Sep. 2012, Volume 6, No. 9 (Serial No. 58), pp. 1184–1193 Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, ISSN 1934-7359, USA The Impact of the Maputo Development Corridor on Wealth Creation within the Region It Serves Maria Magdalena Campbell 1 and Andries Carl Hauptfleisch 2 1. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa 2. Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Lynnwood Ridge 0040, South Africa Abstract: The Maputo Development Corridor along the N4 toll road between the north-eastern provinces of South Africa and Maputo (the capital and main port of Mozambique) was initiated in 1996. A Development Corridor can be seen as a concept to elevate an area to a certain level of development. One of the objectives of this project was investment in transport infrastructure in order to create an enabling environment for economic growth and development. The project is also in line with the 1995 Spatial Development Initiatives of the South African Government that attempt to improve investment in those areas were the greatest potential for growth exists. This paper addresses economic wealth creation within the broader region that the N4 toll road and the corridor currently serve. The research revealed that the areas closer to the N4 corridor had higher growth in terms of economic output as measured by Gross Valued Added than those further removed. There were a stronger correlation between growth in employment and proximity to the road corridor for the manufacturing, construction, trade and transport sectors. Analysis done also shows that income per capita has grown at a faster rate in areas closer to the corridor that areas further removed. Key words: Maputo development corridor, social-economic, economic growth and development, appraisal, transport infrastructure, anchor projects, SDI (spatial development initiative), development corridor. 1. Introduction In mid-2008 TRAC (Pty) Ltd (Trans African Concessions) requested a multi-disciplinary research team of the University of the Free State and the CSIR (Council for Science and Industrial Research) Built Environment to initiate a socio-economic impact study on the MDC (Maputo Development Corridor) along the N4 toll road. TRAC is the Concessionaire of the R3 Billion (1 R = 13 €) projects to build, finance, operate, maintain and expand the 630 km N4 toll road stretching from Pretoria in the Gauteng Province, in South Africa, through the Mpumalanga Province to Maputo in Mozambique (Fig. 1). The Maputo Development Corridor is one of the most ambitious and exciting initiatives undertaken within the Southern Corresponding author: Maria Magdalena Campbell, PhD, research fields: planning for social and spatial excluded communities. E-mail: campbemm@ufs.ac.za. African region. The vision is to rehabilitate the core infrastructure, i.e., road, port and dredging, electricity and the border post within the Corridor, through public/private partnerships, thereby re-establishing key linkages and opening up inherent under-utilized economic development opportunities. Underlying the vision is the desire to see this initiative contributing to other key policy areas — notably regional economic integration, international competitiveness and a broadening of the ownership base in the economy of the Corridor. In order to facilitate the implementation of the project in partnership with the private sector, protocols were signed between the two Governments of South Africa and Mozambique [1]. An understanding of economic forces is vital to any development planning as people and businesses will only locate in areas where it is economical viable. The idea of the National Physical Development Plan (RSA, DAVID PUBLISHING D