Food Transport and Inter-market Supplies in African Cities

n all African towns specific modes of transport - mechanized and non- mechanized - have developed which play an essential role in distributing food between different markets and supplying the whole informal trading sector. These modes of transport, which provide an ideal service for the small volumes handled and the weak financial capacity of the wholesalers and retailers, play an essential role in maintaining low-cost inter-urban redistribution. What is known about the “artisanal” sector of urban goods transport? What is the role of non-mechanized transport and its importance in this field? These are the questions that this paper sets out to address. After describing the modes of transport for redistributing food in various African cities - N’Djamena, Bobo-Dioulasso, Conakry and Dakar - and in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, the paper examines their main features, particularly the vehicles used, the customers served, the services offered and the charges for them. It concludes with an examination on the extent to which the service they provide in supplying the towns and their inhabitants is taken into account and acknowledged.