Botswana and Namibia Seek to Speed Up Implementation of Trans-Kalahari Rail
During the Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting held at Swakopmund on Friday 21 February 2025, Botswana and Namibia renewed their commitment to realize the Trans-Kalahari Rail Corridor Development Project (TKRCP).
Namibian Minister of Works and Transport John Mutorwa spurred the TKRCP to move faster. He pointed out that the two countries cannot continue to waste public resources to organise meeting of such magnitude without getting decisions implemented.
He recalled that the partnership agreement for the regional rail has already been signed since 2014, more than a decade ago with little concrete progress to show. The Trans-Kalahari Corridor Secretariat (TKCS) has even been set up to coordinate the efforts and monitor the progress of the strategic project.
Botswanian Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Noah Salakae could not agree more with his Namibian counterpart and underlined that the TKRCP is more than just an infrastructural project; it is a stepping stone for economic upliftment!
“The most important legacy is that this railway line will transform a fragmented #SADC trade bloc into a paragon of inclusivity and prosperity, contributing meaningfully to the socio-economic upliftment of our people.”
Botswana Minister of Transport Noah Salakae
The TKRCP has been integrated into Botswana’s new Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP), which aims to ‘unlock economic opportunities through infrastructure expansion.’
The Trans-Kalahari Rail will link the mineral-rich regions of Botswana to the Walvis Bay seaport on the Atlantic Coast in Namibia. The total distance between Walvis Bay to the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, is about is 1,500 kilometers.
The findings of the pre-feasibility study report were reviewed during the joint meeting. The regional rail project is estimated to cost from USD 10 to15 billion. It was agreed that a more comprehensive study would be able to hash out the necessary parameters and modalities for the project to proceed.
Being landlocked, Botswana has been relying on South African seaports for most of its external trade so far. However, congestion has made the need to find new outlets an urgency.
On the other side, the #TransKalahari Rail extends from Botswana to South Africa, linking Gaborone to Johannesburg. The total distance from Walvis Bay to Johannesburg is 1,900 kilometers.
The two countries are on the same page with regards to leveraging the Public-Private Partnership (#PPP) model to structure the financing, accelerate the implementation, and ensure proper operation without losing sight of viability.
Both parties also took a look to the larger picture of the #AfCFTA under the African Union’s #Agenda2063 which advocates the enhancement of regional #connectivity as a enabler to uplift the people socially and economically.