Angola’s transport ministry has announced the upcoming launch of an international public tender for the concession of the Moçâmedes Railway Line, a decisive step toward creating the Southern Corridor, reports Forbes Africa Lusófona.
Next month, the Angolan government will move forward with the international public tender, aimed at creating a public-private partnership that enhances national logistical competitiveness and consolidates Angola’s position as a regional hub in Southern Africa.
According to transport minister Ricardo Viegas D’Abreu, the concession will integrate interior provinces with neighbouring Namibia and Zambia, elevating the port of Namibe into a strategic, competitive alternative to other Southern African ports, particularly Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay.
“We have high expectations regarding the interest this tender will generate among major international players,” said D’Abreu, during the inauguration of the first Angola Hub Transport & Logistics Summit.
[See more: TAAG is set to complete its move to Angola’s new international airport]
The Moçâmedes project is a key step in developing the broader Southern Corridor, connecting the mineral-rich provinces of Huíla, Cuando, Cubango and Namibe to the Atlantic port. More than simply exporting raw materials, the initiative also envisions the development of a national steel industry to add value to iron ore extracted from the Cassinga mines (Huíla).
D’Abreu used the summit to highlight other structural initiatives as well, including the Caio Deepwater Terminal (Cabinda), new airports in Cabinda and Mbanza Congo, and the Dande Free Zone and associated port terminal (Bengo), as well as the “airport city” set to be developed around the new international airport in Icolo e Bengo.
These projects are “delivering tangible results for the Angolan nation,” he noted, from creating jobs and training skilled workers, to fostering trade and integrating value chains.
If well executed, one expert told Forbes Africa Lusófona, the Moçâmedes concession could reposition Angola as a strategic axis between the Atlantic and the markets of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
