Africa represents the single largest untapped opportunity in global transport infrastructure, with a $100 billion annual infrastructure financing gap, a population of 1.5 billion growing to 2.5 billion by 2050, and urbanization rates that are creating 10 new megacities per decade. A new report from the African Development Bank and McKinsey Global Institute identifies transport as the critical enabler of the African economic century.
The report highlights three transformational trends: First, the mobile-first nature of African digital adoption means that African cities can implement MaaS platforms and digital transport payments without legacy infrastructure constraints. Second, Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources make it uniquely positioned to power a green transport transition without fossil fuel dependence. Third, demographic youth โ with a median age of 19 โ creates a generation of transport users who have never known private car ownership and are natural adopters of shared and public mobility.
Investment opportunities identified include $40 billion in urban metro and BRT systems across 20 African cities, $25 billion in standard gauge railway network completion, $15 billion in port modernization, and $20 billion in digital transport infrastructure including EV charging, smart ticketing, and mobility platforms.
