“Many millions use generators for electricity costing 50 cents for one kilowatt. “The size and scale of the need is beyond imagination; the challenge is enormous,” says Miguel Azevedo, head of investment banking for the Middle East and Africa at Citigroup. span { width: 28px; Africa is a continent of astonishing potential. It is also a lucrative access point into West Africa and the rest of the continent for Chinese exporters. Mozambique is still relatively poor as a country in economic terms, although it is rich in others such as copious fishing waters that are underused in the global markets due to poor infrastructure. display: flex; stroke-width: 0.5px; In this issue of the Africa’s Pulse, a special section is dedicated to infrastructure in the region, a sector in which investment could become a strategic tool for poverty reduction and economic development. Railway systems are sparse and, when they exist, of poor quality. If you are interested in telling stories in an impactful way to shine a spotlight on a particular issue, please email us. In fact, South Africa’s infrastructure quality is only fractionally higher than that of India – a nation with a per-capita income four times lower (see figure 1). Only accelerated infrastructure investment will harness this growth. Raconteur Media, 2nd FloorPortsoken House, The average poverty rate for sub-Saharan Africa stands at about 41 percent, and of the world’s 28 poorest countries, 27 are in sub-Saharan Africa all with a poverty rate above 30 percent. Africa continues to suffer from low levels of agricultural productivity and is constantly bedeviled by famines. Many roads are the same, of poor quality, narrow, and dangerous. Poverty is the core factor in the digital divide (Tiene, n.d.). display: none; In Africa the rate is under ten. Institutional investors have more than $100 trillion in assets under management globally. The British colonial government completed Nigeria’s first rail infrastructure more than 100 years ago to aid the movement of agricultural goods from the northern region to the ports in the south. © 2011 Africa Infrastructure Knowledge Program, All Rights Reserved. } It also has some of the world's least developed infrastructure. “Chinese financing is also becoming more prevalent, although this comes with its own set of rules including the use of Chinese contractors and equipment.”. “The second set of challenges relates to government aptitude. How the City of London can keep its green crown. Content is produced in collaboration between Africa.com’s editorial team and our partners — including nongovernmental organizations, private sector stakeholders, agencies and institutions. China has stepped into Africa where other foreign direct investment has feared to tread, offering up its hand as an alternative investment partner. “Many millions use generators for electricity costing 50 cents for one kilowatt. © Copyright 2020 Raconteur. The Tazara, one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest post-independence infrastructure projects, is indicative of the transportation issues across the continent as a whole. } They would also ensure the effective use of funds,” he says. The Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS) Report, published in May 2011, and indicates that schools in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are in the worst condition, but that the problem of poor infrastructure is … The service began to decline in the 1970s due to a fall in agricultural exports, mismanagement and government neglect. The critical mass of consultants, project managers, legal advisers, skilled staff and other service providers is sorely lacking across Africa. “If it does not happen it will be dramatic for Africa and traumatic for Europe since people will start migrating north for a better life; something must be done. Africa: Poor infrastructure hindering competitiveness - World Bank. Having become an independent country only in 2011, Sudan is one of the world's youngest countries. As such, the country's economy is rather underdeveloped. @media screen and (min-width: 800px) { This is according to the School Monitoring Survey (SMS) report that was released by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga i n Pretoria on Monday. The share of Africa’s working-age population is rising faster than any other region globally; 70 per cent of the populace is under the age of 30. The British colonial government completed Nigeria’s first rail infrastructure more than 100 years ago to aid the movement of agricultural goods from the northern region to the ports in the south. Saturday, 28 August 2010 . However, while there is an urgent need to address the issue of energy supply in South Africa, a lack of capacity in a number of other forms of economic infrastructure, from insufficient road, rail, port, communications and other logistical infrastructure, have also proven hugely damaging for the economy. All too often political agendas create hurdles for transactions.”. Poor infrastructure has been identified as one of the major barriers to agricultural trade within and outside Nigeria. The new standard gauge line – the most widely-used railway track around the world for high-speed trains – connects Abuja with the former colonial capital of northern Nigeria, Kaduna, as part of the $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) unveiled by China in 2013. Malawi is among the world's least developed nations. Sub-Saharan Africa is starved of electricity; two out of three people lack a domestic supply and there are many studies showing that a lack of basic infrastructure slashes productivity, as well as growth in gross domestic product. Agriculture c… “Africa is regarded as the ‘last golden land’ by many Chinese,” explains Dr Jing Gu, director of the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development at the Institute of Development Studies. Something needs to change if Africa is to reach its full potential; the continent must industrialise to generate employment and end poverty. Africa needs far greater healthcare entrepreneurship if it is to overcome its public health challenges, says Pascal Mukadi of Medical Fund Management Pty. All rights reserved. It is estimated that this constrains productivity by up to 40 percent and reduces the continent’s GDP by about 2 percent per year. Offended by one-sided coverage of wars, disasters and disease, the founders of Africa.com created a website that provides a balanced view of Africa – current events, business, arts & culture, travel, fashion, sports, information, development, and more. It’s not that there’s a lack of money either. The government’s monopolisation of Myanmar’s financial capital and resources has resulte… If you build a power plant the price comes down to ten cents. There are also not enough of them. height: auto; Yet this story of progress is occurring despite its poor energy, water and transport networks. It is part of an attempt to reinvigorate Africa’s largest economy as railways make a comeback after decades of neglect. } } Public schools countrywide are still surrounded by poor infrastructure, teacher absenteeism and lack of water and sanitation. Based on initial test results, the drug’s manufacturers – Pfizer and BioNTech – claim […] svg { People will pay,” says Mr Azevedo. “Once an African project gets checked as bankable and doable, and gets to financial close, the chances of losing money are very limited because lenders go the extra mile of caution, and hedge to make sure that if anything goes wrong there’s a mechanism so they will be paid, even if there is some delay,” adds Mr Sagna. As it stands, South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa lag significantly behind European and Asian comparators in terms of the quality of infrastructure. Malawi is southeast Africas landlocked country that covers an area of 118,000 square km and has a population of 16,777,547. “Africa needs a lot of infrastructure right now if it’s to make the most of its demographic dividend.”. “The actual hurdle is ‘bankability’, and the challenge that investors face in identifying and structuring bankable projects,” explains Ibrahim Sagna, director for advisory and capital markets at Afreximbank. The service began to decline in the 1970s due to a fall in agricultural exports, mismanagement and government neglect. Those schemes that are bankable do well. Source: The Monitor (Uganda) The World Bank has advised African governments to improve the quality of infrastructure so as to become competitive in the current globalised environment. Shenilla Mohamed, Executive Director of Amnesty International South Africa Broken and Unequal: The State of Education in South Africa calls on the government to urgently address a number of endemic failings in the system in order to guarantee the right to a decent education for every child in South Africa.. These developments are also complementary to China’s Belt and Road initiative [recreating the ancient Silk Route].”. The list of investment hotspots is also getting longer, with seven visible leaders including South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco and the Ivory Coast. It would be in their strategic interest. Africa has enormous infrastructure gaps, including broadband infrastructure, and access to broadband services, where they exist, is also very expensive. Infrastructure in Africa The need for infrastructure improvements in the developing world is critical. 155-157 Minories, Aldgate, London, EC3N 1LJ. Take, for example, a hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo that needs electricity to ensure the safe and healthy delivery of a newborn. By 2009, the number of annual passenger rail trips in Nigeria had fallen from its 1963 heyday of 11 million to just one million. “The criteria for project finance are not very flexible, nor is it suitable for smaller projects,” explains Raj Kulasingam, senior counsel at global law firm Dentons. flex-direction: row; https://www.openphilanthropy.org/research/cause-reports/infrastructure } Experienced and well-capitalised private sector infrastructure developers are beginning to emerge from Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria. Unlike many global publications, for nearly a decade we have been committed to showing a complete picture of Africa – not just a single story. Africa suffers from poor quality and expensive infrastructure services compared to other parts of the world. Yet chronic issues linger. Also many projects are complex in terms of their structure, documentation and the number of parties involved. span { of Africa (ICA), have shown that poor road, rail and harbour infrastructure adds 30-40% to the costs of goods traded among African countries. Untold numbers of businesses suffer from lack of reliable power for industrial processes or because they cannot get their goods to the market. Sub-Saharan Africa is starved of electricity; two out of three people lack a domestic supply and there are many studies showing that a lack of basic infrastructure slashes productivity, as well as growth in gross domestic product. Currently power is the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of return on investment. } Signup, Despite Africa’s huge potential, there is a lack of expertise and investment in infrastructure, leaving millions languishing in poverty. One solution offered by Mr Azevedo is the formation of an Africa Infrastructure Investment Bank, mirroring China’s Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. A small fraction could easily plug Africa’s financing gap. Backed by Europe, this could step in to fill the infrastructure gap. [Jump to Top] [Jump to Main Content] [Jump to Main Content] The country’s power supply is extremely poor and basic services like Wi-Fi are limited to the 5-star hotels. By 2034, it will have a larger potential workforce than either China or India. Its isolation from the outside world has left the country in a dire situation, the Southeast Asian nation ranking among the 30 poorest nations in the world. “Experienced and well-capitalised private sector infrastructure developers are beginning to emerge from Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria. Its citizens have limited access to power, electricity and… Ltd. With the recent announcement of a high-powered vaccine against Covid-19, a wave of excitement has overtaken the globe. It’s why there are many public-private partnerships. A recent World Bank study on infrastructure also highlighted challenges in this regard for continental economic development. It’s a no brainer. Subsequently, the underdeveloped telecommunication infrastructure has limited their ICT availability and thus information-deprived. Numerous laws and policies aiming to improve people’s quality of life and promote economic and social transformation have been introduced since 1994. The demand is there. .account__link { Infrastructure investment is paramount, whatever model is used. In most cases they own the jurisdiction and the asset, so they need to guide the regulations and concessions, as well as kickstart the agreement. If Africa is to unleash its true economic potential, $170 billion is needed every year in infrastructure investment, according to the African Development Bank. height: 35px; infrastructure, and access to it. This Kaduna-Abuja railway line, opened by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, is the first of the country’s standard gauge railway modernisation projects, accommodating high-speed rail lines. Chad's infrastructure is one of the world's very poorest. Poor infrastructure People in Agbogbloshie , near the center of Accra , Ghana 's capital city Clean potable water is rare in most of Africa (even those parts outside the sub-Saharan region) despite the fact that the continent is crossed by several major rivers and contains some of … The numbers speak for themselves. Six of the world’s fastest-growing economies in 2018 are forecast to be African. Infrastructure is the backbone of any country as it generates jobs, boost economic growth and improves the quality of life for the poor. This sluggish investment has coincided with a sharp deceleration in economic growth in Africa. Mozambique was lead by the Portuguese government who were ill equipped to … “Important ports and other coastal cities are hotspots for infrastructure. Research puts the annual cost of poor sanitation for low and middle-income countries at $222.9 billion in 2015, writes Jim McHale. “Europeans have a lot of expertise. South Sudan is the poorest country in Africa with a per capita income of $1,503 per year. Thanks for reading and for your interest in Africa. African countries are starting to realise that many issues stem from a lack of infrastructure,” says Mr Azevedo. In a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the developing countries certainly are not able to acquire sufficient funding to purchase the telecommunication infrastructure and equipment. Infrastructure projects have default rates of 16 per cent across the globe. There is a third challenge, which is lack of technical expertise. The Best Photos from the Lonely Planet’s Photographer, A Space for African and Portuguese Food and Live Music, Amoako Boafo Sets New Auction Records at a Christie’s Hybrid Sale, A Social Distancing Experiment in Joburg’s Hotspots, DRC Energy & Infrastructure Investment Summit 2021. The traditional project finance model is common, but raises challenges in Africa since there are often issues with drawn-out timelines. They will cascade into the continent as its wealth and growth make it more attractive, yet the current supply side is very limited,” says Mr Sagna. Instead, they are more concerned with health care and the other social infrastructure such as water and electricity. The poor state of Africa's infrastructure becomes obvious when traveling 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) by train from svg path { The continent is rapidly urbanising, its workforce is growing by 12 million a year. 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