The Lobito Corridor is a strategic transport and development infrastructure in Southern Africa, designed to connect the Port of Lobito, on Angola’s Atlantic coast, to the resource-rich regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. Structured as a development corridor, its purpose extends well beyond transportation: it aims to catalyse economic transformation along its route, promoting regional integration, industrialisation, and sustainable development.
The corridor’s central infrastructure is the Benguela Railway (CFB), which crosses Angola from west to east, establishing rail connections to the interior of the continent and offering a competitive route for the export of raw materials — especially ores such as copper and cobalt from the DRC and Zambia’s Copperbelt. The corridor enables a significant reduction in logistics costs and export timelines, making it an efficient alternative to other existing routes on the continent.
However, the Lobito Corridor is not limited to a logistical function. It is a territorial economic development initiative aimed at stimulating local value chains in Angola’s adjacent provinces — such as Benguela, Huambo, Bié, Moxico, and Moxico Leste — by promoting investment opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, agro-industry, logistics, services, and manufacturing. Strengthening these value chains will contribute to job creation, increased productivity, and economic diversification, in line with national objectives of inclusive and sustainable growth.
The corridor has benefited from both public and private investment, including an international railway concession, initiatives under the US Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), and the European Union’s Global Gateway. These partnerships reinforce the Lobito Corridor’s role as a strategic axis for regional trade and an essential driver of integrated and resilient economic development in the region.