Zimbabwe’s state-owned railway operator is negotiating a $115 million facility with Afreximbank to help revive its railway network. The talks, disclosed on Thursday by a Zimbabwean official, focus on using the funds to acquire locomotives and wagons and to support repairs and capacity expansion.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says it needs investment to address persistent problems linked to ageing infrastructure and limited haulage capacity. Planned spending includes purchasing 10 locomotives and 315 wagons, alongside repairing parts of the rail system. Reuters reports the negotiations are being conducted by NRZ, while another outlet cites John Mangudya, chief executive of the Mutapa Investment Fund, as confirming the discussions were ongoing.
While both sources agree on the loan amount and the broad purposes—rolling stock purchases and expanding/repairing rail operations—the outlets differ slightly in emphasis, with one highlighting the planned equipment list and infrastructure repair needs, and the other describing the negotiations as an NRZ-led facility aimed at expanding haulage capacity.
