Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has outlined plans for a petroleum-products pipeline network of about 2,650 kilometres across Southern Africa, with an estimated investment of more than US$3.5 billion. The proposed infrastructure would establish a supply corridor from Namibia through Botswana towards South Africa, while a separate route is envisaged extending through Zimbabwe and Zambia towards the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dangote disclosed the plans in remarks reported by Bloomberg, as his group expands the distribution infrastructure surrounding its Nigerian refining operations. The proposal is part of a broader pipeline programme that Dangote has indicated could eventually extend to roughly 4,000 kilometres across Africa. However, the Southern African network remains at the proposal and development stage, with no public final investment decision, construction timetable, pipeline capacity or detailed route alignment disclosed.
Namibia is expected to play an important role in the proposed corridor, particularly through Walvis Bay. In July 2025, Reuters reported that Dangote planned fuel storage facilities at Walvis Bay capable of holding at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel, with potential supplies to Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and parts of the DRC. A Namibia Ports Authority official confirmed at the time that the proposed tanks would be located within Walvis Bay harbour.
More recent Namibian regulatory records provide evidence of continuing development activity associated with Dangote. The country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism is processing an environmental scoping assessment for the proposed subdivision of Farm 58 at Walvis Bay into several Dangote portions. The public consultation period is scheduled to close on 28 September 2026. The existence of this assessment, however, does not constitute approval for the proposed regional pipeline.
The proposed corridor would intersect with an existing regional effort to diversify fuel supply. Botswana Oil says it is seeking to reduce concentration risk by sourcing petroleum products through Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. Its current strategy envisages Namibia serving the western corridor, Mozambique the north and South Africa the southern part of the country.
For landlocked economies such as Botswana and Zimbabwe, the significance of the proposal would extend beyond the pipeline itself. A coastal storage and distribution hub at Walvis Bay could provide an additional route for refined products, potentially reducing reliance on established southern corridors. Whether that translates into lower costs or greater supply resilience would depend on tariffs, volumes, infrastructure connections, regulatory arrangements and the commercial terms eventually negotiated between participating countries and suppliers.
The proposal also reflects the changing geography of African refining and petroleum-product trade. Dangote’s refinery in Lagos has reached a stated capacity of about 700,000 barrels per day, while the company is pursuing an expansion that would increase capacity further. Its current Nigerian initial public offering opened on 14 September and is scheduled to close on 13 October 2026, according to the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission and the refinery’s official offer information.
For Southern Africa, the proposed pipeline therefore represents an infrastructure concept rather than an operational project. Its eventual significance will depend on whether engineering, financing, environmental assessments, land access and cross-border regulatory agreements can be secured. For now, the more established development is the emergence of Walvis Bay as a potential regional petroleum-storage and distribution node, alongside Southern Africa’s own efforts to build more diversified and resilient energy supply networks.
