The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) meeting on the Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) project took place last week, marking another step in ongoing bilateral efforts to advance the strategic initiative aimed at enhancing trade, connectivity, and regional integration.
Speaking at the meeting, Namibia’s Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, said that for decades the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, particularly Botswana, home to some of the richest mineral deposits on the continent, has been constrained by a single, overburdened export route. This route, mainly via South Africa’s rail and port infrastructure, has become oversaturated with regional demand. “The consequences are not abstract. They are felt in delayed shipments, lost revenue, and stunted economic growth,” Nekundi said. “Meanwhile, Namibia’s Port of Walvis Bay, a world-class deep-water facility on the Atlantic coast, has the capacity, ambition, and strategic position to serve as Southern Africa’s gateway to global markets. Yet for years, this asset has punched below its weight because the rail connection to neighbouring SADC countries simply did not exist, with South Africa being the exception.”
Reflecting on the project’s origins, Nekundi said the initiative dates back to 2010, when a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two nations. This commitment was strengthened in 2014 through a formal bilateral agreement to develop the railway line, along with associated coal storage, conveying, and loading facilities. Since 2022, both countries have continued to monitor progress and hold each other accountable. A major milestone was reached in April 2025 with the commissioning of a comprehensive feasibility study. The findings, expected later this year, are anticipated to provide a definitive roadmap for construction. Nekundi described the railway as more than just infrastructure, calling it a development corridor that will unlock multiple opportunities.
These include agricultural trade routes connecting Namibia’s central regions and Botswana’s farming zones to export markets, improved regional integration for landlocked SADC countries through a shorter route to the Atlantic, and the development of industrial nodes and special economic zones along the corridor. He added that the project is expected to generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs during both construction and operation. “We are building this railway for the farmer in Omaheke who needs a cost-effective route to market; for the young engineer in Gaborone who will design the next generation of transport infrastructure; for the port worker in Walvis Bay whose livelihood will grow with every additional tonne handled; and for the child in Gobabis who will grow up in a more prosperous and connected community,” Nekundi said. Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Noah Salakae, said the 1 500-kilometre railway will link Walvis Bay in Namibia, pass through Botswana’s Mmamabula Coalfields, and extend to Pretoria in South Africa. He noted that the project is in its final stages, although the completion of the feasibility study has been delayed by two months, from April to June 2026, to allow for more comprehensive technical and engineering assessments. Salakae added that the corridor, estimated to cost more than $16 billion, is a key component in reducing pressure on road transport while providing a direct trade route from Southern Africa to Europe and other global markets. Despite competition from other regional corridors such as TAZARA and the Lobito Corridor, Salakae said interest in the Trans-Kalahari Railway continues to grow. Countries including Zimbabwe have already expressed interest in utilising the route, underscoring its strategic importance to the region.
By Sharlien Tjambari
