• Zimbabwe and Zambia signed an MoU for a 311 km rail link to support mining exports.

• The project could reduce transport distances to Beira port by about 800 km.

• The corridor requires nearly $2 billion in investment amid financing and integration challenges.

Zimbabwe and Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding to build a railway linking Kafue and Lion’s Den, two areas located near their shared border. The planned line will span about 311 km, including 94 km in Zambia, and will connect strategically important areas.

The project is valued at more than $2 billion, according to official statements.

Zimbabwe–Zambia Sign US$2bn Rail Deal: 311km Line, 445km Rehab, Routes Cut by Up to 1,000km.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have signed an MOU for the Lion’s Den–Kafue railway, a project valued at over US$2 billion. The new line will span 311km (217km in Zimbabwe, 94km in Zambia) and… pic.twitter.com/QpMtiQvsSA

— Zimbabwe Economic Review (@ZimbabweReview) April 11, 2026

A corridor designed for mining flows

Beyond improving connectivity, the infrastructure targets the optimization of mineral transport. The project aligns with initiatives led by the Pan-African Minerals Development Company (PMDC), a joint entity tasked with managing mining rights in Southern Africa that were historically held by the two countries’ public railway companies.

The Kafue–Lion’s Den line aims to enable more direct, secure, and competitive transport of minerals to export ports. Authorities present rail as a tool to reduce logistics costs and improve control over freight flows and transit times.

Zambian authorities state that the project could reduce distances to the Port of Beira by about 800 km compared with the North-South corridor. As a result, the new route could partially reconfigure regional export flows in favor of this corridor.

Infrastructure-led continental trend

The Kafue–Lion’s Den corridor reflects a broader continental trend of developing or upgrading rail infrastructure linked to mining basins.

In Mozambique, the Nacala corridor transports coal from Tete province to a deep-water port and is undergoing modernization. In South Africa, authorities are reforming the rail sector, including lines serving mining regions. In North Africa, countries are advancing similar projects, including Algeria’s Gara Djebilet iron ore corridor, as well as phosphate-focused developments in Morocco and Tunisia.

In West Africa, Guinea recently inaugurated a first հատված of the railway corridor linked to the Simandou project, while Liberia is planning to modernize the Yekepa–Buchanan line for iron ore exports. In Central Africa, Gabon is continuing upgrades to the Setrag network used for manganese transport.

Meanwhile, East Africa is leading with large-scale projects such as the Lobito and TAZARA corridors, with investments estimated at more than $6 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively.

As with many large infrastructure projects, financing remains a key constraint. The Kafue–Lion’s Den corridor requires close to $2 billion in investment.

In addition, technical challenges persist, particularly the integration of the new line with existing rail networks to ensure interoperability and efficient operations.

Henoc Dossa