#WhatSACanBe: Steps needed to fix SA’s infrastructure – IRR
29 August 2024
Investors have long decried the state of public infrastructure in South Africa as one of the highest barriers to investment, job creation and economic growth. The latest #WhatSACanBe paper from the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), Infrastructure: Connect Communities, Create Wealth, proposes public-private partnerships to repair critical infrastructure.
The World Bank’s 2023 Container Port Performance Index laid South Africa’s failure in port infrastructure bare for the globe to see: Gqeberha ranked as South Africa’s best-performing port at 391st, Durban at 399th, Ngqura at 404th, and Cape Town at 405th.
The report notes that ports can jump by as much as 200 places if they improve factors such as terminal capacity, landside connectivity, cost, and so on.
Addressing South Africa’s poor port and rail performance is the focus of the latest #WhatSACanBe paper. It proposes that the Government of National Unity (GNU) move with speed in concluding public-private partnerships to unleash investment and growth for the mining and agricultural sectors, which are most reliant on this infrastructure.