Africa ‘must industrialise’

President Jacob Zuma says Africa needs to develop its manufacturing capabilities, achieve industrialisation and drive intra-African trade to reverse the continental trend of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods.

Zuma, pictured, was speaking at the inaugural African Terminal Operators’ Conference Africa at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban yesterday.

“Due to Africa’s underdeveloped manufacturing capacity, the region’s inclination to export raw materials and import finished goods has increased,” he said.

Zuma said the Southern African Development Community had prioritised industrialisation and it was seen as a shared responsibility to change the paradox of a rich continent endowed with natural resources that was inhabited by poor people.

Countries such as Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique were positioning themselves as global players in trade and logistics, he said.

“Due to the high dependence on external trade, productive and efficient ports are critical for Africa’s growth and to maintain the current Africa Rising narrative,” he said.

In order to grow intra-African trade, coastal African countries needed to invest in their ports and connect infrastructure to link with inland countries.

“Over the past decades, the sub-Saharan Africa container market has been challenged by the slow development of quality infrastructure. This, in turn, has broadly resulted in underdevelopment and long ship waiting times compared to other port systems around the world,” said Zuma.

One of Zuma’s flagship projects during his tenure as president, which has received widespread support, is the driving of the ocean economy under the project name Operation Phakisa.

The president believes the maritime sector will not only drive the country’s spluttering economy, but also create a critical number of jobs. – ANA