The proposed 60-hectare logistics hub is designed to accommodate more than 1,250 trucks, process up to 11 million tonnes of freight annually and strengthen the DRC’s position in regional trade.
KINSHASA, August 26, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has advanced the proposed $600 million Kasumbalesa Dry Port through a three-day technical review focused on the project’s financial, operational and institutional framework.
The review brought together the Ministry of Transport, the Office de Gestion du Fret Multimodal (OGEFREM), South Africa’s Yellowstone Consortium and financial partners in Kinshasa. Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba participated in the restitution of the project’s due-diligence findings as the parties worked to consolidate the elements required for implementation.
Actualite.cd reported that the technical sessions were organized to define the mechanisms needed to make the future logistics platform viable, efficient and capable of supporting the movement of goods through one of the DRC’s most important commercial gateways.
A new logistics platform at the DRC–Zambia border
The dry port is planned for Kasumbalesa in Haut-Katanga, at the principal commercial border crossing connecting the DRC and Zambia along the regional Copperbelt corridor. It is intended to centralize freight processing, ease pressure on the border post and improve the movement of cargo entering the Congolese market.
According to the Agence Congolaise de Presse, the project follows a concession contract signed on December 1, 2025, covering the construction and operation of the facility. The reported structure is a 23-year build-operate-transfer arrangement under which the infrastructure would ultimately be transferred to the Congolese state.
The planned hub would occupy approximately 60 hectares, provide space for more than 1,250 trucks and have the capacity to process an estimated 11 million tonnes of merchandise annually. A digital operating system is expected to support cargo scanning, shipment traceability, payments and border management.
The platform is also expected to connect the DRC’s freight system with seven African ports. Reported connections include major gateways such as Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Beira and Durban, allowing cargo destined for the DRC to be coordinated through a central logistics facility at Kasumbalesa.
Jobs and faster freight processing
INFRASTRUCTURE
DRC Moves to Turn Kasumbalesa Into a $600 Million Regional Trade Hub
Aug 26, 2026
Aug 26, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
The proposed 60-hectare logistics hub is designed to accommodate more than 1,250 trucks, process up to 11 million tonnes of freight annually and strengthen the DRC’s position in regional trade.
KINSHASA, August 26, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has advanced the proposed $600 million Kasumbalesa Dry Port through a three-day technical review focused on the project’s financial, operational and institutional framework.
The review brought together the Ministry of Transport, the Office de Gestion du Fret Multimodal (OGEFREM), South Africa’s Yellowstone Consortium and financial partners in Kinshasa. Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba participated in the restitution of the project’s due-diligence findings as the parties worked to consolidate the elements required for implementation.
Actualite.cd reported that the technical sessions were organized to define the mechanisms needed to make the future logistics platform viable, efficient and capable of supporting the movement of goods through one of the DRC’s most important commercial gateways.
A new logistics platform at the DRC–Zambia border
The dry port is planned for Kasumbalesa in Haut-Katanga, at the principal commercial border crossing connecting the DRC and Zambia along the regional Copperbelt corridor. It is intended to centralize freight processing, ease pressure on the border post and improve the movement of cargo entering the Congolese market.
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According to the Agence Congolaise de Presse, the project follows a concession contract signed on December 1, 2025, covering the construction and operation of the facility. The reported structure is a 23-year build-operate-transfer arrangement under which the infrastructure would ultimately be transferred to the Congolese state.
The planned hub would occupy approximately 60 hectares, provide space for more than 1,250 trucks and have the capacity to process an estimated 11 million tonnes of merchandise annually. A digital operating system is expected to support cargo scanning, shipment traceability, payments and border management.
The platform is also expected to connect the DRC’s freight system with seven African ports. Reported connections include major gateways such as Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Beira and Durban, allowing cargo destined for the DRC to be coordinated through a central logistics facility at Kasumbalesa.
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Jobs and faster freight processing
The government-backed project is being positioned as an important investment in employment, trade efficiency and regional integration. Zoom Eco reported that project estimates anticipate approximately 2,500 jobs during construction and 800 permanent positions once the facility becomes operational.
Project planners also expect centralized freight processing and digital border systems to reduce cargo-transit times significantly. Current projections indicate that some procedures that can take several days could eventually be completed within three or four hours.
The financial structure reportedly includes Standard Bank as coordinating bank and representative of lenders, with Afreximbank also associated with the proposed financing. The South African Yellowstone Consortium is working with OGEFREM on the project’s development.
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Detailed project figures published by 7sur7 also place potential annual savings from avoided demurrage charges at approximately $50 million, while projected public revenues range from $12 million to $15 million.
The technical review represents a new implementation step following the concession agreement. Construction is currently projected to begin in January 2027, subject to completion of the remaining financial, contractual and technical processes.
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