Regional transport inefficiency – the impact in a nutshell

The North South Corridor was selected for the programme because it is the busiest in the region in terms of values and volumes. Illustrating the cost-savings that could be achieved – transporting a single cargo of copper from the Copperbelt to Durban port currently takes, on average, two to three weeks. In Europe the same distance would take 48 hours. It is estimated that the lost income in terms of interest alone on a train-load of copper is around US$16 000 per week of delay, according to regional experts. The volume of goods moving along the corridor is expected to increase in the coming years and the infrastructure will collapse without remedial action being taken. The World Bank estimates that for every $1 spent on preventative road maintenance, $4 is saved on rehabilitation. The Corridor project aims to improve 8 650 km of road and 600 kms of rail track and maintain it in good order.