Citi’s Post

#DidYouKnow the N2 and N3 in KwaZulu-Natal are integral to South Africa’s logistics and industrial corridors, playing a key role in boosting economic development? Read more: https://bit.ly/3rROkGy #SANRAL #SANRALRoads #N2N3Upgrade

The Middle Corridor requires infrastructure improvements in each transit country, as well as digitalization/coordination for customs and transit…and then there are the multi-modal issues. However, Kazakhstan is committed to and investing in this new trade route.

The African Development Bank lends $40 million to the #Mozambique Rail and Port Authority for the Ressano Garcia railway line. The project will enable the purchase of rolling stock, including locomotives, wagons and tank containers, for the authority's main corridor, an 88-kilometre line between the port of #Maputo and the South African border. The funding will also cover a three-year maintenance programme for the purchased locomotives and training of maintenance staff. More on the #railway line and the expected impact, including reducing the cost of transporting goods and products, and improving access to infrastructure through rail transport services: https://bit.ly/3SLAWyj #IntegrateAfrica

It was an honour to assist the The Competition Commission South Africa and the dti (Department of Trade and Industry: Republic of South Africa) in the Industry Engagement for the upcoming Block Exemption for our Logistics Sector - an enabling move by the Government. With Structural Reform, collaboration is needed amongst industry players - especially Freight Owners - in developing the critical mass to unlock efficiencies in our rail sector - a practical example of this is if Manufacturer/Farmer/Miner 1 requires a rail service but only has enough freight demand for 50% utilisation of a locomotive and a network slot, through the collaboration with other industry players (Manuf. 2, 3, 4, ... etc) they can push the service toward efficiency with their collaboration - this is true for both infrastructure and operations. This work was done alongside B4SA, ARIA and the NLCC.

This is an important regulatory change that could catalyse road to rail migration. We need more such structural changes

The outlook against this macro backdrop for the rest of the financial year is expected to remain challenging. The ongoing energy crisis, port and infrastructure challenges are expected to further constrain economic activity. Whilst inflation is expected to ease gradually, interest rates are likely to remain elevated, placing continued pressure on consumer disposable income. Additionally, the upcoming elections and ongoing global geopolitical tensions increase uncertainty. Banks are becoming increasingly cautious in offering credit and we urge businesses to follow lead. Approval levels for credit remain low at 31.1% with over two-thirds of all credit applications being rejected, according to Experian.

Exciting News from the Infrastructure & Construction Practice Group! Our recent initiative to attend the Africa Rail Exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 25-26 was a resounding success! Erwin Kretschner (Global Leader of Infrastructure & Construction Practice Group), with the dedicated support of our South African partners, Jackie Launder (MBL) & Natasha Bell, engaged with 20 international companies in the rail sector. Among these were industry leaders such as Alstom, Plasser & Theurer Export von Bahnbaumaschinen G.m.b.H., Deutsche Bahn, Lucchini SA, and JSW Steel. Through insightful discussions with key decision-makers including MDs, Country/Regional Directors, Sales and Operational Managers, we have firmly positioned InterSearch as a global service provider for the rail industry. A huge thank you to everyone involved for making this initiative a success! We look forward to fostering these new relationships and driving innovation and excellence in the rail sector. #InterSearch #AfricaRail #RailIndustry #GlobalNetworking #Infrastructure #Construction #IndustryLeaders #BusinessDevelopment #Innovation #RailSector #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipDevelopment

IFC - International Finance Corporation is taking a programmatic approach to Public Private Partnerships in the #Philippines. Given the gaps in infrastructure and large amount of capital required, #PPPs are the way to go.

In an #exclusive_interview, Nawaf Algharabally, CEO, Zain Kuwait, elaborated on the operator’s continuous contribution to the Zain Group’s overall growth vision. #5Gadvanced #digitaltransformation #Telecom_Review

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) need private sector equity partners to turn their fortunes around. Industry updates on Seaports: South Africa’s maritime hubs are unable to provide services and capitalize on the 85% surge in ship traffic as vessels use alternative routes to avoid attacks by Houthi rebels through the Red Sea. Several of our aging ports were already congested due to inefficiencies [https://bit.ly/492dF03]. Airways: The strained fiscus can no longer afford to bail out struggling SOEs after the deal to sell 51% of South African Airways (SAA) to the Takatso Consortium fell through. Successes for the private sector Railways: Despite the internal disagreements of the SAA sale, there was less pushback against privatizing part of the Durban port, with an agreement that expertise and cash are needed amid Transnet’s woes. Transnet will allow private trains onto its rail network of over 20,000 km. Electricity: The recently passed Electricity Regulation Amendment Act will create an open market platform for competitive electricity trading, essentially ending Eskom’s monopoly on generation [https://bit.ly/4a2Yo0g].