The Complexities of Regional Infrastructure Planning

The document examines the complexities of planning and financing regional infrastructure in Southern Africa, focusing on the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP). It identifies a significant funding gap and analyzes the roles of five primary stakeholders: recipient governments, continental and regional development finance institutions (DFIs), donors, multilateral institutions, and private sector investors. While noting improvements in regional coordination, the text highlights the risks of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the necessity of long-term policy frameworks that transcend political cycles. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is presented as a bi-national example of the trade-offs and benefits inherent in transboundary infrastructure.

• The SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP), adopted in August 2012, aims to create a cost-effective transboundary network across six priority sectors: energy, transport, tourism, information and communication technologies, meteorology, and water. Implementation is scheduled in three five-year phases from 2012 to 2027.
• Effective infrastructure investment requires strategic policy frameworks that are broad enough to maintain political consensus and endure beyond individual election cycles.
• There is a substantial funding gap for SADC infrastructure, and while private capital is sought, it is not a complete solution due to histories of ineffective investment, weak governance, and inefficient service provision in large-scale assets.
• Private investment in African infrastructure has been disproportionately low compared to other regions; between 1990 and 2011, only 10% of global private infrastructure investment went to Africa, whereas Latin America received 40%.
• Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are viewed with apprehension by some international civil society groups who see them as a form of privatisation leading to job losses, with failed toll road projects in South Africa cited as cautionary examples.
• The Lesotho Highlands Water Project serves as a bi-national example of strategic trade-offs: Lesotho diverts water to South Africa in exchange for the ability to power an underground hydroelectric station at Muela, reducing its energy dependence on South Africa.

APA

Wentworth, L. (2013). The Complexities of Regional Infrastructure Planning. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_infr_TP_wentworth_20131213.pdf

Chicago

Wentworth, Lesley. The Complexities of Regional Infrastructure Planning. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_infr_TP_wentworth_20131213.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wentworth |first1=Lesley |title=The Complexities of Regional Infrastructure Planning |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_infr_TP_wentworth_20131213.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wentworth2013complexities, author = {Wentworth, Lesley}, title = {{The Complexities of Regional Infrastructure Planning}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_infr_TP_wentworth_20131213.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }