Africa: Facts & Stats

TRANSPORTATION

Roads:

Africa lags behind the rest of the world in all aspects of infrastructure development -- quantity, quality, cost and access. In 1997, Africa (excluding South Africa) had 171,000 kilometres of paved roads -- about 18 per cent less than Poland, a country roughly the size of Zimbabwe. As efforts to complete the trans-African highways continue, the quality of existing roads is deteriorating. In 1992 about 17 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa's primary roads were paved, but by 1998 the figure had fallen to 12 per cent, reports the World Bank. Today, more than 80 per cent of unpaved roads are only in fair condition and 85 per cent of rural feeder roads are in poor condition and cannot be used during the wet season. In Ethiopia, 70 per cent of the population has no access to all-weather roads.

In many countries, roads are concentrated in urban areas or around coastal ports -- trade routes established during colonial times for the overseas shipment of commodities. Far fewer roads link neighbouring countries in regional networks.

Railroads:

The African Union of Railways in an organisation under the auspices of the new African Union dealing with railways. It is similar to the UIC.

Gauge

The AUR sees that conversion to a common gauge is too difficult and expensive due to the gauge muddle, but based on reports from the World Bank, does see the following gauges as preferred in the following regions:

• North - 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1/2 in)
• South - 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• East - 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (but Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and isolated Ethiopia are 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in)).
• West - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in)
• Other
  • 950 mm (3 ft 1 3/8 in) Eritrea
  • 1,055 mm (3 ft 5 1/2 in) Algeria NG
  • 610 mm (2 ft) South Africa NG
• Scattered mining railways - 1,435 mm (4 ft 81?2 in) plus Gabon.

Several railways such as Senegal, Guinea and Tanzania have talked about conversion to standard gauge, though it remains to be seen if talk develops into action. Guinea built one new branch as standard gauge even though metre gauge is needed to take the ore to the port. Nigeria has built one short branch with dual gauge sleepers. An extension from Tanzania into Rwanda is proposed as standard gauge, though it starts at a station that is already a container transhipment Dry port. Mining railways that carry very large tonnages (>10MTPA) are generally standard gauge.

Aviation:

The ten largest Airlines in Africa

• EgyptAir
• South African Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Tunisair
• Air Algérie
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Kenya Airways
• Atlas Blue
• Air Mauritius
• Libyan Airlines

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