"Moving" Southern Africa development community: some transport insights

Abstract

Paper presented at the 30th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 11-14 July 2011 "Africa on the Move", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

The paper introduces the concept of "SADC on the move" as an alternative way to tackling transport growth and development deficits in the region. The paper further discusses transport challenges in the Southern African development community. Making use of combined experience and knowledge drawn from working in the reglon for over 50 years, the authors sketch the existing situation and highlight transport deficiencies slowing the transport sector growth and development sectors. Key intervention areas to facilitate "SADC on the move" as a concept are presented. At the same time potential obstacles and hurdles impeding and impacting on the failure by SADC to move towards greater regional competitiveness, integration and prosperity are discussed. Some options and alternatives regarding "moving SADC" towards better and more efficient transportation systems are presented. The growing challenge is to upgrade, construct and structure a transportation network that is amenable to anchoring seamless transportatlon in the region and by extension in Africa. The theme of an integrated SADC and by extension Africa is at the centre of this discussion.