China, US, Japan race to control African rail routes in critical minerals fight

A geopolitical contest is unfolding in central-southern Africa, where major global powers are vying for control of key logistical routes amid a global race to secure critical minerals for the green energy transition.

At the centre of this rivalry lies the small town of Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia, a strategic hub where three competing corridors – China’s Tazara, the US-backed Lobito Corridor and Japan’s Nacala Corridor – converge.

Observers say the race to build these corridors is not just about moving minerals, but a strategic effort by global powers to secure long-term influence over critical mineral supply chains and cut reliance on rivals.

Kapiri Mposhi is the starting point, or western terminus, of the Tazara Railway, which connects it to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. It is also 118km (73 miles) from Ndola, a key city in central Africa’s Copperbelt region that links to the Lobito Corridor.

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The Nacala Corridor network connects the landlocked nations of Zambia and Malawi to the Port of Nacala in Mozambique. It also extends to major centres in Zambia, including the capital Lusaka, about 200km from Kapiri Mposhi.

South China Morning Post