Trans-Kalahari rail line unfinished 15 years after launch
Feasibility study delayed
The project remains incomplete, with little tangible development beyond a management office in Windhoek.
Fifteen years after the launch of the Trans-Kalahari Railway Project, the scheme remains incomplete, with little tangible development beyond a management office in Windhoek.The multi-billion-dollar railway, designed to connect Botswana’s coal fields to Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay, was expected to boost regional trade and economic growth. However, at a joint ministerial committee meeting in Swakopmund on Friday, both Botswana and Namibia acknowledged the delays and called for urgent action.
Namibia’s minister of works and transport and deputy prime minister John Mutorwa stressed that delivering the railway would honour the leaders who first introduced it.
“The best way to honour and respect our political leaders is to practically implement and translate into reality their ideas, visions, plans, programmes, and projects,” he said, specifically referring to the vision of late founding president Sam Nujoma.
Botswana’s transport and infrastructure minister Noah Salakae agreed that progress has been too slow and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to making the railway a reality.
“A tangible legacy between the two countries lies in this very railway line, envisioned to stretch approximately 1 500 kilometres,” he said.
High expectations
The project was introduced in 2010 with high expectations. It was envisioned as a cost-effective transportation route for Botswana’s coal exports, opening up trade opportunities and supporting economic diversification. In 2014, Botswana and Namibia signed a formal agreement to implement the project, and in 2024, officials met in Kasane and agreed it should be “fast-tracked to the point of no return.” However, no significant construction has taken place.
The ministers acknowledged progress in appointing a consultant to conduct a feasibility study and guide the next stages of the project. The tender process closed in July 2024, and four bids were evaluated before a preferred bidder was identified. Contract negotiations were concluded in October last year, with final legal clarifications completed earlier this month.
However, despite these steps, the feasibility study has not yet commenced due to delays in finalising the contract, which is still under review by the attorney generals of both countries.
Recognising the urgency, the ministers urged all parties to expedite outstanding processes to align with the approved roadmap.
“We expect our discussions with our technocrats today to provide the much-needed guidance going forward, especially considering the benefits of this project are enormous and well known,” Salakae said.
Mutorwa warned against endless planning with no results: “The two countries, through their governments, cannot and may not use public resources – human, time, facilities, etc. – to organise a meeting of this magnitude simply to be told how or why it is so difficult or, going to the extreme, impossible to practically implement earlier decisions.”
Salakae noted that Botswana has long sought to monetise its coal reserves, estimated at over 200 billion tonnes, but transport limitations have made large-scale exports difficult.
Mutorwa emphasised that beyond coal, the railway would have a wider socio-economic impact on the SADC region.