Major Challenges and Restraints in Africa

Price Sensitivity: Budget constraints at both national and local government levels are significant. This often leads to tender processes being awarded based on the lowest bid, which can compromise quality and safety.

Informal and Substandard Products: A thriving informal market for low-quality, non-standardized guardrails exists, which poses a major safety risk and undermines legitimate manufacturers.

Logistical and Infrastructure Hurdles: Transporting heavy guardrail systems from ports or manufacturing hubs to remote project sites can be difficult and expensive due to underdeveloped internal logistics networks.

Skills Gap and Maintenance: A shortage of trained engineers and technicians for proper installation and, crucially, post-crash maintenance can reduce the effectiveness of even the best guardrail systems. A damaged guardrail that isn’t repaired is a hazard.

Currency Fluctuation and Import Costs: For manufacturers reliant on imported raw materials (steel coil) or components, volatile local currencies can severely impact profitability and pricing.