The upgrading of key ports on Lake Tanganyika creates opportunities for importers and exporters to use Zambia as the gateway for trade with the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and neighbouring Rwanda, according to Duncan Bonnett, director at Africa House.He says the Lake Tanganyika Transport Corridor Development Project will open up trade routes all through to Central Africa.There is potential for exports of cement, building materials, food, textiles, clothing and many other products and commodities as the countries in the interior are largely reliant on imports.According to a European commission study into the potential of developing a transport corridor using the 673-kilometre-long lake, the main ports on the lake are Bujumbura (Burundi) and Mpulung u (Zambia).The others are Kigoma (Tanzania) and Kalémie (DRC).Work has started on a $31-million upgrade to Bujumbura, but work on the Zambian port of Mpulungu has been delayed due to the country’s debt crisis, according to the African Development Bank (Af DB).Meanwhile, agreements are being put in place to provide shipping services between the ports.In December 2020, the Mpulungu Harbour Corporation (MHCL), which operates and manages the Mpulungu Harbour, announced the signing of an MOU with eleQtra to develop a scheduled marine transport service on Lake Tanganyika, which it says will boost trade f lows between Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.In terms of the 2020-2024 MHCL strategic plan, Mpulungu will be upgraded into a 4th generation port that features upgraded logistics functions, production and processing, and trade capabilities, all supported by a knowledge hub in the form of a maritime training institute, according to a joint media release.“The project is an important part of a wider initiative of eleQtra to develop marine transport businesses on the large inland lakes of Africa and mitigate the adverse impact of climate change, as well as accelerate economic growth and impact millions of people in the region.“Over recent years, eleQtra has successfully developed these businesses on Lake Victoria and is now concentrating on other target markets in Africa, including the countries surrounding Lake Tanganyika and Lake Volta,” the statement continues.eleQtra has its principal offices in London and New York, as well as offices in Accra (Ghana), Kampala (Uganda), Maputo (Mozambique) and Lusaka (Zambia).The corridor could serve more than the countries bordering on the lake.According to an Af DB-funded study, multimodal links with central corridor roads and railways will provide greater transport connectivity with other countries in the sub-region, such as Uganda and Rwanda.“The project will therefore unlock Lake Tanganyika’s potential as an inland waterway and provide a platform that would link the northern (Mombasa in Kenya), central (Dar es Salaam in Tanzania) and southern (Mpulungu in Zambia/ Durban in South Africa) road corridors.”"Mpulungu will be upgraded into a 4th generation port that features upgraded logistics functions, production and processing.
