The Civil Engineering Contractor April 2019 | Page 25

FEATURE: INFRASTRUCTURE
Bay. The Chinese are also developing
ports in Angola.”
Not all is lost, he says, as
several seeming first movers have
simultaneously taken backward
steps politically, including through
indigenisation policies and rampant
corruption. “If the African Continental
Free Trade Agreement takes off, it
will create the largest free trade area
in the world. Africa would become
less reliant on imports and exports,
and more on cross-border trade.
This would be entirely dependent on
internal infrastructure.”
Operation Phakisa looks at ‘quick
fixes’ to the South African economy,
and one realistic opportunity
identified was the Ocean Economy.
“In South Africa, the ocean economy
has a lot going for it.” It has been
used by TNPA to accelerate some
refurbishment projects, he says, but
the dig-out port (former Durban
International Airport) is on hold.
He believes dredging of Salisbury
Island may be going ahead, and
the establishment of ship repair
“Logistics in South Africa could be
vastly improved if strategic projects
under SOEs were to be immediately
implemented — budgets permitting.”
facilities at Richards Bay is under
consideration. However, he notes
that our railways and ports are
uncompetitive for calling ships and to
change that, would require dropping
the “monopoly mentality”.
Marutla says that Transnet has
long-term plans for the expansion
of various ports in South Africa via
its long-term planning framework,
“and there is talk of expanding ports
in Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania,
Kenya, and more”.
He explains that locally, a core
component of the hub-and-spoke
philosophy is the pit-to-port aspect.
“Strategically located hubs across
the country enable commodities to
be moved from origin to destination
seamlessly, thereby assisting in
Africa doesn’t move soon, somebody
else will.” He has no doubt South
Africa will host one such hub
(but only provided we get our act
together with infrastructure), but
others will be necessary in East or
Northeast Africa, West Africa, and
one is already established in Morocco
for North Africa.
Countries that show intention
include Kenya (Mombasa has
invested considerably in itself),
Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana. Hartwell
points out that it is not necessarily
the biggest or wealthiest economies
that will win in the end, as Nigeria
for instance is not currently in
the running. “It is stable countries
which will have the advantage.
Ethiopia is leading the way (through
neighbouring Port of Djibouti)
as it has already demonstrated
aptitude through its hub-and-
spoke designed Ethiopian Airlines.
Tanzania is investing USD10-billion
in Bagamoyo and a link to Dar es
Salaam; while Namibia has moved
under the radar to develop Walvis
www.civilsonline.co.za
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