The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tripartite Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are deepening regional economic integration through working together on market integration, infrastructure development and industrial development. In the area of infrastructure, the efficiency and reliability of transport corridors are improved through addressing infrastructure constraints and operational inefficiencies, improvements in policies and procedures, corridor institutional development and the promotion of coordinated approaches to planning, programming and financing.

In 2009, the Tripartite RECs launched a pilot transport corridor programme, the North-South Corridor Aid-for-Trade Programme, spanning 8 countries, 3 RECs and a total of 10,647 km of road. The NSC Aid-for-Trade road network includes the road corridors defined by SADC as the North-South Corridor (NSC), the Dar es Salaam Corridor and segments of the Trans-Kalahari and Nacala Corridors. This road network is the busiest transport network in the Tripartite region in terms of both traffic and freight volumes.

A regional approach to the development and rehabilitation of surface transport infrastructure along corridors differs fundamentally from traditional, national approaches to project planning and implementation. The NSC Aid-for-Trade programme:

• combines investment in infrastructure with programmes addressing trade facilitation and trade and transport regulation between countries;
• takes a holistic approach to transport system planning and maintenance across national boundaries (covering rail, road and port links, border posts and the movement
  of goods between them);
• works with multiple stakeholders – including RECs, national governments, private sector and multilateral and bilateral donors; and
• seeks a progressive approach to financing that reflects both public good and commercial interests (based on economic returns).

At the end of 2011, the Tripartite established its own central project preparation mechanism – the Tripartite Project Preparation and Implementation Unit (PPIU) – operations are currently supported by DFID and TMSA. The PPIU facilitates better cooperation among the wide range of available project preparation facilities in Africa to leverage adequate funding for preparing Tripartite infrastructure projects to a bankable stage. TMSA / PPIU also provides technical support throughout the project lifecycle.

This web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) offers information on the road, rail, border post and port components of the Tripartite regional corridors. In particular, it showcases road and rail condition information on the North-South Corridor Networks. Up-to-date information on projects in the PPIU pipeline (covering road, rail, and energy sectors) are also provided.