According to an international survey, the cost of transportation in Africa is about 63 percent more expensive than in Western countries. The survey states that the main reason for the drastic cost increase is because of the lack of transport infrastructure. The survey also says that amount of asphalted roads in proportion to the African continent are about 5 times less than the roads in more developed countries.

“The rail network should be the key element for the transport system. But more often, it consists of single tracks starting from inside the country to the coast with several secondary corridors”, the authors of the survey say.

However, the one sector that did impress was African air transport as there has been great development since the air space on the continent was liberalized.

“Africa is the top region in the world in terms of development of air transport, particularly since the liberalization that followed the Yamoussoukro decision approved in 1999 by African leaders,” the authors say.

Intra-African trade only accounts for 12 percent of the overall trade on the continent as a result of the extremely high costs and lack of suitable infrastructure involved in the transportation of goods in Africa.