N$264b Trans-Kalahari to create 10 000 jobs … Nam-Bots ready for implementation stage

Following the completion of a comprehensive feasibility study, Namibia and Botswana are now poised to transition from planning to implementation of the landmark Trans-Kalahari Railway (TKR) project.

Valued at N$264 billion (approximately US$16 billion), the ambitious cross-border rail corridor project aims to transform regional trade and economic development, as it will span about 1 690 kilometres to link Botswana’s coal fields and mineral-rich areas with Namibia’s port of Walvis Bay.

Transport minister Veikko Nekundi and his Botswana counterpart Noah Salakae, as well as senior government officials from both countries, recently met in Botswana to review progress and share updates on the project’s implementation.

The meeting follows the completion of the long-awaited feasibility study, marking a major milestone in preparations for construction. The project is set to be an unprecedented economic gamechanger for the two countries, as it is projected to create 10 000 direct jobs during its first phase of development.