Beira Corridor: Mozambique's Lifeline to the Southern African Interior
The Beira Corridor connects Mozambique's port of Beira to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and the DRC. Cyclone damage, infrastructure backlog, and rail underinvestment have constrained its potential for decades.
The Port of Beira and its associated rail and road corridor represent the shortest route from the Indian Ocean to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Beira handled 22 million tonnes in 2023, with coal exports from Zimbabwe's Hwange colliery and Mozambican coal from the Moatize basin dominating volumes. The port's container terminal, upgraded with a new quay crane system, has capacity for 750,000 TEUs annually. Rail freight from Beira to the Zimbabwe border at Machipanda is operated by CEAR (Companhia de Desenvolvimento de Corredor de Beira) under a concession arrangement with CFM, Mozambique's national rail company.
Investment Requirements
Cyclone Idai in 2019 caused significant infrastructure damage to the Beira corridor that has taken years to repair. The rail line capacity of approximately 6 million tonnes annually falls well short of potential demand from Zimbabwean and Zambian miners. A $3 billion corridor development plan, supported by the African Development Bank and bilateral development finance, is targeting rail capacity of 20 million tonnes annually by 2030. Freight operators and shippers using the Beira corridor can access contacts and logistics data on intra-africa.com.
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