Zambia is advancing the Lobito Corridor investment agenda after a June 2026 dissemination meeting reviewed progress from the November 2025 EU–Zambia Lobito Corridor Business Forum. The forum, organised with the European Union Delegation to Zambia and COMESA, has now shifted from investor networking to implementation, with opportunities moving through due diligence, project preparation, financing discussions and negotiations. The government says the pipeline spans agriculture, energy, manufacturing, critical raw materials, infrastructure, logistics and the green economy, supporting President Hakainde Hichilema’s wider push for industrialisation, exports, regional trade and private sector-led growth.
Key Overview
- Zambia’s Presidential Delivery Unit says the Lobito Corridor forum has generated a strong investment and partnership pipeline.
- The November 2025 forum attracted more than 1,050 delegates and supported over 370 structured engagements.
- More than 200 SMEs participated, with about 30–35% of participating SMEs identified as women- and youth-led enterprises.
- Priority sectors include agriculture, energy, manufacturing, critical raw materials, infrastructure, logistics and the green economy.
- The wider Lobito Corridor is attracting international financing interest, with AFC seeking $3 billion to $5 billion for rail-linked development.
Zambia Shifts From Forum Talk to Project Delivery
Zambia’s Presidential Delivery Unit said the Lobito Corridor initiative is entering a more practical phase after officials shared forum findings from the 2025 business gathering. Head of the PDU, Kusobile Kamwambi, framed the forum as the start of a structured process rather than a standalone event, stressing that success would be measured through investments facilitated, partnerships established, enterprises supported and jobs created.
The forum was held at Ciela Resort in Chongwe in November 2025 and brought together investors, companies, governments and development partners. Its core purpose was to convert the Lobito Corridor from a transport concept into a broader economic platform that can anchor trade, value addition and job creation across Zambia and the wider region.
According to the PDU, opportunities are now moving through several stages, including due diligence, project preparation, financing discussions and negotiation. Stakeholders expect progress over the next 6 to 24 months, especially in sectors where Zambia already has strong investment potential.
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Agriculture, Energy and Minerals Lead the Pipeline
The investment drive is closely aligned with the original business forum agenda, which focused on agriculture, energy and value addition in critical raw materials. These sectors reflect Zambia’s strategic position as a land-linked economy with agricultural capacity, mineral resources and growing energy ambitions.
The wider EU–Zambia forum platform described the corridor as a route linking Zambia’s agricultural land, critical raw materials and energy potential to regional and global markets. It also positioned the initiative as a way to create business partnerships, mobilise capital and support local value addition.
This matters because Zambia’s main opportunity is not simply moving commodities faster. The bigger economic prize is to develop processing, manufacturing, logistics, energy services, agribusiness and SME supply chains around the corridor. That would allow the country to capture more value locally rather than remaining dependent on raw exports.
Regional Financing Momentum Builds
The Lobito Corridor is also gaining attention from major financial institutions. Africa Finance Corporation, the lead developer of the U.S.-backed minerals transport corridor, is in talks with at least 10 African and international financiers to raise $3 billion to $5 billion for the project.
The proposed rail-linked corridor would connect copper and cobalt production zones in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito. Reuters reported that the broader project involves 515 kilometres of rail construction in Zambia and 315 kilometres in the DRC, connecting to Angola’s existing Benguela line.
For Zambia, this financing momentum strengthens the case for moving quickly on investment facilitation. If transport infrastructure advances without parallel investment in farms, factories, power projects, storage, logistics and local enterprises, the corridor could become mainly an export route. The PDU’s current focus suggests Zambia wants the corridor to serve as an industrial and trade-development platform.
Bottom Line
Zambia’s Lobito Corridor agenda is now moving from conference commitments to implementation. The investment pipeline is still at an early stage, but the combination of political backing, EU partnership, SME participation and regional financing interest gives the initiative strong momentum. The next test will be whether the projects now under review can move from due diligence and negotiations into bankable investments that deliver exports, jobs and inclusive growth.
Sources used: Presidential Delivery Unit Zambia / European Commission / EU-Africa Business Forum Facility / Reuters
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