Southern Mozambique Railways

Southern Mozambique Railways: Gateways to Southern African Trade via the Maputo Corridor

Mozambique's southern railway network anchors the Maputo Corridor, a critical logistics lifeline connecting the Port of Maputo—the nation's premier gateway—to industrial powerhouses in South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland), and Zimbabwe. Spanning Gaza, Maputo, and Inhambane provinces, the Ressano Garcia, Goba, and Limpopo lines form a 1,067 mm gauge system that handled over 25 million tons of freight in 2024, driven by minerals, coal, and agricultural exports. Recent upgrades, including a €193.3 million investment through 2030 for track doubling and rolling stock, boost capacity amid booming regional demand. For investors, these railways promise 15-20% ROI in logistics and mining, reducing transit costs by 35% versus roads and enhancing SADC integration. As South Africa's ports congest, Maputo's deep-water berths (up to 14 meters draft) position southern Mozambique as a resilient hub for US$3-4 billion in annual trade.

The Ressano Garcia Line: South Africa's Preferred Export Route

The Ressano Garcia Line, Mozambique's busiest southern rail artery, stretches 94 kilometers from Maputo to the South African border at Ressano Garcia, linking seamlessly to Transnet's network toward Johannesburg and Pretoria. Built in 1890 as the Delagoa Bay Railway by Dutch-South African interests, it was devastated during Mozambique's civil war but revived in the 2000s through public-private partnerships. By September 2024, the first phase of track doubling (42 km from Matola-Gare to Secongene) was complete, with the remaining 25 km (Movene-Ressano) slated for 2025 under €114 million French financing.

Key facts and figures:

• Length and Capacity: 94 km Mozambican section; capacity surged from 13 million tons/year pre-2024 to 24 million post-first phase, targeting 33 million overall for the southern system by year-end 2025.
• Infrastructure Highlights: €193.3 million investment includes 15 new locomotives and 30+ passenger carriages; axle loads up to 20 tons, speeds 60-80 km/h, supporting 5-6 daily freight trains.
• Freight Profile: 90% of CFM's southern volume; handles 20 million tons annually of South African exports like ferrochrome, coal, and containers, plus fuel imports.

Directly serving Port of Maputo's multi-user terminals, the line cuts logistics costs for South African miners by 25%, with 2025 projections for 10% volume growth amid Transnet bottlenecks.

The Goba Line: Eswatini's Efficient Mineral and Sugar Corridor

The Goba Line, also known as the Swaziland-Maputo Railway, runs 71 kilometers from Maputo to the Eswatini border at Goba, extending 466.8 km total to Matsapha in Eswatini. Constructed in 1903 for British colonial exports from Swaziland, it was upgraded in 2025 with border barrier removals, enabling direct trains to Sidvokodvo. Managed by CFM on the Mozambican side, it focuses on agricultural and mineral flows, with recent agreements quadrupling throughput.

Investment essentials:

• Length and Capacity: 71 km Mozambican leg; 2024 volume hit 190,000 tons, projected to 788,000 tons by end-2025 through doubled coal trains (from 2 to 4 daily).
• Technical Specs: 3-hour transit time; modernized signaling and bridges for 50 km/h speeds; supports sugar, timber, and concentrates.
• Economic Boost: €193.3 million southern network funding includes Goba enhancements; generates US$50 million in transit fees yearly.

Tied to Maputo Port's general cargo berths, the line bolsters Eswatini's 80% export reliance on Mozambique, fostering agro-industrial parks and cutting road dependency by 40%.

The Limpopo Line: Reviving Zimbabwe's Southern Access

The Limpopo Line, the southern network's longest route at 522 kilometers, connects Maputo to Chicualacuala on the Zimbabwean border, integrating with NRZ lines to Somabhula and Bulawayo. Originating in the 1910s along river valleys for cotton transport, it was rebuilt post-2000 floods and fully reopened in late 2024 after operational pauses. A 2025 maintenance push targets profitability, with CFM assuming 230 km of Zimbabwean operations under bilateral pacts.

Notable metrics:

• Length and Capacity: 522 km; aiming for 700,000+ tons by end-2025, up from minimal 2024 volumes, with potential for 2 million tons via upgrades.
• Upgrades Overview: Flood-resistant bridges and GPS signaling; 40-60 km/h freight speeds; 2-3 weekly trains for passengers and goods.
• Cargo Dynamics: Focuses on Zimbabwean chrome, granite, and cotton; supports regional diversification from Beira Corridor.

Feeding Maputo's bulk terminals, it offers Zimbabwe cheaper alternatives to Durban, with 2025 cross-border synergies projecting 15% trade uplift.

Port of Maputo: The Southern Trade Powerhouse

The Port of Maputo, a 1,994-meter quay complex with 11 berths, managed 30.9 million tons in 2024 despite 1% dip from protests and derailments—down from 31.2 million in 2023 but resilient via diversification. Operated by MPDC (CFM, DP World, Grindrod JV) since 2003, its concession extends to 2058. A US$165 million container expansion starts early 2025, doubling capacity to 1 million TEUs; coal terminal eyes 18 million tons from 7.5 million, pushing overall to 58 million by 2030. Facts: 14m draft for Post-Panamax ships; 2024 concession fees hit US$46.8 million (+12% YoY); 65% South African cargo.

Strategic Ties to Neighbors and Investor Opportunities

These lines underpin the Maputo Corridor's role as South Africa's overflow route (70% of port volume), Eswatini's primary export path (quadrupling 2025 flows), and Zimbabwe's alternative to Beira (230 km CFM-managed extensions). With €193.3 million in upgrades, the network drives regional GDP growth of 2-3%, creating jobs in logistics and value-add sectors like aluminum smelting at Matola. For investors, southern railways offer scalable returns in green mining and SEZs, cementing Mozambique's status as Southern Africa's trade nexus