Improving Transnational Transport Corridors
In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases
52
undertake the critical role of coordinating and facilitating strategic policy formulation
and implementation in the Transport Sector cannot be overemphasized.
The transport component of the Master Plan indicated a widening gap in the provision of
infrastructure in the surface transport subsector across the Region. While roads have
improved in most countries, rail lines have seen very minimal improvement and in fact have
mostly deteriorated. The RDIMP provided a response to these challenges in recognition of a
need to intensify regional transport programs that enhance multimodal transport
linkages and improves interconnectivity. The Plan is founded on a Spatial Corridor
Development Strategy initiative of 2008, which identified the main spinal North-South
Corridor Project through Zimbabwe.
The SADC Corridor approach to regional development is based both on well-maintained and
operated infrastructure and the provision of seamless transport services. RDIMP recognizes
that realization of this vision is a major challenge given the huge deficiencies in capacity,
human, financial and institutional.
Growth in Transport Demand
Traffic across SADC Corridor Borders is typically around 300 trucks and 500 vehicles per day,
which is not very high22. The SADC transport corridor development is premised on the
assumption that regional transport demand will grow rapidly. The Program for Infrastructure
Development for Africa (PIDA), which is a continental strategic framework for infrastructure
development, forecasted that transit traffic for landlocked SADC23 will increase from 13 million
tons in 2009 to 50 million tons by 2030 and 148 million by 2040, at an average annual growth
rate of 8.2% pa. This is high, but intraregional trade starts from a very low base accounting for
just 4% of trade in SADC.
In addition to intra-regional trade foreign trade will also increase as per capita incomes
increase. The SADC Master Plan assumes that port traffic in Southern Africa will jump from 92
million tons in 2009 to 500 million tons by 2027. It is suggested that a 550% increase in Port
Traffic over just 18 years would be globally unprecedented and to caution OIC on overly
optimistic demand projections.
SADC Transport Problems
While largely successful in sustaining the intra-regional trade for a generation, problems
persist. A summary of the problems initially identified in the RDIMP for the Transport Sector,
are listed below:
 Lack of maintenance;
 Missing links between key origins and destinations;
22 National Transport Plan of Botswana 2014-2017 CPCS for MTC Botswana
23PIDA, Phase II Transport Sector Brief. Countries are Botswana, Malawi, Southern DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe.