Leveraging on cross-border infrastructure investments for growth
Friday, May 21, 2021
Creating wealth. Trucks at Ramatlabama border. More intra-Africa trade is expected to grow economies PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
A landlocked country like Botswana strives to use its geographic location as a transport and logistics hub to leverage growing regional trade and expand its portfolio as a land-linked pathway to the southern African market. This will require massive investments in road, air, and rail transport infrastructure to improve regional connectivity. It will also require innovative policymaking to prepare the domestic market for the coming opportunities. What is clear is that Africa does not trade enough, especially with itself and this is attributed to the lack of sufficient infrastructure.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has previously estimated that the infrastructure deficit in Africa amounts to between $130 and $170 billion a year; with an estimated financing gap of $68 to $108 billion.
That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...