Ushantha O’Donnell | Lead | Commercial | Zutari | mail me |
Africa today stands at a watershed moment. Our continent is not destined to lag behind. It has the potential to leap forward. To achieve this, we must re-prioritise quality infrastructure projects built not merely for the bottom line but for resilience, inclusion and long-term impact.
The urgency is clear. Despite vast natural and human resources, only about 58% of Africans have access to electricity. This leaves more than 600 million people without power.
Cheap infrastructure and its impact
Even among those connected to the grid, fewer than half enjoy a reliable supply, particularly in rural and underserved communities. At the same time, Africa carries a disproportionate economic burden from climate change, losing between 2% and 5% of GDP annually.
Governments across the continent must allocate up to nine percent of national budgets to climate adaptation. Yet, an estimated US$30 – 50 billion a year is required for resilience alone. Globally, disasters destroy infrastructure worth up to US $845 billion annually. Up to 20% of that loss occurs in low- and middle-income countries, including African states.
The stark reality remains that the cheapest infrastructure built today may ultimately become the most expensive tomorrow. A paradigm shift is overdue.
Rethinking the true value of infrastructure
The measure of success in infrastructure should not be the lowest initial cost. Instead, it must reflect the durability and depth of its impact.
Projects that deliver multiplier effects and create opportunities far beyond their immediate scope show this clearly. They prove that infrastructure designed for resilience and inclusion can catalyse local development. This is where engineering with empathy becomes essential.
We bridge engineering with empathy. We co-design projects alongside communities and clients across Africa. This approach embeds resilience, sustainability and human-centred outcomes into every project. It reflects the belief that infrastructure should serve people first.
Our philosophy of engineering with empathy aligns with global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Just Transition framework and international climate resilience principles. These frameworks create the foundation for infrastructure that not only endures but thrives. It is infrastructure designed for people, grounded in evidence and responsive to Africa’s climate realities and community needs.
Engineering solutions that build resilient communities
In practice, this means engineering small fishing harbours in the Western Cape to withstand coastal storms while enabling local fishing economies to flourish. It means delivering clean energy through solar PV plants in Malawi, where households gain electricity, dependence on imported fuel drops and small businesses secure the power they need to grow. It also means creating dignified and resilient social housing.
Carefully designed public spaces within these projects strengthen social cohesion and unlock livelihood opportunities. These are not simply contracts executed. They are opportunities fulfilled by teams who take ownership and deliver results because communities cannot afford to wait. This is the essence of engineering with empathy in action.
A call for purpose-driven collaboration
The scale of the challenge is immense. Africa requires an estimated US$1.3 trillion annually to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
At least US $50 billion of that must go toward climate adaptation. To justify such an investment, infrastructure must be built to last. It must be designed not only to survive but to thrive under stress. Engineering with empathy ensures that this longevity is achieved through thoughtful, people-centred design.
The call to action is clear. Governments, consultants, development finance institutions and private clients must reframe how they define infrastructure. Moving away from lowest-cost specifications, we must collaborate on projects that prioritise resilience, inclusivity, lifecycle value and human dignity.
