The Civil Engineering Contractor August 2018 | Page 30

INSIGHT
Africa's infra future
By Eamonn Ryan
Infrastructure development in Africa is driven largely by commodities and urbanisation,
and the lack of it is a key factor constraining economic growth.
AECOM was the transaction adviser to the Gautrain Rail Link Project in Gautrain.
T
he largest need on the continent
is for basic infrastructure such
as power and energy, water, and
transportation; followed by secondary
infrastructure, which includes health
care, telecoms, education, real estate,
and industry.
According to the African Development
Bank’s (AfDB’s) 2018 African Economic
Outlook, infrastructure requirements for
28 - CEC August 2018
the continent are estimated at around
USD130-billion to USD170-billion
a year, while PwC has previously
estimated infrastructure spend in the
region to peak at USD180-billion
by 2025.
Darrin Green, MD for Civil
Infrastructure at AECOM, states that,
based on the AfDB report, this leaves
a financing gap of between USD70-
billion and USD108-billion each year,
or more than 50% of the total required.
However, Africa continues to attract the
interest of global investors, developers,
and operators searching for growth.
“Primary growth includes regions
such as East Africa, particularly Kenya
and Uganda, and in West Africa in
places like the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and
Senegal, where growth is driven by oil