DOS BURACOS NAS ESTRADAS À PROSPERIDADE

This report, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in October 2003, examines the critical state of transport, financial, and social infrastructure within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It argues that poor management and political apathy, rather than just physical decay, hinder regional economic competitiveness and integration.

• The SADC region suffers from severe transport inefficiencies, with average rail speeds between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa as low as 10 kilometers per hour. Port delays are significant, with ships sometimes waiting up to 10 days at South African ports, particularly Durban, due to congestion.
• High transport and insurance costs, often provided by foreigners, absorb more than 25% of the value of exports in most sub-Saharan African countries. In the SADC region, transport costs can reach 20-30% of the total price of goods, compared to 12% in Brazil.
• The Trans-Kalahari Corridor is cited as a successful exception to regional mismanagement, reducing travel time for trucks from Botswana's capital to Walvis Bay from six days to less than two days through the standardization of customs fees and road codes.
• The SADC's Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), adopted in August 2003, is criticized for lacking specific targets, cost estimates, and clear priorities. It is described as being filled with impressive but non-committal jargon.
• South Africa dominates the region's economy and infrastructure, producing approximately 75% of the SADC's GDP and 90% of its electricity. South African companies, such as Spoornet (a subsidiary of Transnet), are aggressively pursuing concessions for regional railways, including in Zambia and Tanzania.
• Privatization through concessions is presented as a viable model for infrastructure renewal, as seen with the Zambia Railways, where freight traffic increased by 64% since 1998 after management was handed to a predominantly South African consortium (NLPI).
• The political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe has led to a near-collapse of its vital infrastructure. This includes a critical lack of medicines in hospitals and a railway system so degraded that it relies on the 'powder method' (detonators) to warn drivers of stationary trains.
• In the ICT sector, wireless communications have grown rapidly, with mobile phone users exceeding fixed-line users in all SADC countries. However, a significant digital divide persists; for example, South Africa has 37.35 telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, while the DRC has only 0.32.
• Water resources are identified as a strategic but marginalized issue. Six of the world's 17 'at risk' international river basins are in the SADC region: Cunene, Incomati, Limpopo, Okavango, Orange, and Zambeze.
• The Port of Maputo is highlighted as the first African port to be entirely managed by the private sector through concessions. A consortium including Mersey Docks Group, Skanska, and Liscont plans to invest $70 million over three years to rehabilitate the port.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2003). DOS BURACOS NAS ESTRADAS À PROSPERIDADE. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/SADC_Oct03_Port.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. DOS BURACOS NAS ESTRADAS À PROSPERIDADE. 2003. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/SADC_Oct03_Port.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=DOS BURACOS NAS ESTRADAS À PROSPERIDADE |date=October 2003 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/SADC_Oct03_Port.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2003dos, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{DOS BURACOS NAS ESTRADAS À PROSPERIDADE}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2003}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/SADC_Oct03_Port.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }