IMELDA AMBONDO
For more than a decade, the Trans-Kalahari Railway project has been a dream on paper, discussed at summits, debated in meetings, and mapped out on PowerPoints.
Now, after 16 years, the 1 690-kilometre railway linking Botswana’s Mmamabula coalfields to Namibia’s Port of Walvis Bay appears to be shifting from plan to reality. The project is estimated to be worth about N$200 billion (US$11 billion).
Documents from the third Financial Summit in Luanda, Angola, held from 28 to 31 October 2025, and from the Railway Meetings in Windhoek from 15 to 17 September 2025, show that both the Namibia and Botswana governments say the long-delayed mega project is on time and on budget.
Trans-Kalahari Railway Project Coordinator Cynthia Haimbodi last month said that in terms of the approved roadmap, the development phase is scheduled for May 2027.
“The railway will mark a new chapter in southern Africa’s infrastructure story and give Botswana a long-sought gateway to the sea,” she said.
The path to this point has been long and bureaucratic. The first pre-feasibility study, led by Canada’s CPCS Transcom Limited, ran from 2009 to 2011. It was followed by a Memorandum of Understanding in 2010, a Bilateral Agreement in 2014, and the creation of a Project Management Office later that year.
Momentum returned in February 2025, when officials met in Swakopmund to approve a new roadmap. A month later, CPCS signed a N$29.6 million (US$1.65 million) contract for the full feasibility study. Work began in April 2025 and is set to wrap up in April 2026. Two key milestones have already been reached: the Inception Report in June and the Needs and Solutions Report in August 2025.
Two design options are being considered: Standard Gauge and Cape Gauge.
Officials say Cape Gauge allows for the re-use of 1 100 kilometres of existing track, cutting construction costs by about 7% and ensuring regional compatibility. Documents presented by the Trans-Kalahari Railway Project Management Office at the Luanda Infrastructure Summit in October 2025 state, “Cape Gauge keeps us connected to SADC and lowers long-term risk.”
The documents further say once the feasibility study concludes in April 2026, the next phase will be a Request for Proposals from April to September 2026, followed by evaluation and contract awards through April 2027. Construction is expected to begin in May 2027 under a Public-Private Partnership.
Coal production will anchor the railway’s early traffic. Namibia’s Dordabis Mine exports four million tonnes annually, while Jindal Africa’s Khomas Project, expected to start production in the third quarter of 2025, will add another seven million tonnes per year. Botswana’s idle Ikongwe Mine could also reopen once the railway lowers logistics costs.
The two governments expect the line to carry fuel, cement, and container cargo through Walvis Bay, cutting transport times and reducing the region’s dependence on South Africa’s congested corridors. The project also includes a port upgrade, dredging, and a new conveyor-belt terminal.
Spending remains within the N$29.6 million (USD 1.65 million) feasibility budget. Both governments say construction and long-term operations will be financed by private investors, backed by state guarantees. If the timeline holds, the feasibility report will be complete by April 2026, a developer will be selected by April 2027, and the first tracks will be laid by May 2027.
MORE THAN JUST A RAILWAY
Speaking at the project’s joint ministerial committee meeting in Maun in October, Namibia’s Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi, said the project is a strategic instrument that will unlock regional trade, create jobs, and stimulate investment across Namibia, Botswana and beyond.
The Namibian minister confirmed that feasibility studies are progressing and the bilateral cooperation remains strong.
He said joint committees are meeting regularly, key deliverables achieved timeously, while environmental concerns are central to planning.
“Our practical implementation phase must be structured to have minimal environmental damage, if any at all. Let us remain committed to delivering this project through a transparent Public–Private Partnership that brings value to our nations,” Nekundi said.
Speaking at the same event, Botswana’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Noah Salakae, said the broader significance of the project promises more than a railway line. “It promises faster, more efficient trade. It promises new jobs and new skills,” he said.
He added that “We must explore innovative financing, blending public, private, and development capital to bring TKR to life.”
Salakae said the TKR should be used to develop “new towns, industrial clusters, agro-processing hubs, and service centres” along the route. Salakae added that the vision includes the potential creation of a Kalahari City, which could “anchor development, attract investment, and become a symbol of what Botswana and Namibia can achieve when we dream boldly and act decisively.”
Both countries stressed the importance of harmonising the TKR with the existing Trans Kalahari Corridor (road) to create a unified multimodal transport network. Salakae described this integration as essential to “offering traders and investors a seamless logistics platform.
The two ministers emphasised the need for innovative funding models. “We must explore innovative financing, blending public, private, and development capital to bring TKR to life,” Salakae said
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