan refinery
Beyond railway cooperation, Angola has invited Tanzania to invest in an oil refinery project in the country.
Hassan said Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), the state-owned energy company, was assessing the viability of participating in the Lobito oil refinery project.
She did not disclose the size of the proposed investment or whether Tanzania had decided to acquire an equity stake in the facility.
The discussions come as East African countries explore opportunities to expand domestic petroleum refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported fuel.
Tanzania has not yet indicated whether it will participate in a refinery project being developed in Kenya by Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote.
East African governments have been offered a 30 per cent stake in the Dangote refinery, with Kenya and Rwanda already committing to acquire shares.
Meanwhile, Tanzania and Uganda are discussing plans to jointly develop another refinery at the Tanzanian port city of Tanga.
Regional infrastructure cooperation expands
The proposed railway connection and refinery discussions point to broader efforts by African governments to strengthen regional infrastructure, improve access to international markets and develop energy partnerships.
For Tanzania and Angola, linking the Atlantic and Indian Ocean corridors could create new opportunities for trade and mineral transportation across several countries.
However, the railway proposal remains at the agreement stage, with details on financing, construction schedules and implementation yet to be announced.
