The Tanzania-Zambia Railway, commonly known as Tazara, holds a special place in China-Africa relations as a symbol of enduring friendship. Built in the early 1970s with Chinese assistance, it was China’s largest foreign aid project in Africa, linking Zambia’s Copperbelt town of Kapiri-Mposhi to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam. However, more than five decades later, the 1,860-kilometer railway has fallen into disrepair, operating at a fraction of its capacity with only 10 locomotives in use out of a potential 50. Now, Beijing has pledged over US$1 billion to refurbish the ageing railway and restore it to full functionality.
The decision to revitalize Tazara comes at a critical time, as the US has announced its own African railway infrastructure project, bankrolling the refurbishment of the Lobito Corridor, which connects Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This move is seen as part of a broader competition for control over Africa’s transport routes and access to critical minerals, particularly those used in electric vehicle batteries, such as cobalt and copper. The race for these resources has intensified between China, the US, and the European Union, and Tazara plays a strategic role in this competition.
China’s commitment to upgrading Tazara, announced during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in September 2024, underscores the railway’s importance. The signing ceremony, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, marked the start of the railway’s revitalization. The state-owned China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), is negotiating a concession to operate the railway for 30 years, during which it aims to make Tazara profitable and recoup its investment before transferring control back to the Tanzanian and Zambian governments.
The rehabilitation plan includes upgrading tracks, purchasing new locomotives, and increasing the railway’s capacity to shift heavy cargo from road transport to rail. Zambian Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali noted that this revitalization would create jobs, enhance trade, and improve connectivity in the region. The Tazara Railway Authority echoed this optimism, stating that the railway’s operational capacity is expected to increase from the current 500,000 metric tonnes to approximately 2 million metric tonnes once the upgrades are complete. The project is estimated to take two years to complete.
Tazara’s importance extends beyond its economic role; it is a political and historical symbol for China. During its construction, 160 workers, including 69 Chinese nationals, lost their lives, and Chinese diplomats still honour their memory today. The railway was built during a period of resistance against Western control in Southern Africa. In the 1970s, China stepped in to fund the project when both the US and Russia refused, citing economic concerns. The railway was crucial for landlocked Zambia, whose access to the sea was cut off by its neighbour, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), during the region’s struggle for majority rule.
China’s rekindled interest in Tazara is also motivated by geopolitical factors. The DRC’s and Zambia’s vital minerals, which are needed to produce electric car batteries and other renewable energy technologies, are accessible via the railway. The significance of modernizing Tazara to conform to Africa’s modern railway infrastructure strategy was underscored by China-Africa specialist Lauren Johnston. China stands to lose influence in the transportation arteries of the area if this improvement is not carried out.
As part of a larger plan to preserve its influence in Africa and gain access to vital minerals, China is actively rehabilitating Tazara. It also emphasizes China’s and the West’s continuous geopolitical competition for sway over Africa’s resource and infrastructural sectors.
