In the shadow of the railway

After years of Chinese investment in Africa, the West is fighting back. Through the Lobito Corridor project, the US and European countries are investing billions in Angola’s Benguela Railway, which runs from southern Africa’s interior to Angola’s Atlantic coast. The aim is to build a quick and reliable supply chain to export African minerals to the West. These minerals power the chips in all our gadgets, so they are pivotal in the US’s tussle with China. Plus, the project promises huge economic gains for Angola. Marcia Veiga takes the train to find out if ordinary Angolans will benefit, or if it is another case of foreign powers extracting African resources for their own gain.

(Photo: Train between Lobito and Benguela in Angola. Credit: Wolfgang Kaehler/Getty Images)