Keypoints:
- €250mn loan accelerates Lobito Corridor development across Angola, Zambia, and DRC
- Guinea, Mauritania, Cameroon, and Nigeria push major mineral rail projects
- AMW 2025 to showcase Africa’s rail and mining integration
AFRICA’S railway sector is undergoing a transformative revival as nations invest in strategic corridors to unlock mineral exports and strengthen trade with global partners. Leading the charge is the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), which secured a €250mn, 10-year loan in June from Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to accelerate development of the Lobito Corridor — a key transcontinental route linking Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The loan will be used to procure goods and services from Italian firms to advance the corridor and adjacent renewable energy projects, positioning the route as a clean-energy supply chain backbone.
African Mining Week to spotlight big rail plays
The Lobito Corridor is among the flagship projects that will take centre stage at African Mining Week (AMW) in Cape Town, running from October 1–3, 2025. The event will showcase investment-ready infrastructure and logistics opportunities shaping Africa’s resource future, with a strong focus on how rail is linking mines to markets.
Simandou rail nears operational readiness
In Guinea-Conakry, a major step was achieved in June with the completion of a 903-metre tunnel along the 650-km Simandou Railway. The line, due to start operations by early 2026, will haul up to 120 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore annually from the Simandou deposit, which holds an estimated 2bn tonnes in reserves.
US company Wabtec was awarded a $248 million contract in February to supply locomotives. A featured panel at AMW 2025, ‘From Mines to Markets’, will explore how megaprojects like Simandou are helping to build integrated mineral value chains across West Africa.
Mauritania boosts iron ore transport
In Mauritania, the government secured a €113 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) in June to co-finance the upgrade of its Zouérat–Nouadhibou railway, a critical iron ore route. The €461 millon project, developed in partnership with SNIM and private investors, aims to increase the country’s ore exports to meet rising global demand.
Mauritania will present a suite of investment openings at AMW, as its transport and mining infrastructure enter a new phase of international relevance.
Cameroon strengthens bauxite corridors
In Cameroon, Australia’s Canyon Resources acquired a 9.1 percent stake in Camrail, the national rail operator, to support the logistics chain for the Minim Martap Bauxite Mine. The stake, bought from TotalEnergies and Société d’Exploitation des Bois du Cameroun, will facilitate annual exports of up to 6.4 million tonnes of bauxite through upgraded rail-port connections.
The deal underscores Cameroon’s role in the global energy transition, with bauxite emerging as a strategic mineral for the aluminium and clean tech industries.
China extends rail influence across Africa
China’s infrastructure push remains strong. In February, the China Railway Engineering Group signed a $2.15bn agreement with Tanzania and Burundi to build a 282-km railway, supporting the export of up to 3 millon tonnes of minerals yearly. In Nigeria, the China Development Bank approved a $254.76 million grant in January to fund the Kano-Kaduna rail line, connecting the Lagos-Ibadan and Kano-Maradi corridors.
At AMW 2025, the China-Africa Cooperation on Minerals Roundtable will bring together public and private leaders, while the Invest in Nigeria Infrastructure session will highlight the strategic potential of this corridor in West Africa’s mineral logistics.
Rail investment reshapes Africa’s trade future
From West to Central and East Africa, rail corridors are fast becoming the arteries of economic growth. Backed by multilateral lenders, global partners, and national strategies, this rail boom is driving Africa’s transition from resource-rich to export-ready. At AMW 2025, the continent’s rail-driven growth model will be on full display—connecting investors to projects that are moving Africa forward.
