Botswana is in active discussions to join Angola’s Lobito Refinery project in Benguela Province as a strategic partner, a development that would mark a significant milestone in Southern African regional energy cooperation and deepen the continent’s push for fuel self-sufficiency through domestically controlled refining infrastructure.
Botswana’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Bogolo Kenewendo, confirmed the discussions during a visit to the Lobito construction site alongside Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Pedro Azevedo. Kenewendo described the refinery as a transformative project not just for Angola but for the wider region and the African continent as a whole. She said technical discussions between the two governments are already at an advanced stage, with several cooperation protocols signed and detailed information exchanges underway to determine Botswana’s potential role in the project. Drawing comparisons to Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery, she said Lobito could significantly strengthen Africa’s collective fuel production capacity, enhance regional energy self-sufficiency, and open pathways to global export markets.
Angolan officials confirmed that the Lobito Refinery is explicitly open to investment from Southern African Development Community member states, framing the project as a vehicle for advancing SADC integration and collective energy security. They also reaffirmed that the project is on track for delivery, with no major delays anticipated to the targeted completion timeline. Construction has reached approximately 25% physical completion, while financial execution stands at around 34%, reflecting steady progress across key project components. Angola’s national oil company Sonangol, which is fully financing the development, has invested approximately $1.5 billion to date against a total project cost estimated at $6.2 billion. Operations are expected to begin in December 2027, following the completion of core processing units and a commissioning and testing phase.
Once fully operational, the Lobito Refinery is designed to process up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, producing a wide range of refined petroleum products for both domestic consumption and potential regional and global export. If Botswana secures a formal stake, it would become one of the first SADC countries to take an equity position in the project — a move that could catalyse broader regional participation and establish a new model for cooperative energy infrastructure development in Southern Africa.
Source: Angolan Mining Oil and Gas