Angola: Tanzania, Angola Move to Strengthen Trade Through Rail, Air Links

What the report says

Tanzania and Angola have agreed to deepen trade and economic ties by improving transport links, including plans to connect Angola’s Lobito Corridor with Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors. The announcement was made in Dar es Salaam during a joint briefing at State House by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, who was on a state visit to Tanzania.

According to the report published by Tanzania Daily News and distributed by AllAfrica, the two leaders said stronger infrastructure is needed to turn long-standing diplomatic relations into more substantial commercial cooperation. They agreed to organize a trade and investment forum to bring together business communities and private-sector players from both countries to explore partnership opportunities and expand business activity.

The transport plans are meant to support broader regional trade flows and could complement railway rehabilitation efforts involving the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority line and Angola’s Benguela Railway. The report also says Tanzania and Angola signed a bilateral air services agreement to make direct flights between Dar es Salaam and Luanda possible, which could reduce the need for travelers to connect through third countries.

Beyond transport, the two sides said they would explore cooperation in water transport, energy, and mining. Tanzania was invited to look at possible participation in Angola’s proposed Lobito Refinery project, while both countries also discussed sharing expertise on mineral processing and support for small-scale miners. The visit was described as the first state visit to Tanzania by an Angolan president in nearly four decades.