Airports are commercial hubs and can be very successful because of the number of people moving through these areas.

Good examples of commercial hubs in Africa can be found at OR Tambo International Airport as well as Idwala. In order to get more people moving through the Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, improvements to this facility were scheduled to be made in June 2015.

In the past, national airlines have been huge failures owing to, for example, to the high price of jet fuel. However, it seems that efforts to shift this legacy are underway. For example, in early 2015, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between UK-based Cardiff Aviation and the non-operational Air Djibouti for the re-establishment of a Djibouti national airline.

Some of the sector players maintain a database of road and power utilities since it is often for these utilities issue tenders, rather than the ministries. However, not all utilities are the same: from experience it is very easy to do business in Namibia because the utilities are competent. One such example is a project, in the pre-implementation phases at Ondangwa Airport in Northern Namibia, to rehabilitate the runways to take Embraer 135 aircraft.

There is a huge need to develop certain airports in Africa. For example, in 2013 Nurizon Consulting was appointed by Equator Investments to undertake a study for the upgrade of the Sao Tome International Airport. The objective of the project is to develop the airport as a regional hub in the Gulf of Guinea.

The need to upgrade airports is strongly linked to tourism. Currently, $150 million is being spent on upgrading the Victoria Falls Airport. Other projects taking place in Zambia include the development of Kalumbila Town, which is in the early implementation stages. It is suggested that when considering doing business in Zambia, it is advisable to make contact with the local chamber of commerce, which is very powerful in that area. This body will be invaluable in assisting with new business ventures.

Many African airports are being built with operator financing, for example, mines are building airports for their own needs. However, before undertaking any sort of project of the magnitude of an airport it is necessary to first establish a relationship with the local authorities and to work closely with these individuals as they will facilitate one’s business processes. As an example, the Nacala Airport City Project in Mozambique is just about finished and this will serve as a terminus for coal coming out of the Zambezi Valley.

Some countries, like Ghana, do have a national airports programme. The Ghanaian programme is in the early implementation phase and it comprises new airports at Ho, Bolgatange and Cape Coast; an upgrade to international standards of Tamale and Kumasi airports (Tamale will have a new 4 000-metre runway and modern navigation system), and the construction of new terminals at the Takoradi and Wa airports.

In Madagascar, a French consortium, including Bouygues and Colas, will be modernising and managing the Nosy Be and Ivato Airports in northern and Central Madagascar. Warehousing is essential to airports as during the export process of perishables, it is vital to keep these in cold storage so as not to break the cold chain. There was a proposed project in Polokwane to develop horticulture and fly flowers out to the Middle East bypassing the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this project did not get off the ground owing to cold chain issues.

Local issues provide challenges to air transport, such as in Angola, where there is no real local currency, which makes it very difficult to get paid. There is a New Luanda International Airport on the cards; however, there is some scepticism about whether or not construction will ever be started on this project.

Other important air transport developments include: Cote d’Ivoire is back to its former glory after the civil war. There is a massive commercial property development underway in Abidjan –Abidjan Aerocity – as well as other commercial developments. The fire at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in 2013 has put the project regarding the passenger terminal into overdrive and it is progressing nicely.