Scenic African landscape with a train on a bridge amidst greenery and rural scenery.
China is breathing new life into a 50-year-old Cold War infrastructure legacy. CMOC Group, Zijin Mining, and state-owned CCECC are partnering to rehabilitate the 1,860-kilometer Tazara railway connecting Zambia’s copper belt to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast—securing a critical export route for copper and other battery metals. Under a 30-year concession, CCECC takes an 80% stake in the joint venture. The $1.2 billion project directly challenges the US- and EU-backed Lobito Corridor linking central Africa’s copper belt to Angola’s Atlantic coast. The rivalry couldn’t be clearer: two competing rail corridors, two competing powers, one prize—Africa’s critical minerals. Once upgraded, Tazara will slash reliance on congested road transport while cementing Chinese dominance over the continent’s mineral export infrastructure for decades.
Business Insider Africa