Africa Cross Border Road Freight Transport Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

The African cross border freight transport market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of about 4.5% during the forecast period. The growth in the sector is facilitated by the multiple trade agreements of the African countries and the increasing penetration of e-commerce in the region. Various sectors like automotive and distributive trade are increasingly demanding the development of road freight services in order to facilitate a seamless, fast, cheap and sustainable transportation of goods within the countries and in the region.

The preventive measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic are having a severe effect on the cross-border value chains and trade and transport services. In the case of fruit exporters, many trucked their goods cross-country to Port Elizabeth and, in some cases, as far as Durban - 1,635 km away. The pandemic is creating opportunities for some and challenges for other sectors in the region. On the one hand, e-retail logistics, on-demand and last-mile delivery sectors are amongst the highest growth sectors as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. On the other hand, the automotive, oil and petroleum distribution, construction, and steel production sectors have seen a drastic fall in demand in the region.

Key Market Trends

Growing intra-regional Trade in the region

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), commenced in January 2021 under a liberalized trade regime, is one of the largest trading blocs in the world with majority of African countries operating under its privileged trade framework. The agreement will reduce tariffs among the member countries (41 countries and the RECs, including SACU, EAC, CEMAC and ECOWAS) and cover policy areas such as trade facilitation and services and technical barriers to trade. Full enactment of AfCFTA would reshape markets and economies across the region and boost output in various sectors including services, manufacturing and natural resources.

The agreement covers both goods and services, and provides a platform for individual countries, to engage in intra-African trade, through offers of tariff allowances and service commitments. The five prioritized sectors for liberalization within the agreement include business services, communication, financial services, transport and tourism. The sectors that are anticipated to immediately benefit from trade liberalization include automotive, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, chemicals and mineral beneficiation.

Road infrastructure development in Africa

Africa has been steadily increasing investments in its road infrastructure development in order to enable and encourage road cargo transport. The African continent has significantly benefited from China’s Belt and Road Initiative where China has not only invested in the expansion of new urban and rural infrastructure but also has improved the existing infrastructure. Meanwhile, UK-Africa partnership is also driving African socioeconomic development via infrastructure development.

Countries like Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are actively investing in the development of their road network and infrastructure including the implementation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in order to monitor and communicate with trucks during their journey). Kenya has also started work on an 800-km, about USD 2 billion toll-road contract and USD 3 billion rural road development contracts, which will help road freight companies get better reach and develop quality services. The superhighways like the Nairobi Southern Bypass, the Great North Trans-African Highway (Nairobi to Cape Town) and Nairobi-Thika that are expected to make road cargo transport across Kenya and cross-border transport hassle-free.

The South African government has allocated another USD 1.4 billion for the development of 940 road projects that in the long run is expected to improve connectivity and offer road freight operators greater access to remote markets.

Competitive Landscape

The African cross border freight transport market is fragmented with various domestic and international companies actively involved in the market. Companies like DSV, Cargo Carriers, Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions and Barloworld Logistics are some of the major players in the market.

The trucking industry in the region is facing intense competition in terms of technological improvements. Driver shortage, lack of skilled people and the threat of cargo theft are among some of the downsides prevailing in the market.

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