At a Glance
- China invests $1.4 billion to modernize the TAZARA railway, increasing freight capacity.
- Upgrade supports Zambia’s copper exports and regional trade with Tanzania.
- The project aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and African zero-tariff policies.
Zambia has taken a significant step to revive one of Africa’s most important transport corridors, securing a $1.4 billion agreement with China to modernize the ageing TAZARA railway.
The deal marks one of the country’s largest infrastructure commitments since emerging from a prolonged debt crisis.
It also strengthens a route that remains critical for copper shipments, fuel imports and regional trade.
For Zambia, the upgrade represents both a development priority and a political milestone.
The TAZARA line has carried generations of copper and consumer goods between Zambia and the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam.
Yet years of underinvestment left large sections in need of repair, limiting the country’s export capacity at a time of rising global demand for minerals.
The project also lands at a moment when global powers are renewing their interest in southern Africa’s supply chains.
Built in the 1970s with Chinese financing, the 1,860-kilometer railway still anchors regional transport networks.
Today, it sits at the center of competition between China and Western-backed initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor.
For China, the upgrade offers a chance to deepen its economic footprint while reinforcing long-standing ties.
For Zambia, it is part of a broader effort to secure reliable partners as the government works to rebuild growth after restructuring $13.4 billion in external debt.
Beijing steps in
Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the agreement during a visit to Lusaka — the first by a Chinese premier in nearly three decades.
After talks with President Hakainde Hichilema, Li said China would “work with Zambia to advance modernization,” describing the railway as a foundation for long-term cooperation.
China Railway Corporation said the overhaul will include repairs to stations, tracks, tunnels and bridges, as well as new support facilities along the route.
When completed, freight volumes could rise to 2.4 million tonnes a year, up from roughly 100,000 tonnes today, giving Zambia’s copper industry a meaningful lift.
Broader investment push
Li’s visit follows a series of new Chinese commitments.
Earlier this week, Zambia granted a licence to a joint venture with Fujian Xiang Xin Corporation to develop a $1.1 billion crude oil refinery and energy complex — an expansion that signals China’s widening interest beyond mining.
Chinese companies have invested about $6 billion in Zambia over the past two decades, mostly in minerals and industrial projects, according to the American Enterprise Institute.
Officials from China, Tanzania and Zambia said they plan to strengthen trade along the TAZARA corridor, support zero-tariff access for African exports and promote new industrial parks.
Beijing said the rail upgrade will help African producers increase exports to China while encouraging more local processing and manufacturing along the route.
