Looking at the big picture of Southern Africa in the 1950-1980's, the infrastructure was very underdeveloped. Zooming in on several major countries gives us an idea of where things were at in Southern Africa during 1950-1980.
In general, Southern Africa's infrastructure suffers due to a lack of government regulations (National Geographic, 2012).
For more information about the infrastructure of Southern Africa, click here.
- Congo- While the rivers were mostly passable, they were blocked at various points from traffic passing through the river and waterfalls, making it necessary to move goods by rail or road between the navigable sections.
- Angola-It built no roads until the mid-1920s, and the first railroad, the Benguela Railway, was not completed until 1929. During the time period of 1950-1980, there was little to no progress made (Library of Congress, 2015). There has been a large impact on the economy in Angola, which can be explored more on the previous link.
- South Africa- They are typically ahead of other countries relating to development of infrastructure. In 1964, a fuel levy was put in place that helps fund the road system (Library of Congress, 2015).
In general, Southern Africa's infrastructure suffers due to a lack of government regulations (National Geographic, 2012).
For more information about the infrastructure of Southern Africa, click here.
Even in current day Southern Africa, they are working on the infrastructure. It is a big topic of debate because the infrastructure is concerning in the safety aspect. It also puts these countries behind as far as development. Many of the governments have said in the past that they were prioritizing this issue, but not much has been accomplished.
Background: Creative Commons | Creator: Wikimedia Commons | Title: Zwelihle, South Africa