There is a very strong relationship between a country's economic development and the quality of its road network. 

Roads play a very important role in connecting people and contribute in an immense way to the economic growth of a country. Moreover, roads aid businesses and travel, which in turn spur economic growth.

However, when it comes to ranking countries by their road networks, African countries lag way behind. This is surprising considering the fact that a chunk of the budgetary allocations in many African countries are centered on road development, yet very little can be shown for it.

But which countries in Africa have the best road networks?

Namibia was ranked first on the 2018 Road Quality Index for Africa and this did not come as a surprise to many who know the country well.

The southwest African country boasts of more than 42 000 kilometers of state-maintained roads that make traveling not only easy but also a fantastic experience.

A tour company in Namibia proudly wrote on its brochure that the roads in Namibia are a tourist attraction on their own.

In ranking the countries, the Global Competitive Report index tracks the performance of approximately 140 countries on 12 pillars of competitiveness, including the quality of road infrastructure development, maintenance and urban-rural balance.

Namibia scored an impressive 5.2 out of a score of 7 to be ranked the best in Africa. This also means that the country is way ahead of Ecuador, Bahrain, Qatar and Great Britain which all scored a 5.1.

The other African countries to make the top 50 in the world are South Africa and Rwanda which were both ties on 5.0 each, with Mauritius follows closely with a score of 4.7.

According to the just released World Economic Forum 2018 Road Quality Index for Africa, these are the top 10 African countries with the best road networks.

African Countries With The Best Roads

1. Namibia

2. South Africa

3. Rwanda

4. Cote d'Ivoire

5. Mauritius

6. Morocco

7. Kenya

8. Botswana

9. Cape Verde

10. Senegal

Do you agree with this list? Drop your comments below.

Header Image Credit: Road Safety Toolkit - iRAP