WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Development Bank of Southern Africa on Wednesday deepened its role in one of Africa’s most consequential infrastructure initiatives, joining international partners in Washington, D.C., for the signing of the financial agreement for the Lobito Atlantic Railway Project in Angola. The ceremony marked a decisive step toward full implementation of a corridor increasingly viewed as central to Africa’s trade future and global supply-chain resilience.
DBSA’s participation includes approved senior debt funding of up to US$200 million, co-funded alongside US$553 million from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, with Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis serving as project sponsors. The financing structure reflects growing international confidence in the Lobito Corridor as a commercially viable and strategically necessary investment.
For DBSA, the agreement represents more than a financial close. It signals the transition of a long-planned vision into execution. Mpho Mokwele, Group Executive for Transacting at DBSA, described the signing as a moment of delivery rather than declaration.
“The conclusion of the finance agreements brings our commitment full circle,” Mokwele said. “It is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to accelerating the next phase of this transformative project.”
Running from the Port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Lobito Atlantic Railway is designed to reshape regional logistics by restoring and modernizing a critical rail artery. By strengthening connectivity across Angola and into Central Africa, the corridor is expected to lower transport costs, shorten transit times, and unlock new trade routes across Southern and Central Africa.
The project’s strategic value is closely tied to minerals essential to global industry and the energy transition. Once operational at scale, the corridor will provide what is expected to become one of the most competitive routes for transporting copper and cobalt from the mineral-rich regions of the DRC to international markets through the Lobito Port. In doing so, it positions Southern Africa as a more reliable contributor to global critical mineral supply chains.
Beyond exports, the corridor is expected to stimulate economic activity along its length, supporting industrial development, logistics services, and cross-border commerce. DBSA officials see these spillover effects as central to the project’s long-term impact.
“Our US$200 million funding is aligned with our regional integration strategy,” Mokwele said. “It directs toward the rehabilitation of the 1,289-kilometer Benguela Railway line connecting the Port of Lobito in Angola to the DRC border. We do not see the strategic value as simply being the rail line itself, but rather the creation of an efficient intermodal system designed to maximize the throughput capacity of the region.”
As global trade patterns adjust to geopolitical pressure and the need for diversified supply chains, the Lobito Atlantic Railway has gained attention well beyond the region it serves. The partnership between DBSA and DFC places African-led infrastructure at the center of those shifts, reinforcing the case that large-scale projects on the continent can meet international standards of governance, financing discipline, and commercial performance.
For DBSA, the Lobito Corridor aligns squarely with its broader mandate to support infrastructure that drives growth while improving livelihoods across Southern Africa. By backing a project that links ports, rail, and cross-border trade, the bank indicates its role as a development finance institution focused on integration rather than isolation.
As implementation moves forward, the Lobito Atlantic Railway stands as a practical demonstration of what coordinated regional action and strategic investment can achieve. More than a transport link, it is a platform for trade, industrial expansion, and long-term prosperity, anchored by partnerships that recognize Africa’s capacity to build, finance, and deliver at scale.
