Tsodilo Resources punts rail extension to Botswana
Setting wheels in motion
New proposed railway to connect Divundu and Grootfontein, enhancing regional logistics and cargo transport.
Botswana-based mining company Tsodilo Resources has unveiled plans for a transformative rail link connecting Botswana and Namibia via Divundu to Grootfontein, expanding the existing TransZambezi railway line. The ambitious project aims to facilitate the transport of over 20 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, strengthening trade links across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and beyond.In a recent meeting with stakeholders, including Walvis Bay Corridor Group CEO Mbahupu Tjivikua and Bertus Eksteen of TransNamib, Tsodilo’s CEO James Bruchs outlined the railway’s potential to create a world-class logistics hub, connecting Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to international markets.
“We have been working with Namibia’s Ministry of Transport, TransNamib and the WBCG in evaluating various routes for our products, including Walvis Bay and the future port facility in the vicinity of Cape Fria in the Kunene Region,” Bruchs said.
“Connecting either of these two routes to Divundu, for Tsodilo’s purposes, and further linking to Katima Mulilo, provides Namibia with a world-class logistics hub, connecting SADC to international markets – benefiting Namibia of course, as well as Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Bruchs added.
Tsodilo Resources is located in the northwest of Botswana. The project area is near the Namibian border and is approximately 350 kilometres north of Maun, the administrative capital of the district.