November 20, 2024 | 1 month ago

40% of the continent's paved roads in South Africa and Algeria (AFC)

(Agence Ecofin) - While Africa's surface area accounts for almost 1/5 of the world's land mass, its proportion of paved roads is quite low. This situation has held back the continent's economic potential in various sectors for years.

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The Africa Finance Corporation's (AFC) ‘State of Africa's Infrastructure 2024’ report highlights the significant disparities in the distribution of paved roads across the continent. Almost 40% of Africa's paved roads are concentrated in South Africa and Algeria, with road density in sub-Saharan Africa extremely low, at just 2.3km of paved roads per 100km², compared to 138km in India.

This deficit is due to chronic under-investment, lack of maintenance and the lack of effective expansion strategies.

Roads nevertheless have a key role in Africa, carrying 80% of trade and 90% of passenger traffic. However, their poor quality results in high costs, representing up to 40% of the price of goods, while exacerbating delivery times, the risk of accidents, and the isolation of unserved areas.

The AFC stresses that to meet the growing demand for mobility and trade, Africa must intensify its efforts to improve and expand its road networks, while diversifying its transport infrastructure.

November 20, 2024 | algeria-logo