South Africa has lost its position as the main gateway to trade with Africa, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers review of the country. “Despite its impressive credentials, South Africa’s transport infrastructure faces some challenges and it is no longer the only gateway to Africa,” says the brief. This although “South African port efficiency has improved considerably as a result of investment in new assets such as ship-to-shore cranes and other supporting handling equipment," it says. “The continued absence of an intermodal solution – which usually provides the most efficient transport solution – has led to a significant increase in South Africa’s truck fleet in an attempt to address freight owners’ door-to-door needs for reliability and performance,” adds the report.
