This snapshot, taken on 22/04/2009, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search boxes may not work in archived websites.

"North South Corridor" to improve trade routes across Africa

19 February 2009

Clearing a path for improved transport links in Africa to boost trade

Trade routes across Africa could soon be revolutionised as a result of an ambitious transport initiative set out by International Development Minister Gareth Thomas today.

The project will free up bottlenecks that lie on the main trading routes across eight African countries with faster border crossing, improved railways and new super highways.

Speaking to UK leaders from blue chip companies trading and investing in Africa, Gareth Thomas said that freeing up the transport blockages that lie on the main trading route could be worth tens of millions of pounds a year to the African economy and generate strong investment opportunities.

Poor infrastructure is a major barrier in Africa and restricts countries ability to trade with the rest of the world.

Map of North South CorridorTrading is currently crippled along Africa’s main trade route, which runs from the Copper belt of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia down to the ports of southern Africa. The poor quality transport infrastructure of roads and railways and long waiting times at borders and ports are hampering the transportation of essential goods.

Transporting a single cargo of copper from the Copper belt to the sea currently takes, on average, two to three weeks. In Europe, the same distance would take 48 hours.

Gareth Thomas announced a partnership between the Department for International Development, African Regional Economic Organisations and the Government of Zambia that will work together with businesses on a programme to reduce transport time and costs along the North South Corridor. The initiative is seeking to improve 8,650 km of road and maintain it in good order. This distance is more than six times the road length from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Travelling times by road from Lusaka to Durban will fall by 10 per cent after improvements are made along the North South Corridor. Transit times at the Chirundu border post (between Zimbabwe and Zambia) will fall by at least 20 percent.

In addition to surface transport programmes, the initiative addresses how to improve the generation and transmission of electricity in the region. The area has great potential for increasing hydro-electric generation and to boost the trading in power.

Links