Strategic Infrastructure in Africa

The report addresses the significant infrastructure gap in Africa, which the World Bank estimates requires US$ 93 billion in annual investment. It introduces a four-step selection methodology—unbundling, threshold grouping, two-lens clustering (readiness vs. value), and shortlisting—to identify projects suitable for private sector acceleration. The document also evaluates innovative financing mechanisms, such as infrastructure bonds, project preparation facilities, and guarantee products, to move projects toward bankability and implementation.

• Africa faces a substantial infrastructure deficit that hinders economic growth by an estimated 2% annually, with total annual investment needs estimated at US$ 93 billion.
• The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) includes a Priority Action Plan (PAP) consisting of 51 projects across energy, transport, water, and ICT, with a total capital cost of US$ 68 billion through 2020.
• The proposed project selection methodology uses a four-stage gate process: unbundling complex programmes into discrete projects, grouping by thresholds (data quality, environment, and complexity), applying 'two-lens clustering' to weigh readiness against value, and fine-tuning a final shortlist.
• The 'two-lens clustering' tool evaluates projects on two axes: Lens A (Project Realization Readiness and Capacity) and Lens B (Project Value and Impact), using a weighted scoring system from 0 to 10 based on specific metrics.
• Traditional infrastructure financing in Africa is under pressure due to declining Official Development Assistance (ODA) and stricter bank regulations, such as the Third Basel Accord, which has made long-term commercial lending more expensive.
• Innovative financing tools identified to close the funding gap include infrastructure bonds (leveraging domestic and international markets), project preparation facilities to reach bankability, and guarantee products like Partial Credit Guarantees (PCGs) and Partial Risk Guarantees (PRGs).
• Domestic pension funds in African countries represent a growing pool of potential long-term capital, though their ability to invest in corporate bonds varies by national regulation.

APA

World Economic Forum (2013). Strategic Infrastructure in Africa. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AF13/WEF_AF13_African_Strategic_Infrastructure.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Strategic Infrastructure in Africa. 2013. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AF13/WEF_AF13_African_Strategic_Infrastructure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Strategic Infrastructure in Africa |date=May 2013 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AF13/WEF_AF13_African_Strategic_Infrastructure.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2013strategic, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Strategic Infrastructure in Africa}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AF13/WEF_AF13_African_Strategic_Infrastructure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }