Washington DC, 17 December 2025 – Today, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) participated in a landmark signing of the loan agreement for the Lobito Atlantic Railway Project in Angola. This event marks a critical milestone for the project, paving the way for its full implementation.
The DBSA's participation includes approved senior debt funding of up to US$200 million co-funded alongside $553 million from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) with Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis as the project sponsors. This commitment underscores the DBSA’s mission to drive sustainable economic growth and regional integration in Southern Africa.
Mpho Mokwele, Group Executive for Transacting at DBSA, stated: "the conclusion of the finance agreements brings our commitment full circle, as it is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to accelerating the next phase of this transformative project."
The investment in this strategic infrastructure project is designed to be a game-changer for the region. Through building regional connectivity, this project aims to enhance regional trade and transportation networks by establishing an efficient and reliable railway connection from the Lobito Port on Angola’s Atlantic coast to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The corridor is set to also provide a critical and soon-to-be most competitive link, for transporting essential critical minerals like copper and cobalt from the mineral-rich areas of the DRC to international markets via the Lobito Port. This will further enhance the global energy transition by securing critical mineral supply chains. Most importantly, the project is anticipated to boost economic growth and facilitate increased intra-African trade.
“Our US$200 million funding is aligned with our regional integration strategy, which directs towards the rehabilitation of the 1,289 km Benguela Railway line, connecting the Port of Lobito in Angola to the DRC border. We do not see the strategic value as simply being the rail line itself, but rather the creation of an efficient intermodal system specifically designed to maximize the throughput capacity of the region,” concludes Mokwele.
As Southern Africa continues to position itself within evolving global trade patterns, the Lobito Atlantic Railway Project stands as testament to what regional cooperation and strategic investment can achieve. The partnership between DBSA and the DFC demonstrates international confidence in Africa's infrastructure potential and the DBSA's unwavering commitment to building Africa's prosperity through transformative development finance.
The DBSA remains dedicated to supporting infrastructure projects that drive economic growth and improve quality of life for communities across Southern Africa. The Lobito Corridor represents a cornerstone investment in the region's connected and prosperous future.
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About DBSA
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is one of the leading development financial institutions on the continent. Our primary purpose is delivering impactful development finance solutions that ignite transformative change in South Africa and on the rest of the African continent. Improving the quality of life of people in Africa is the fundamental focus of our development impact. We aim to bend the arc of history towards shared prosperity through multifaceted investments in sustainable infrastructure and human capacity.
Our product solutions span all phases of the infrastructure development value chain from infrastructure planning and project preparation, across a range of financing and non-financing investments to infrastructure implementation and delivery. Our primary areas of focus include Energy, ICT, Transport, Water and Sanitation. Our secondary area of focus includes Education, Housing and Health.
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