Ethiopia and South Sudan are
on Beyond Africa Logistics
Consultants’ radar for crossborder
growth, said Ruth
Butcher, business development
director for the company.
“Both have fast-growing
economies and offer a lot of
opportunities. For example,
Ethiopia has seen an annual
gross domestic product growth
(GDP) of 5.19% since 1982 and
the continued growth of its
agricultural and manufacturing
industries bodes well for the
future,” commented Butcher.
The resumption of oil
production in South Sudan
has also opened up several
opportunities, she added. “In
fact, power
generation
projects on the
continent, along
with oil and gas
developments
in other parts
of Africa,
provide major
expansion
opportunities
for us,” she said.
Butcher told FTW that she had
seen an increase in intra-Africa
trade over the past few years. “A
lot of our current clients in South
Africa are opening up branches
across Africa
and I believe
an increase
in intra-trade
is a natural
progression as
a result of this.
Furthermore,
Africa’s
middle class
is constantly
growing as rapid urbanisation
takes place and the opportunities
for intra-trade are growing on the
back of that,” she said.
According to Butcher, South
Africa – as the second largest
economy in Africa, accounting
for nearly 30% of the continent’s
GDP – should be driving
mutually beneficial trade in the
region.
“Improving cross-border trade
should be the first step, which
would include removing a range
of non-tariff barriers to trade,
import and export bans, and
onerous and costly import and
export licensing procedures,” said
Butcher.
INSERT & CAPTION
A lot of our current clients
in South Africa are opening
up branches across Africa.
– Ruth Butcher
CAPTION
Resumption of oil production in South Sudan is creating
new logistics opportunities in Africa… oil storage facilities
at Bentiu, Unity State, South Suda
