The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced that an international consortium led by Italy’s Webuild, alongside Mota-Engil and IC İçtaş Construction, has been selected as the preferred bidder for Lot 1B of the Zambia Lobito Railway project.
The selection follows a competitive international tender process for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the 517km Zambian section of the railway, which forms part of an approximately 830km greenfield rail line linking Zambia to Angola.
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The contract, which is supported by Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, includes the stretch of railway from the Angolan border to Chingola in Zambia’s Copperbelt province.
The proposed line crosses areas with limited existing infrastructure and will include 22 bridges and viaducts, eight stations, and three maintenance depots, all designed to accommodate heavy freight volumes.
AFC, acting as project sponsor and developer, stated that the Lobito Corridor is intended to improve trade and economic integration across Southern Africa (SA), connecting major mineral-producing regions with global export markets through the Port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast.
When complete, the corridor is projected to reduce transit times for goods from the Copperbelt to international destinations from 16 days to seven.
Project sponsors estimate this reduction could unlock approximately $3bn in economic benefits for Zambia and Angola.
The selected consortium for the Zambian section includes Webuild as the lead contractor, with Mota-Engil and IC İçtaş Construction each holding 30%.
For the Angolan section of the project, AFC has named a separate consortium of Mota-Engil and Odebrecht Engineering and Construction as the preferred bidder.
Negotiations covering technical, commercial and legal aspects are expected to begin in November 2026, with a goal of concluding within eight to 12 weeks.
The project is expected to provide opportunities for Italy’s construction supply chain and contribute to the development of significant infrastructure in Africa.
The railway is also highlighted by the G7, the European Union and the US as part of international initiatives aimed at developing supply chains for critical minerals and supporting regional industrialisation.
The broader objective of the project is to provide direct transport for copper, agricultural produce, cobalt, petroleum and general cargo from inland SA to the Atlantic coast. This will support local value addition and improved access to international trade routes.
