Angola's Agenda Behind Railway Development

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos inaugurated Aug. 27 the terminus for the Benguela railway line in the coastal city of Lobito. Once rehabilitation of the line is complete, it will link Lobito to the Angolan heartland and should ultimately extend into south-central Africa. One part of the line in particular runs deep into the Angolan interior, renewing rail transport in an area that has been neglected since the late 1970s. The Benguela line is one of three railway lines that Angola is constructing as part of an overall push to promote economic growth and development.

While the construction and rehabilitation will establish much-needed rail infrastructure in pan-southern Africa, Angola is more interested in becoming a hub for commodity exports from south-central Africa. This agenda puts Angola in direct competition with South Africa, which is currently the dominant hub for trade flows in southern Africa.