Browsing by Author "Godlo, Sibonisiwe"

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    The impact of transport infrastructure investment on trade openness in South Africa
    (University of Fort Hare, 2025-07-24) Godlo, Sibonisiwe; Dlwangushe, S; Hlafa, B
    South Africa’s economic growth and global competitiveness were reported to depend significantly on the quality of its transport infrastructure, which played a vital role in facilitating trade. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of transport infrastructure investment on trade openness in South Africa over the period 1992 to 2022. Using annual time series data, the study applied descriptive trend analysis, unit root testing (ADF and PP tests), and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to explore both the short-run and long-run dynamics between the variables. The results revealed a statistically significant and positive long-term relationship between transport infrastructure investment and trade openness, where a 1% increase in investment was associated with an estimated 4.5% increase in trade openness. In the short run, the Error Correction Model indicated a strong adjustment speed of 66%, suggesting a rapid return to equilibrium. Based on these findings, the study concluded that sustained and well-targeted transport infrastructure investment was essential for enhancing South Africa’s trade openness. It further offered policy recommendations, including improving rail and port systems, increasing public investment, and aligning infrastructure policy with trade and industrial strategies to promote economic integration and growth.