At a Glance
- South African investors back a $600 million Congo dry port to ease mineral transport.
- Financing led by major regional lenders targets faster, more reliable copper and cobalt movement.
- The project aims to cut border delays from days to hours across key Southern Africa corridors.
South African investors are committing fresh capital to a $600 million dry port development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a move expected to ease pressure on one of Africa’s busiest mineral corridors and improve transport reliability for copper and cobalt exporters.
The project is intended to reduce congestion that has long slowed truck movement between Congo and Zambia, while supporting regional economies that depend heavily on stable mineral flows.
Financing package pulls in major lenders
Yellowstone, the South African operator holding a 20-year concession to design, build and run the new facility, is putting together a financing package backed by some of the region’s most active lenders.
Standard Bank Group, Nedbank Group, Ninety One and the African Export-Import Bank are participating in a deal that project head François Diedrechsen described as “a mix of debt and equity that strengthens long-term viability.” The funding is structured around a 77.5% debt share, with the remaining capital coming from equity investors.
Diedrechsen said the concession agreement has already been signed and due diligence is under way. Full financial close is expected by the end of July.
The port will operate under a user-fee system, with revenue used to service obligations. “There is a royalty split between 7% and 15% for the government, depending on monthly revenue levels,” he said.
New dry port poised to speed up mineral exports
The investment highlights growing interest among African financial institutions in large-scale logistics projects, especially as mineral-producing countries face tighter global competition and shifting trade patterns.
Once completed, the dry port is expected to handle as many as 1,500 trucks per day. That would sharply improve the movement of copper and cobalt travelling from Congo through Zambia toward South Africa’s Port of Durban or Mozambique’s Maputo port.
Border delays at Kasumbalesa, often cited as one of the region’s most difficult choke points, could fall from six days to about four hours, according to project estimates. Transport companies and exporters have long said these delays disrupt delivery schedules, raise fuel costs and weaken supply certainty for international buyers.
Global powers redraw Africa’s mineral routes
“There is a push within the Southern African Development Community to modernize border posts and make regional trade more efficient,” Diedrechsen said. He previously worked on major upgrades at the Beitbridge crossing connecting Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The dry port is emerging at a time when major powers are reassessing their mineral supply lines. The United States is putting billions into new transport links, including the Lobito Corridor, a 1,300-kilometer rail project connecting Congo’s copper belt to Angola’s Atlantic coast.
China, which plays a dominant role in processing Congo’s copper and cobalt, is also expanding its trade infrastructure, investing in new dry ports and ocean routes to secure its long-term access to key minerals.
