A new railway link proposed between Mmamabula and South Africa could open the door to a major economic boost for Botswana, setting the stage for the country to become a key multimodal logistics hub for regional markets. Dr. Onkokame Mothobi, presenting early findings from a study on the barriers and opportunities for implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), highlighted how this corridor could unlock potential far beyond just coal by linking Botswana to broader regional value chains.
Dr. Mothobi pointed out the strategic importance of the Mmamabula-South Africa rail line, given the high quality of Botswana’s coal and rising demand in South Africa. “The coal from Mmamabula is high-grade and doesn’t need much water or cleaning, unlike what’s currently required in South Africa,” he explained.
With South Africa’s coal reserves dwindling, demand for Botswana’s coal is expected to remain strong for decades, making investment in this railway a smart, forward-thinking move. “Putting resources into this railway line would bring serious benefits,” Mothobi emphasized.
While acknowledging environmental concerns around coal-related infrastructure, Dr. Mothobi noted that coal will continue to play a role in the global energy mix for some time. He also argued that Botswana shouldn’t just focus on big physical projects. Upgrading “soft infrastructure” — like harmonizing regulations, domesticating regional agreements, improving document recognition, and strengthening digital customs systems — could deliver huge efficiency gains along the corridor.
Mothobi stressed the importance of the Transport Act and border transport policies in creating the legal framework needed to support new logistics activities. He warned against building corridors without a clear understanding of the markets they serve. “We can’t just build roads for the sake of it. We need to know the market first,” he said.
He sees Angola as a promising market for Botswana’s beef and related products, and highlighted chances to integrate Botswana into regional value chains with Zambia, Lesotho, and South Africa; with potential links reaching all the way to East Africa.
Connecting the Zambian and Namibian corridors could also help Botswana tap into value chains emerging from the Copperbelt. The study’s early results suggest Botswana’s biggest gains will come from a coordinated corridor strategy, rather than relying on any single infrastructure project.
With better border efficiency, waiting times and uncertainty could drop significantly. Meanwhile, railway integration could transform Botswana from a country reliant mostly on road transit into a vibrant multimodal logistics hub. Expanding dry ports and logistics centers could help Botswana capture more value from transit traffic through services like storage, consolidation, customs clearance, cold-chain management, packaging, and distribution.