South Africa should stop deluding itself about being the gateway into Africa and wake up to its mercantile position in relation to the rest of the continent, said trade analyst Duncan Bonnett during a recent Transport Forum seminar. Calling it an “influencer illusion”, the director at consultancy Africa House said it detached local business interests from reality and prevented the country from tapping into trade potential across SADC and beyond. The Forum, held in the wake of wanton truck torching in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape, focused on the implications of transport vigilantism at home and how SADC countries were jockeying to leverage logistically from arson attacks on the N3. Commenting on the possible consequences of truck burning for Durban, Bonnett said the xenophobia we were seeing in South Africa was set against the backdrop of the rest of Africa being the biggest market for South African valueadded product. With some hard-hitting figures at hand to refer to, he added that South African factories were kept open by the rest of Africa – “not by Europe or our political buddies in China. It’s our neighbours, countries like Namibia and Botswana. “They are amongst the biggest importers of our goods. Chinese companies operating in Botswana are getting 30% of their product from South Africa.” South Africa's position, as an important exporter of goods into SADC and further north, Bonnett said, was overlooked by South African exporters and required urgent promotion. “We need to get this message across – but I don’t see it coming from business leadership in South Africa and I certainly don’t see it coming from government that we are integrated into this region.” Alarmingly, it also appears that the detachment of local business interests about their African position has resulted in non-representation when it matters most. Skewed perceptions about Chinese involvement in African trade is also not making matters easier. “In Asia, in Europe, and in Latin-America, we are not on the radar. I don’t care what people say about China taking over Africa. We account for less than 4% of China’s direct foreign investment globally. Bangladesh last year was granted more investment and direct aid from China than Africa was.” He stressed that it was through non-representation and misreading what was really important both locally and regionally that South Africa was beginning to lose its foothold as an economic force in the region and the rest of Africa. “Last year, for the first time in 35 years, cement and mine inputs flowed from Lobito into the Congolese copper belt, and copper and manganese flowed out the other way. For South Africa it means that importers and traders are not looking south. “Maputo aims to double its capacity over the next few years because they want Gauteng’s business.” Considering what was happening on the N3 and how it could affect the insurance premiums of cargo going south, Maputo might soon succeed in replacing Durban as a preferred port, Bonnett warned. In short, he said, the regional reality is that “if we don’t get our act together in the transport and logistics industry, we’re going to lose out”.
If we don’t get our act together in the transport and logistics industry we’re going to lose out. – Duncan Bonnet
