Programme Update: Africa Infrastructure Desk (Afri-ID)

Afri-ID was established to support NEPAD’s thematic areas of regional integration and infrastructure development. It mobilises private sector participation in key initiatives such as the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Masterplan, the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), and the NEPAD Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) projects.

Through its programmes, Afri-ID facilitates:
• Infrastructure Optimisation and Upgrade: Enhancing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure.
• Digital Transformation: Leveraging technology to boost economic productivity and growth.
• Decarbonisation: Reducing carbon emissions across productive sectors.
• Natural Resource Management: Improving the management of natural resources like renewables,
water, and natural gas.
Afri-ID operates as a neutral facilitator in key projects across the region.

Key Projects
North-South Rail Corridor (NSC)
The NSC corridor spans the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Swaziland, and aims to drive regional trade, job creation, industrial development, and economic growth within the SADC region.

Project Scope:
• A 4,000 km rail network connecting two deep sea ports and multiple inland terminals.
• Coverage across six countries, with collaboration from seven rail operators: Société Nationale des Chemins
de fer du Congo, Zambia Railways Limited, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Beitbridge Bulawayo Railways,
Botswana Railways, Swaziland Railway, and Transnet.

Project Objectives:
• Optimise, rehabilitate, and upgrade the NSC railway network.
• Assess private sector participation to introduce a block train service on the North-South Corridor, linking Kolwezi’s mining district in DRC to the ports of Durban and Richards Bay in South Africa.

SADC Regional Gas Programme
Launched in 2017, the Southern Africa Regional Gas Programme is a public-private initiative to facilitate the
monetisation of natural gas resources within the SADC region.

Project Objectives:
• Develop natural gas-based economies in the SADC region to drive skills development, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
• Key tasks include:
• Identifying gas sources and their volume profiles for government and industry consideration.
• Analyzing market dynamics, demand profiles, and switching considerations for SADC states.
• Establishing logistics, infrastructure, pricing, and regulatory frameworks to bridge supply and demand.

Digital Transformation
Digital technologies are transforming economic productivity, innovation, and growth, serving as key enablers for several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including universal identification, efficient government services, financial inclusion, and job creation.

Project Objectives:
• Investigate critical digital infrastructure, access, and connectivity themes to enhance digital readiness in the SADC region.
• Develop a digital infrastructure programme to support the creation of a SADC regional digital infrastructure
master plan, regulatory harmonisation, and related initiatives.
• Focus on infrastructure projects, capacity building, digital education, policy regulation, and initiatives to
connect the unconnected.

Climate Change
Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is crucial for the SADC region, with South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) targeting a shift from coal to renewables and green technologies like hydrogen and battery energy storage (BES).

Project Objectives:
• Support South Africa and the broader SADC region in meeting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards climate change mitigation.
• Develop projects that reduce regional dependencies on carbon-heavy energy, promote decarbonisation of transport, and support green hydrogen initiatives.
• Implement frameworks for energy procurement from independent power producers (IPPs), demand-side management, energy efficiency projects, and climate action plans.

Water
South Africa faces a water crisis with a projected 17% water gap to be closed by 2030. Current efforts are hindered by municipal capacities that need support in reducing water demand, improving water use efficiency and identifying and implementing advanced water technologies in a vendor-neutral manner.

Project Objectives:
• Support large water users in improving water balance and addressing issues such as non-revenue water.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks in water technology deployment, capacitate municipalities to prepare well-specified quality projects, and increase the volume and quality of market-ready water projects.
• Establish a framework for technology providers to unlock water management opportunities without
conflicts of interest.

2023 – 2024 highlights
Notable milestones during the reporting period include the following:
North-South Rail Corridor (NSC) Implementation
• Initiation of Implementation: Commenced the implementation process for projects recommended by
the North-South rail corridor studies.
• Governance Model Implementation: Advanced the implementation of new governance models proposed
by NSC studies, supporting the rail operators on the NSC.
• DFI/Donor Engagement: Engaged with the DFIs/Multilaterals to secure funding for rail infrastructure
development, with anticipated positive outcomes in 2024.
• Domestic Rail Re-engagement: Monitored Transnet developments, with plans to re-engage in 2024 to
leverage customer goodwill for improving freight logistics.

SADC Regional Gas
• Approval Milestone: Secured approval for the SADC regional gas masterplan in August 2023 by SADC heads of State, reflecting extensive prior support from Afri-ID.
• RSA Gas Cliff: Initiated preliminary efforts to help South Africa avert the 2026 gas shortage by engaging
strategically with major stakeholders, including Sasol, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
(DTIC), the SADC Secretariat, and the Industrial Gas Users Association.

Digital Transformation Initiatives
• Establishment of Working Groups: Formed a digital working group and defined key workstreams to drive
digital transformation.
• Pilot Projects: Collaborated with the City of Johannesburg to identify and develop pilot projects that
showcase the utility of digital transformation, including potential implementation of the Siemens – MENDIX
platform for software development.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: Established partnerships with Siemens, Microsoft, CSIR, and Digital Council Africa to co-create and execute digital transformation projects.
• MOUs: Signed formal collaboration MOUs with CSIR and Digital council Africa for digital transformation
initiatives.
• Funding and Resource Allocation: Explored funding sources and partnerships to support digital infrastructure development, focusing on projects like capacity building, policy harmonisation, and connecting underserved areas.

Water Programme Development
• Partnership Formation: Developed partnerships with Rand Water, Microsoft, and City of Johannesburg,
alongside private sector partners like KSB, Grundfos, and AECI, to strengthen the value proposition in the
water sector.
• Pilot Project Planning: Prepared to launch pilot projects in 2024 aimed at improving water management
and addressing non-revenue water issues through innovative technologies.
• Leadership Inclusion: Siemens joined the SWPN leadership platform, enhancing collaboration on water
sector initiatives.

These milestones reflect significant progress across multiple sectors, showcasing the effectiveness and impact of our strategic initiatives.

Share this via: