Zambia targets Walvis Bay corridor to strengthen regional trade links

CHAMWE KAIRA

Zambia has identified the Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi corridor as one of the strategic transport routes it intends to accelerate over the next five years, as President Hakainde Hichilema seeks to position the country as a regional transport and logistics hub.

In his address opening Zambia’s 14th National Assembly on 9 October 2026, Hichilema said the government would prioritise the development of transport corridors, including the Durban, Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi, Lobito, TAZARA and Nacala routes.

The announcement places the port of Walvis Bay within Zambia’s plans to improve regional connectivity, facilitate trade and investment, and strengthen the movement of goods across borders.

Hichilema said Zambia’s development agenda required adequate and reliable energy, good roads, efficient railways, modern airports, digital networks and efficient border posts.

“Our borders are the gateways to Zambia and critical arteries for trade, tourism and investment under the Grow Zambia Agenda,” he said.

He added that delays, corruption and inefficient processes at border points constrained economic growth and undermined investor confidence.

The Zambian government plans to digitise border processes, remove unnecessary administrative barriers and accelerate the transition towards seamless, non-stop borders.

For Namibia, the emphasis on the Walvis Bay corridor reinforces the port’s role in regional transport and logistics networks serving landlocked countries.

However, Hichilema’s address did not provide project costs, construction timelines or specific commitments on infrastructure development along the corridor.

The corridor is part of a broader transport and economic programme under which Zambia intends to expand its economy, create jobs and improve access to regional and international markets.

Hichilema said the government would work with the private sector to construct, rehabilitate and maintain roads while improving connectivity between provinces, districts and economic centres.

The administration also intends to upgrade airports and accelerate the construction of new airport infrastructure.

Beyond transport, Zambia plans to expand its energy supply and diversify fuel-import routes.

Hichilema said the government would pursue the construction of the Namibia–Zambia refined-petroleum and natural-gas pipelines, alongside proposed pipelines linking Zambia with Angola, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

He said the projects would reduce Zambia’s vulnerability to dependence on a single fuel-supply route while creating jobs, business opportunities and government revenue.

The proposed pipelines add an energy dimension to Zambia’s plans to strengthen economic links with Namibia, although the address did not specify their costs, routes or implementation schedules.

Hichilema’s wider economic programme also targets annual copper production of three million tonnes, electricity-generation capacity of 10 000 megawatts and five million international tourist arrivals.

The government has identified mining, agriculture, livestock, tourism, energy and manufacturing as central sectors for economic growth. It also aims to earn US$1 billion annually from beef exports.

The president said private-sector investment would be essential to achieving the targets, with the government expected to create a conducive business environment and facilitate partnerships.