However , it is all happening rather slowly . Yet , South African cold chain organisations are taking the lead in establishing a cold chain in sub-Saharan Africa and are passionate about this subject .

Far too much food is lost and wasted – a major concern for the region . The lack of reliable and adequate cold chain facilities in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the main causes of losses of perishable products , which are estimated to be about 25 % to 30 % for animal products and 40 % to 50 % for roots , tubers , fruits and vegetables .

Refrigeration is therefore a key factor in the economic growth of developing countries ( outside of South Africa ) as , quite aside from the long-term costs of food spoilage in terms of health and nutrition , there is also an immediate economic impact on the prices that farmers can charge for their harvest . The lack of proper infrastructure and resources have made it difficult to implement an effective cold chain system in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa . Despite these challenges , there are some promising developments in the field

of refrigeration in sub-Saharan Africa . All over the continent , the first fledgling steps are being made . One such example is ACES . According to the University of Birmingham , over 100 fishers , community leaders and farmers in Rwanda are working with experts from the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain ( ACES ) in a flagship training and knowledge building programme .

In another initiative , CNN has reported that solar-powered refrigerators are being used to keep food fresh in areas without access to electricity .

According to a policy brief by FAO and IIR , the development of the cold chain must be guided by a master plan , which should be integrated into multi-sector and multi-stakeholder development strategies that foster co-operation within the value chain and public-private and private-private partnerships . The brief also recommends a regional and subregional vision of development of the cold chain in sub-Saharan Africa , which adopts a complementary approach and takes into consideration economies of scale .

One significant development is SARACCA ’ s involvement in the establishment of an SADC RAC Association ( Southern African Development Community Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Association ) project to establish a viable regional grouping of each of the national committees . Hennie Basson is currently the Secretary General of SADC RAC Association .

SARACCA ’ s SADC RAC Association involvement project is an initiative that aims to address the lack of a cold chain infrastructure in southern African countries . On a continent-wide basis , U-3ARC , a union of associations of African actors in refrigeration and air-conditioning , has been established . Basson , together with current director Barney Richardson , attended a 2022 conference in Morocco . What they found was that while this Association claimed to represent all 54 African countries , in fact only a handful had paid membership fees while the predominance of French and Arabic languages meant that the organisation would be too cumbersome if it ever truly got off the ground .

SARACCA , in co-operation with other countries , seeks to establish a cold chain in southern African countries to prevent the loss of fresh produce . The establishment of a cold chain infrastructure will create jobs and stimulate economic growth . This will be achieved by setting up the infrastructure and refrigeration businesses , as well as training people to operate and maintain the refrigeration systems . The project will cover the whole cold chain process , from farm level to distribution centres and exports at harbours .

SARACCA , in co-operation with the SADC RAC Association , aims to get local associations to get organised to carry out the project . The local associations will train people and provide investment for setting up the infrastructure . The project is not only