Botswana Earmarks P3.86bn for Transport, Mmamabula–Lephalale and Kazungula Rail Lines
Botswana has allocated P3.86 billion to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure in the proposed 2026/2027 national budget, reinforcing government efforts to position the country as a regional transport hub.
Minister of Finance Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe announced the allocation while presenting the 2026 budget, noting that it represents the second-largest share of the proposed development budget at 16.52 percent of total development expenditure.
The funding is aimed at improving the national roads network and advancing the development of strategic alternative railway lines, including the Mmamabula–Lephalale Railway Line and the Mosetse–Kazungula–Livingstone Line, which form part of the Southern African Development Community’s Strategic Plan for the North–South Corridor.
The Mmamabula–Lephalale Railway is a planned railway line intended to connect the Mmamabula coalfields in Botswana with Lephalale in South Africa. The main objective of the project is to facilitate the transportation of coal from Botswana to South Africa for power generation, with the potential for export via South African ports.
The Mosetse–Kazungula–Livingstone Railway is a planned 430-kilometre Cape gauge international railway connecting the Botswana railway network at Mosetse, Botswana, with the Zambian railway network at Livingstone, Zambia, via the new Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi River.
In addition to development spending, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has been allocated P1.93 billion under the recurrent budget, making it the seventh-largest share of the proposed overall budget. This represents a reduction of P7.98 million, or 0.4 percent, compared to the current financial year’s approved budget.
According to Gaolathe, the bulk of the recurrent allocation will be directed towards the procurement of petrol, oil and lubricants to support the operation of the central government vehicle fleet. The budget also provides for Botswana’s subscription to the International Maritime Organization and subventions to state-owned enterprises, with the Civil Aviation Authority receiving the largest share of the ministry’s subvention allocation.
Government has also earmarked P3.02 billion for ongoing road infrastructure projects, as it continues to prioritise transport connectivity and logistics efficiency.
