Economic growth and Infrastructures in Africa

Business in Africa - Africa: Global / Regional

Contents:
- Economic growth and Infrastructures in Africa.
- The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic.
- Africa's logistics and transport sector.
- Information and communication technologies.

Summary

Infrastructure has been a major driver of strong economic growth in Africa in recent years. Better infrastructure could make an even greater contribution. Africa’s transport sector requires some $18 billion in annual investment, almost half for operations and maintenance.

Substantial investments in information and communications technology (ICT) and related infrastructure will be made through 2015 to meet market demand for telecommunications services in 24 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Over the last few years, Africa has benefitted from some significant improvements in infrastructure. Over 50 percent of Africa’s population lived in range of a GSM mobile phone signal in 2006. Five African countries have already met the millennium targets for universal water access and 12 others are on-track to do so; and around 80 percent of Africa’s main road network is in good or fair condition.

However, this is only part of the story; daunting challenges remain. Only one in three rural Africans has access to an all-season road; more than 20 percent of the population in Cameroon, Ghana, Mauritania, Niger, and Tanzania must travel more than two kilometers to their primary water supply; African consumers pay twice as much for basic services as people elsewhere in the world; and a monthly basket of prepaid mobile telephone services costs $12 in Africa but only $2 in South Asia. These are examples of Africa’s infrastructure challenges.

Access to energy is critical for economic growth and poverty alleviation; no country in the world has developed its economy without abundant energy supplies. Today, chronic power shortages plague 30 African countries and only one in four Africans have access to electricity. The entire installed generation capacity of 48 Sub Saharan African countries is 68 gigawatts, no more than Spain’s. Firms in many African countries indicate that the largest obstacle to doing business is the power constraint. Outside of South Africa, power consumption is barely one percent of the level in high income countries.

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Master Executive Business with Africa - Master East and Southern Africa  - Master Business West Africa and Maghreb

AFRICA Scholarships Grants (Fr: Afrique Infrastructures Telecommunications)

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