📖 About Benguela

Benguela is Angola's third-largest city and capital of Benguela Province, positioned on the Atlantic coast as a key node in Africa's most important railway corridor. In December 2025, Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) secured $753 million in financing to upgrade the Lobito Corridor. The deal, finalized with the US International Development Financial Corporation ($553 million) and Development Bank of Southern Africa ($200 million), enables comprehensive modernization of the 1,289-kilometer Benguela Railway.

The financing will rehabilitate the existing minerals port in Lobito (Benguela's neighboring port city), boosting transportation capacity ten-fold to 4.6 million metric tons and cutting the cost of transporting critical minerals by up to 30%. The Angolan government plans to begin work on a 260-kilometer Luena-Saurimo branch line in 2025, with the $1.2 billion contract already authorized by President João Lourenço.

The high-profile U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor is part of Washington's global push to secure access to strategic metals and counter Chinese influence in Africa. In August 2024, the first copper shipment from the Democratic Republic of Congo reached the Port of Lobito bound for the US, marking a new era of regional trade. The Zambia-Lobito Railway (ZLR) extension to Zambia's Copperbelt is planned for early 2026.

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💼 Economy & Culture

Benguela's economy is transforming through massive infrastructure investment in the Lobito Corridor. The $753 million railway financing positions the region as Africa's critical minerals gateway—copper and cobalt from the DRC and Zambia flowing to global markets. Port capacity expansion to 4.6 million tons and 30% cost reductions will attract industrial development. The LAR consortium (Trafigura, Mota-Engil, Vecturis) leads modernization efforts.

Angolan culture in Benguela blends Portuguese colonial heritage with African traditions. The city's 400-year history as a trading port created a cosmopolitan character. Music, dance, and cuisine reflect both influences. Fishing communities maintain traditional livelihoods alongside the growing port industry. The 1617 Nossa Senhora do Pópulo church stands as southern Africa's oldest stone building, symbolizing the region's deep historical roots.

📜 History

Portuguese colonizers founded Benguela in 1617, building the Nossa Senhora do Pópulo church that survives today. The city developed as a slave trading port before transitioning to legitimate commerce. The Benguela Railway, completed in 1929, connected the Atlantic to the copper mines of the Congo, becoming one of Africa's most strategic trade routes.

Independence from Portugal in 1975 was followed by civil war that damaged much of the railway infrastructure. Post-war reconstruction began in the 2000s. The 2024-2025 international investment—$753 million for railway modernization, the Luena-Saurimo branch, and Zambia extension—represents the largest infrastructure commitment in the region's history. The U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor positions Benguela as the gateway for Africa's critical minerals entering global supply chains.