The £198bn plan that will make African country 'a true construction site'

African governments are seeking to invest billions of pounds in new infrastructure projects in a bid to boost economic activity. Projects invariably include the construction of , rail lines and roads, as well as gas and oil pipelines.

is also an area attracting substantial interest, with around £82 billion invested in the sector last year, according to the International Energy Agency. The largest infrastructure investors in include the African Development Bank, the , and the International Finance Corporation.

One African country hoping to turbo-charge its economy through a radical overhaul of its infrastructure is .

The government is planning a massive 2.8 trillion rand (£198bn) investment splurge to meet its ambitious targets by 2030.

"Infrastructure is the flywheel that our economy needs to boost growth and to create jobs," President Cyril Ramaphosa told an infrastructure summit in Cape Town.

"Infrastructure that is well constructed and maintained encourages investors to see our country as a great investment destination.

"We will turn around and make it a true construction site, but a beautiful site for all to behold."

This fiscal year will see the launch of around 250 projects as the government looks to ramp up the pace of development.

The government has already raised a record 238 billion rand (about £10bn) in investment.

Years of underinvestment and poor management have created a huge infrastructure gap in , the continent's largest economy.

Even wealthy cities like Johannesburg are plagued by frequent power outages due to problems in the electricity distribution network, and severe water shortages.

One major project the government is keen to complete is the Boegoebaai Port and Rail Development in the Northern Cape.

Boegoebaai is strategically located approximately 37m north of Port Nolloth and 17m south of the border between Namibia and South Africa.

The Northern Cape Province has the volumes of commodities to warrant a deep-sea commercial port, specifically as a result of mining and agricultural activities.

All commodities are currently transported via road or rail for exports through ports in other provinces, effectively making the Northern Cape economically landlocked, even though it has access to 210m of Atlantic coastline.

The port will have the Dry Bulk Terminal for exports, a Liquid Bulk Terminal and a Multi-Purpose Container Terminal - all of which will be supported by a 342m railway line.

The construction project is expected to create at least 2971 jobs and cost around £571 million.