The UK Government will provide £100m to a major African road project that aims to construct a corridor between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania in the north.

The route will help cross-border trade along the corridor and boost regional economies. It is being built alongside a number of trade-related reforms.

The project will restore more than 5,000 miles of roads and 600km of rail track. It will also reduce transport costs by up to $50m a year for African-based businesses.

The UK Government has estimated that transportation costs are 73% higher in Africa compared to Europe and US, while countries such as Zambia spend 50% more on transport when compared to coastal countries.