Africa-Press – Botswana. Nearly 15 years of delays and dashed expectations, Botswana and Namibia are once again planning to breathe life into the long-awaited Trans Kalahari Railway project.
Minister for Transport and Public Works, Noah Salakae, and his Namibian counterpart, Veikko Nekundi, led a high-level joint committee to discuss the future of the stalled cross-border initiative.
The joint committee meeting confirmed the appointment of a Canadian consultancy firm, Canadian Pacific Consulting Services (CPCS Transform UK Limited) to conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of the joint project expected to commence in 2027.
“The consultant was formally engaged in April 2025 and has to date completed the Inception Report. It is expected to complete the feasibility study within 12 months of the appointment,” reads a joint statement from the two countries.
Earlier, Nekundi had expressed concern that since the Trans Kalahari Railway line was conceptualized, not a single kilometer of it has been built. This is despite the fact that the two countries agree on the importance of the project. Namibia and Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2010 to pave way for the development of Trans Kalahari Railway line, followed by the signing of Bilateral Agreements addressing the trans-boundary line’s development, coal storage and conveying, loading, and ancillary facilities at the port of Walvis Bay. “Fifteen years since then, little to nothing has happened. We still do not have a single kilometer of this railway line constructed. It is extremely worrisome that today, we are still at a planning stage,” Nekundi told the meeting and urged the joint committee to move swiftly to ensure that the project materializes.
Despite the setbacks, both countries are optimistic that once completed the project would boost trade among African countries through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA).
“It is however encouraging to see that the initiative has started to gain momentum because this development does not only promote trade, but also acts as a catalyst for economic development in the Sub Sahara Africa, and our two sister countries in particular. The analysts project the economic growth in the region to be around 2% this year, far below the 6 to 7% achieved elsewhere in other regions of the world. Thus, the realization of this project has countless benefits for our people locally and regionally,” Nekundi said, adding that when economies grow, opportunities are created and poverty is eradicated and the welfare of citizens is improved.
During a recent diplomatic engagement, President Duma Boko and Namibia’s Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, reaffirmed the strategic importance of the project and stressed the urgency of its implementation.
Several committees have now been established to monitor the project, and they recently had an opportunity to review the consultant’s Inception Report to ensure alignment with the project’s scope and timelines.
“This engagement provided a platform to assess the Consultant’s grasp of the project’s scope and for the member states to offer valuable input as the study progresses. Among the resolutions adopted was the need to ensure uninterrupted operations of the Project Management Office, particularly following the appointment of the Consultant, which heralds the commencement of intensive technical work,” reads the statement in part.
The two countries also agreed to expedite the recruitment process to fully augment the Secretariat and meet critical milestones more efficiently.
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