South Africa's freight transport involvement options in Sub-Saharan Africa : declining infrastructure and regulatory constraints

[摘要] Although global changes like political security, depletion of natural resources,energy supply and global warming are affecting all continents; Africa strugglethe most to cope with these changes. This is due to the many historicalimpediments that Africa still has to overcome. Examples of these impedimentsare the negative effects caused by civil wars, poverty, poor infrastructure anda lack of skills.Providing reliable, effective and efficient infrastructure underpins all attemptsto facilitate trade, grow the economy and reduce poverty in Sub-SaharanAfrica (SSA). SSA transportation related infrastructure is limited and generallyin a poor condition. This poor state of transport infrastructure impedes SSA'sdevelopment. However, it is not only the state of the infrastructure thatchallenges Africa - complicated customs and administrative procedures andinefficiencies when goods are handled at terminals and transferred from onetransport mode to another also impede its potential for economic growth.In spite of these limitations, the SSA economy has been growing. As many as28 countries (out of 48) in SSA recorded improvements in growth in 2006 and2007. This growth was underpinned by improvement in macro-economicmanagement in many countries, and a strong global demand for key Africanexport commodities (sustaining high export prices, especially for crude oil,metals and minerals). Greater flows of capital to Africa, debt relief andincreasing trade with the developing Asia have also helped increase resourcesand lift growth across SSA. The strong economic growth in the region alsoreflects the institutional improvements, structural reforms, and more rigorouseconomic policies that have started to bear fruit in many countries.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University