Civil Engineering April 2022 | Vol 30 No 3

28 April 2022 Civil Engineering R egional integration through infra- structure programmes is expected to overcome constraints imposed by scale and location, and improve the competitiveness of African producers, connecting consumers and enhancing intra- and inter-regional trade. African leaders have consistently expressed their desire to support Africa’s economic development through a common market for goods and services. A 2016 report by McKinsey noted that Africa’s manufacturing output could expand to nearly $1 trillion by 2025 if the continent’s manufacturers upscaled to meet domestic consumer and business demands. This will require inter-sectoral collaboration between business and governments to address obstacles to production and exporting of goods. Recognising these and other market opportunities, aspirations for Africa’s development have begun to translate into policymaking. For example, the African Free Trade Agreement under- scores regional policy efforts towards this goal, while the AU’s Programme for Infrastructure Development is the outcome of a coordinated policy effort to unlock competitive opportunities. In South Africa, the recent adoption of the District Development Model shows a localised shift, mirroring intra-regional policy trends. While much research, advocacy and institutional work is ongoing towards reshaping African policies to support ef- fective integration, this goal relies on the effective implementation of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a mechanism. The PPPs which undertake infrastructure proj- ects unconsciously mediate a social con- tract between governments and citizens against which to monitor performance. Our ability to leverage innovative regional development hinges on the translation of infrastructure development practices across the entire development process. It is clear that infrastructure de- livery – and the quality of leadership, gov- ernance and public-private cooperation required for its development – exist both as grand challenges in their own right and underpin the interventions necessary for many others. As Africa joins the global effort to attract funding from large global institutional investment vehicles, its ambitions are being matched through more integrated policy making, redesigned finance instruments and project execution practices, and project information systems that support performance monitoring. We must embody a developmental identity and embed an innovative mindset at multiple levels throughout the sector and across the infrastructure delivery value chain if we are to achieve visions of shared prosperity, translate regional in- tegration and intra-continental strength- ening from policy through to development practices (across the value chain), and for service delivery performance. We are pushed to be resourceful, intelligent, and wise; we are required to be adaptive, to develop our talents, and our capacity; and we certainly need to cultivate the motivation and commitment to see through this multi-generational task.  I ndustry perspec t i ve Teddy Daka CEO Zutari Effective implementation of PPPs is critical to address infrastructure deficit in Africa The African Union (AU) has noted the clear impact of infrastructure deficits on African competitiveness, recognising this as “a continental problem that requires a continental solution”. As Africa joins the global effort to attract funding from large global institutional investment vehicles, its ambitions are being matched through more integrated policy making, redesigned finance instruments and project execution practices, and project information systems that support performance monitoring.