Congo launches Kalamba-Mbuji dry port project in Kasai-Central to strengthen Angola trade corridor
The Office of Multimodal Freight Management (OGEFREM) has announced the start of preliminary construction work on the Kalamba-Mbuji dry port in Luiza territory, Kasai-Central province.
Regional Director Matthieu Tshilumba Kalenga confirmed the development on October 16, 2025, following a meeting with Governor Joseph-Moïse Kambulu Nkonko, noting that funding for the initial phase is already secured. The first stage will involve constructing a security fence around the 70-hectare site.
Once completed, the Kalamba-Mbuji dry port will feature a truck park, service stations, driver accommodation, and offices for customs and border services, all housed within a centralized one-stop facility.
The project follows OGEFREM’s acquisition of land titles for the site in February 2025. Strategically located near the DRC–Angola border, the dry port is designed to enhance regional trade connectivity by linking Kasai-Central with Angolan seaports, particularly the Port of Lobito.
It will also complement the ongoing Kananga–Kalamba-Mbuji road project, aimed at improving logistics across the corridor.
Earlier this year, OGEFREM Director General William Kazumba Mayombo announced that the agency had secured advance funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to conduct feasibility studies for the Kalamba-Mbuji dry port and planned logistics hubs in Matamba, Bilomba, and Mbulungu.
These studies will also evaluate traffic volumes along key cross-border trade routes, including the Kandiadi–Kamako–Tshikapa, Kandiadi–Tshikapa, and Tshikapa–Kananga corridors.
According to OGEFREM, the Kalamba-Mbuji dry port forms part of the DRC’s broader strategy to boost trade efficiency, reduce transport costs, and strengthen regional integration with Angola and Southern Africa.
