Honourable Museba Frank Tayali, MP, the Minister of Transport and Logistics Zambia, has once again expressed its intentions to integrate with the region as she received two major transport and trade agreements in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat Headquarters, Gaborone, Botswana.
The accords will be signed on 22 January 2026, and they will be the North South Corridor Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Beira Development Corridor Agreement. Both corridors are considered as some of the most important transport and trade routes in the SADC region and are likely to be highly crucial in enhancing the regional connectivity, trade efficiency and economic expansion.
Ms. Duduzile Simelane, the Acting Deputy Executive Secretary of Regional Integration, and senior officials of the SADC Secretariat, received Honourable Tayali. The visit was a big stride towards enhancing collaboration between Zambia and SADC in developing the infrastructure and facilitation of trade in the region.
The North-South Corridor and the Beira Development Corridor will enhance the efficient flow of goods and people, intra and international trade, and facilitate the transformation of transport corridors into smart economic corridors. Their growth will play a key role in getting all the SDC region and beyond towards industrialisation, creation of employment and sustainable economic growth.
During the signing ceremony, Honourable Tayali praised SADC on its persistent effort to build regional corridors by working together and having a common vision. He emphasized how the corridors extend beyond being transport corridors as he described them as drivers of regional value chains, industrialization, inclusive growth and facilitation of trade.
The Minister reiterated the fact that Zambia is very committed towards the goals of the NorthSouth Corridor and that the country is interested in having the NorthSouth Corridor Management Institution set up in the country once it is formed. He also repeated the commitment of Zambia to the ideals of cooperation and integration of the region, which SADC is based on.
Honourable Tayali also pointed out at vast investments of Zambia in transport, logistics and border infrastructure. These involve improvement of road and rail systems, establishment of inland dry ports and one stop border posts. He observed that such investments are a direct contributor to the goals of the corridors and an excellent platform of operations to improve regional connection and efficiency of trade.
Ms. Simelane commended the Government of the Republic of Zambia in its effort to develop corridors, and the NorthSouth Corridor was a major criterion of infrastructure development and integration to the region. She stressed the fact that better access as well as mobility are key prerequisites of growth in the economy and the entire passage of the NorthSouth Economic Corridor can dramatically change the SADC region.
It is believed that the North-South Corridor is the backbone of the SADC transport network given that it links seven Member States and bridges eight regional corridors. It handles about 60 percent of trade in the region in volume and it directly serves about 50 percent of the SADC population, which is likely to benefit all Member States in the long run.
At the same time, the Beira Development Corridor also supports port-to-port connectivity by connecting the Port of Beira on the Indian Ocean with the Port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean via its connection with the Lobito Corridor. The combination of the two corridors is likely to enhance the competence of the regional trade movements to a great extent and the standing of SADC in the global markets.
The Honourable Minister was escorted by the High Commissioner of Zambia to Botswana, Zambia’s Her Excellency, Zambia, Pamela M. Chisanga together with the senior officials of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics and senior legal representatives. Ms. Senior SADC infrastructure and transport officials had accompanied Simelane and this highlighted the significance of the deals regionally.
