In his acceptance speech in Addis Ababa, Ramaphosa said that AfCFTA would enable the continent to work together, reignite industrialisation and pave the way for the continent’s integration into the global economy. He noted that the success of AfCFTA depended on infrastructure development. In November 2019 the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced at the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg that infrastructure investment in Africa amounted to more than $100bn in 2018, with about $25bn coming from China. However, Africa’s transport infrastructure is behind the global average. SA — as well as countries in North Africa such as Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria — generally boast more sophisticated transport infrastructure, but landlocked nations lack easy access to ports, making their markets less accessible.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 16, 2020 17:03 UTC