The Huawei Railway Summit 2025 was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, alongside the SARA Rail Conference & Exhibition 2025.
The conference, themed: "Digital Intelligence Empower African Railways: Safe, Efficient and Intelligent", attracted over 100 representatives from transportation authorities, railway operators, industry partners and experts and scholars from various countries in southern Africa.
Participants came together to explore how digital intelligence can strengthen safety, improve efficiency and drive the intelligent transformation of Africa’s railways.
Rail remains a vital link in southern Africa’s economic development, yet the region continues to face challenges such as ageing infrastructure, low operational efficiency and gaps in safety management. With freight and passenger demand on the rise, digital transformation is increasingly recognised as a critical pathway to boosting transport capacity, facilitating trade and advancing socio-economic integration. Huawei and SARA hosted this forum to showcase advanced technologies and innovative solutions that can help rail operators across the continent meet these challenges.
At the opening ceremony on 25 August, Victor Guo, President of Huawei Enterprise Business in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasised the role of intelligence as a driving force for the region’s railways. “Digital intelligence will become the key engine accelerating the development of railways in southern Africa. Huawei is committed to working hand in hand with partners from various countries, leveraging our expertise in information and communication technology, video detection, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and big data. Through continuous innovation in specialised fields such as signalling, communications, locomotive operations and passenger and freight transport, we aim to comprehensively enhance the safety, efficiency and intelligence of railways," he said.
Victor Guo, President of Huawei Enterprise Business in Sub-Saharan Africa.
During the forum, representatives from several railway companies, including Southern Africa Core Railway Enterprises, shared their operational challenges and digitalisation needs. They engaged in in-depth discussions on technologies such as the FRMCS train-ground wireless standard, cloud platforms and artificial intelligence. Huawei's intelligent railway exhibition area, which featured solutions like perimeter security for railway lines, TFDS freight car fault detection and IOC intelligent operation centres, attracted a large number of attendees for interactive experiences.
At the Conference on 26 August, Raymond Zuo, CEO of Huawei Smart Rail BU, stated: "African railways are facing a historic opportunity. We need closer cooperation, more open technology sharing and more innovative construction models. Huawei will work with SARA to jointly promote the comprehensive improvement of railway safety, efficiency and intelligence."
Raymond Zuo, CEO of Huawei Smart Rail BU.
The railway sector in southern Africa holds immense potential, and digitalisation and intelligentisation are the essential pathways to modernisation. This forum not only provides a platform for international exchange and co-operation in the regional railway industry but also highlights Huawei's commitment to actively participating in the ICT development of African transportation. Huawei will continue to inject new momentum into the railway development in southern Africa, driving the industry towards a safer, more efficient and intelligent future.
