Launched in December 2024, the Kolwezi–Sakabinda road project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to reshape regional trade and mineral exports.
Spanning 53.6 kilometers, the road is expected to be completed by 2027 at an estimated cost of $159 million, according to a report following a site visit by the Congolese Minister of Infrastructure on June 10.
The project is being executed through a public-private partnership (PPP) with Toha Investment and Bulongo Logistique.
With an average cost of nearly $3 million per kilometer, the road is designed to improve transport infrastructure for the DRC’s mining sector, particularly in the mineral-rich Lualaba province. However, details such as the full scope of work, contract duration, and company selection processes have not yet been disclosed.
This infrastructure development forms part of a broader DRC-Zambia initiative to establish a 140 km regional trade corridor linking Kolwezi, DRC, with Lumwana, Zambia.
The goal is to facilitate the movement of copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals from the DRC to international markets via the Sakabinda border post.
On the Zambian side, construction of the 85 km stretch began simultaneously in December 2024. That portion is being handled by the Sandstone consortium, also under a PPP arrangement.
Both countries are working in tandem under a memorandum of understanding signed in Kolwezi in 2024, which also includes the development of a one-stop border post between Sakabinda (DRC) and Kambimba (Zambia).
Strategically, the new route will connect Kolwezi to key continental trade arteries, including the Trans-African Highway 3 (Cape Town–Tripoli) and Highway 4 (Cairo–Durban).
According to the Congolese Ministry of Infrastructure, this connectivity will streamline the export of minerals through ports such as Walvis Bay (Namibia), Durban (South Africa), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
The Kolwezi–Sakabinda corridor is also expected to ease congestion at existing border points like Sakania, Kasumbalesa, and Mokambo.
For mining companies operating in Lualaba, the new corridor presents a vital alternative—reducing transport costs, shortening delivery times, and opening up new logistics routes across Southern Africa.
