News
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF
PPPS CRITICAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT IN AFRICA
By Teddy Daka , co-chief executive officer of Zutari
The African Union ( AU ) has noted the clear impact of infrastructure deficits on African competitiveness , recognising this as “ a continental problem that requires a continental solution ”.
Regional integration through infrastructure programmes is expected to overcome constraints imposed by scale and location , and improve the competitiveness of African producers , connecting consumers and enhancing intra- and inter-regional trade .
African leaders have consistently expressed their desire to support Africa ’ s economic development through a common market for goods and services . A 2016 report by McKinsey projects that Africa ’ s manufacturing “ output could expand to nearly $ 1 trillion ” by 2025 if Africa ’ s manufacturers upscaled to meet domestic consumer and business demands .
This will require inter-sectoral collaboration between business and governments to address obstacles to production and exporting of goods .
Recognising these and other market opportunities , aspirations for Africa ’ s development have begun to translate into policymaking : The African Free Trade Agreement underscores regional policy efforts towards this goal ; the AU ’ s Programme for Infrastructure Development ( PIDA ) is an outcome of a coordinated policy effort to unlock competitive opportunities ; and , in South Africa , the recent adoption of the District Development Model shows a localised shift , mirroring intraregional policy trends .
While much research , advocacy and institutional work is ongoing towards reshaping African policies to support effective integration , this goal relies on the effective implementation of Public-Private-Partnerships ( PPPs ) as a mechanism . The PPPs which undertake infrastructure projects unconsciously mediate a social contract between governments and citizens against which to monitor performance .
Our ability to leverage innovative regional development hinges on the translation of infrastructure development practices across the entire development process . It is clear that infrastructure delivery – and the quality of leadership , governance and public-private cooperation required for its development – both exist as grand challenges in their own right and underpin the interventions necessary for many others .
Zutari
As Africa joins the global effort to attract funding from large global institutional investment vehicles , its ambitions are being matched through more integrated policy making , redesigned finance instruments and project execution practices and project information systems that support performance monitoring .
" Our ability to leverage innovative regional development hinges on the translation of infrastructure development practices ."
For visions of shared prosperity , regional integration and intracontinental strengthening to translate from policy through to development practices ( across the value chain ), and service delivery performance , calls for embodying a developmental identity and embedding an innovative mindset at multiple levels throughout the sector and across the infrastructure delivery value chain .
We are pushed to be resourceful , intelligent and wise ; we are required to be adaptive , to develop our talents , our capacity ; and we certainly need to cultivate the motivation and commitment to see through this multi-generational task . RACA
Teddy Daka - Zutari co-chief executive officer .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I April 2022 5