The Lobito Corridor is an important and strategic piece of infrastructure designed to stimulate business opportunities for small, medium and large companies in Angola and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the impetus that was needed to boost the economies of several countries.
As the shortest route between the large mining areas of the DRC and Zambia, an advantage that led to the construction of the Benguela Railway (CFB) between 1902 and 1929, the rehabilitation of the CFB was, on the Angolan side, a giant step towards revitalizing this commercial dynamic that bore fruit in colonial times.
Prepared for the challenge of boosting trade in the region and more than desirable, making the most of the infrastructure was urgent, crucial, as the experts attested.
Classified as a “priority” since 2012 in SADC's General Infrastructure Plan, the Lobito Corridor is, according to this regional organization, a strategic element in promoting the integration of southern African countries, strengthening intra-regional trade, empowering small and medium-sized companies and promoting better access to markets on other continents.
Despite all the potential already recognized, there was a lack of investment beyond that which Angola had already made in rehabilitating and creating technical conditions. Aware that the next step was needed, Angola drew up a mega plan to increase the visibility and relevance of the infrastructure and the cooperation of other international players, with communication being one of the key parts of the strategy.
Challenge
With Angola investing heavily in its rehabilitation and development and with all the potential already recognized by various regional and international institutions, the Lobito Corridor lacked the involvement and additional investment of other players. In order to re-establish its strategic importance, its economic potential and increase its international visibility, in 2021 the Angolan government launched the international public tender for the concession of the management, operation and maintenance of the Lobito Corridor, using various pieces of communication through an ambitious public relations strategy.
Strategy
With immense untapped potential, the communication strategy aimed to put the infrastructure in the place it was very much destined to be: in the eyes of the world's biggest infrastructure managers and investors. The integrated strategy, made up of institutional relations actions at various levels of the Angolan government, also included various communication actions developed by the public relations team.
We developed and distributed content to encourage journalists to report on the great potential of the infrastructure. Content was created to raise awareness of the Corridor as a lever for trade and logistics platforms for Angola and the countries of the region, promoting their integration.
Some of the pieces developed:
- Production of a historical film about the Lobito Corridor, listing the great advantages and logistical capacities it has already demonstrated in the past and the forecasts after its rehabilitation.
- As this is a very specific segment, contacts were also made with specialized foreign publications, which resulted in the publication of news content and interviews on specialized international websites.
- Holding a quality webinar with international managers and investors in the sector.
Implementation phases:
- Publication of articles and news in the international media
- Tender launch event
- Meetings with the media
- Prospecting webinar with international companies
Impact
All the strategic actions taken to publicize the Lobito Corridor resulted in an increase in its visibility and led to a competitive tender, won by a consortium comprising the multinational companies Trafigura, Vecturis and Mota Engil.
Following the signing of the contract with the winning consortium and the subsequent phases, various initiatives have emerged and the importance of the Lobito Corridor has increased. One of these is the memorandum of understanding signed between Angola, the United States of America and the European Union to boost and expand the infrastructure.
After various presentations and communications about the potential of the Lobito Corridor, the infrastructure has received attention and investment from various international players.