Chamwe Kaira
The feasibility study for the Trans-Kalahari Railway is expected to be completed by June 2026. The construction of the railway is planned to start around 2027.
In December last year, Namibia and Botswana extended the completion timeline for the Trans-Kalahari Railway feasibility study by two months.
They said the project remains on track and is central to regional trade and logistics ambitions.
The Trans-Kalahari Railway is a proposed 1 500-kilometre line linking coalfields and mineral areas in Botswana, including Mmamabula, to the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia.
The project is estimated to cost more than US$16 billion.
Namibia and Botswana confirmed their commitment to the project during a recent joint ministerial committee meeting held in Swakopmund.
Both parties reviewed progress since December 2025 and noted key steps completed, including a legal due diligence report, route alignment checks and approval of the preferred route.
They said completing the feasibility study will move the project to the next phase.
The railway is planned to improve links between the two countries and strengthen the role of the Port of Walvis Bay as a trade gateway. It is also expected to support mining, agriculture and manufacturing and create jobs along the route.
Both countries called for continued cooperation and faster decisions to keep the project on track.
They said the railway should align with regional plans such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) infrastructure programme and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The project aims to reduce pressure on road transport and provide a more efficient export route. It also faces competition from other regional corridors such as TAZARA and the Lobito Corridor.
Botswana’s minister of transport and infrastructure, Noah Salakae, said countries like Zimbabwe have shown interest in using the railway.
Namibia’s minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, said the two countries must develop the railway as “arteries of prosperity”.
Ministers said Botswana has long relied on a single export route through South Africa, which is under pressure from high cargo volumes.
They said Walvis Bay has the capacity to serve as a regional export hub.
“The Trans-Kalahari Railway will change all of that. This is no longer a dream. It is an engineering and economic imperative whose time has come,” Nekundi said.
The project is in its final feasibility stage, which will guide technical and engineering work before construction.
