Construction World March 2022

COMMENT

implementation of Public-Private- Partnerships (PPPs) as a mechanism. “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 delivery – and the quality of leadership, governance and public-private cooperation required for its development – both exist as grand challenges in their own right and underpin the interventions necessary for many others,” says Daka. One cannot blame the industry for being sceptical about PPPs. They are notoriously complex and can take many years to materialise. In a recent survey conducted by RIB CCS in Africa and the Middle East in the final quarter of 2021 ('2022 Construction Industry Outlook'), one of the key insights was that a mere 8% of respondents are excited about PPPs. While PPPs are a great way to unlock investment in the industry, the low score probably relates to an overall lack of confidence in PPPs and government’s strategy around them.

corridors for regional and international trade that will unlock the potential of the continent. Co-CEO of Zutari, Teddy Daka, said in a recent opinion piece that there has, for quite some time now, been a desire by various African leaders to develop the continent’s economy through a common market for goods and services. He mentions the 2016 McKinsey report that states that Africa’s output could expand by some USD1-trillion by 2025 “if Africa’s manufacturers upscaled to meet domestic consumer and business demands.” This will obviously require inter-sectoral collaboration between business and governments to allow for the transporting and exporting of goods. Daka is of the opinion that it has not all just stayed at the talk-show phase: these African inspirations has begun to translate into policy- making such as the African Free Trade Agreement and the AU’s Programme for Infrastructure Development which are both coordinated efforts to unlock possibilities and address the deficit. According to Daka research, advocacy and institutional work are ongoing to reshape African policies to enable more effective integration. However, in practical terms these policies will be enabled by the effective

There has been a bigger urgency to have Public- Private Partnerships (PPP) effectively implemented as it is a way to address Africa’s infrastructure deficit. The efficacy of such partnerships will be especially important on the African continent.

A frica’s biggest challenge is its infrastructure deficit and the impact this deficit is having on the continent’s competitiveness in the global context. The African Union is of the opinion that this deficit requires a ‘continental solution’ that will overcome limitations brought about by geographical location so as to create

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2 CONSTRUCTION WORLD MARCH 2022