Trends in the African Construction/Plant Building Market and Implications for Korea

Africa is the poorest continent in the world in terms of public infrastructure. In any country with functioning public infrastructure, and roads form the backbone of transportation; responsible for the 80-90% of movements of people and goods. In Africa, however, only 20% or so of existing roads have been paved. The vast majority of existing railways was laid during the colonial era and is now obsolete, unable to function properly. Much of its port and airport facilities are similarly outdated, becoming, in effect, the major obstacle to the continent's economic development. Particularly conspicuous as well is the absence of proper electricity infrastructure. Almost 800 million Africans live in the sub-Saharan region, but the aggregate power generation capacity of the region lags behind the capacity of Spain (with a population of 45 million). If South Africa is not counted in with sub-Saharan Africa, the region's power capacity is lowered to the level of Argentina. Nearly a quarter of the existing power facilities are out of order and obsolete. Thirty or so African countries, therefore, experience power outages on a daily basis with serious economic losses as a consequence.