Why it costs so much to move goods around Africa
Startups are helping shift things faster, but rules remain onerous
IF TIME IS money, then Beitbridge must be a most expensive place. Late last year lorries carrying, among other things, cobalt from Congo, copper from Zambia and tea from Malawi snaked for miles as they waited to cross the Limpopo river into South Africa. Many were there for days. Some drivers bribe their way to the front; 1,000 rand ($68) is the going rate. Others cannot. In 2020 four drivers are said to have died in their vehicles while waiting.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Trade flaws”
From the March 26th 2022 edition
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