The Cairo–Cape Town Highway, also known as Trans-African Highway 4, is a key part of the transcontinental road network currently under development by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Union. Spanning 10,228 kilometers (6,355 miles), this highway links Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa, embodying a modern iteration of Cecil Rhodes’ historical vision for a “Cape to Cairo” route through British-controlled territories in Africa.
Historical Background
Originally proposed in 1874 by Edwin Arnold, the Cape to Cairo Road concept was intended to stretch across British colonies, enhancing Britain’s political and economic influence on the continent. It would connect Cape Town to Cairo through key cities such as Johannesburg, Harare (then Salisbury), Lusaka, Nairobi, and Khartoum, securing British dominance in Africa. Cecil Rhodes was a prominent advocate of the project, though he favored a railway system.
Modern Development
In the 1980s, a modified version of the Cape to Cairo concept was revived as part of the Trans-African Highway network. Although the highway follows much of the original route, there are some deviations. For instance, the highway passes through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, rather than South Sudan, and it includes a shorter route through Dodoma and Babati in Tanzania.
Route Description
- South Africa to Zambia: The highway begins in Cape Town and uses several national routes to the Zimbabwean border, passing through Johannesburg and Pretoria. In Zimbabwe, it continues via the A4 road (R1 road) to Harare and then as the A1 road (R3 road) to the Chirundu border post. From Lusaka, Zambia, the T2 road (Great North Road) leads to Tanzania.
- Zambia to Ethiopia: In Tanzania, the highway follows a paved path through Iringa and Morogoro, taking the shortcut through Dodoma and Babati to Arusha. In Kenya, the paved road continues north from Nairobi to the Ethiopian border, with Isiolo to Moyale now fully paved.
- Ethiopia to Egypt: Ethiopia provides a paved route to Sudan via Gedaref. Northern Sudan, which posed a significant challenge in the past, is now navigable by a paved road running west of the Nile from Dongola to Aswan in Egypt. From there, a tarred highway leads to Cairo.
Despite challenges like banditry in northern Kenya and deteriorating road conditions in Ethiopia, this highway stands as a significant artery for economic growth and regional integration across Africa.
