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This research paper examines the economic activities and value-addition potential of the Lobito Corridor, a strategic transport route linking the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola to the Copperbelt mining regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia via the Benguela Railway. The author argues that while the corridor is designed to catalyze economic development beyond mineral exports, there is a significant disconnect between the high-efficiency logistics used for raw material exports and the inadequate infrastructure available to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Lobito Corridor is a 1,300 km railway project in Angola designed to transport critical raw materials (CRMs) and electric vehicle (EV) battery value chain products from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to the EU and US. While supported by various MoUs and a consortium including Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis, the project faces significant competition from established Chinese supply chains and alternative transport routes to the Indian Ocean.