9 BILLION-DOLLAR MEGAPROJECTS THAT WILL CHANGE AFRICA

Al Noor Tower, Morocco: $1bn - Still to begin construction, the Al Noor Tower, Morocco, would be the tallest building in Africa. The $1 billion project, financed by Middle East Development LLC and designed by French architects Valode and Pistre, is planned to be 114 stories of offices, apartments, a seven-star hotel and an art gallery, as well as housing shopping arcades.

Modderfontein development, South Africa: $6.5bn - Chinese group Zendai are ploughing investment into a $6.5 billion future city, 20 kilometers from the heart of Johannesburg. Construction time is estimated to take between 15 to 20 years, and the 13 million square meters development will include commercial, industrial and residential complexes, including cultural and entertainment hubs. The project is anticipated to create 200,000 jobs and cater for 100,000 residents.

Mauritius oil: $2bn - Mauritius has sought to capitalize on its offshore oil reserves, and India's Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. is set to explore territoty as part of an overarching project worth $2 billion according to Deloitte.

Suez Canal expansion, Egypt: $8bn - Egypt's $8 billion Suez Canal extension was initially scheduled to take three years, but was completed in one. Three quarters of the world's dredgers and 41,000 workers, operating round the clock, moved half a trillion cubic meters of earth by June this year - the equivalent of 200 Great Pyramids - meaning the canal will raise $13 billion annually by 2023 according to government projections.

East African Railway Masterplan: $35.5bn (estimate) - A new railway line between Mombasa and Nairobi has started to turn the wheels on the vast East African Railway Masterplan. The standard gauge tracks will make the transport of goods and people faster and easier, and eventually intends to connect Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond.

Kusile and Medupi Power Stations, South Africa: $20.4bn and $17bn - Representing a significant investment in coal-fired energy, the two power stations are amongst the costliest projects underway across the continent. Construction of Medupi Power Station (pictured) began in 2007 and is projected to generate 4,764MW when all six of its units are up and firing. Once completed the site will have used 20,200 tons of steel - more than the world's tallest building, the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai. 

Geothermal energy, Kenya: $400m - The World Bank was so impressed by Kenya's roll-out of geothermal technology that it invested $400 million into furthering the country's green initiative. Over 280MW have been added to the grid by company KenGen's recent expansion - lowering the price of electricity by 30% - and there's plans for 1,015MW of geothermal energy by 2018.

Bonga South West Project, Nigeria: $12bn - Recent reports state that the vast oil project off the coast of Nigeria is mired in investment delays related to the recent downturn in oil prices. The project, which began producing oil 10 years ago, is the country's first venture into deepwater exploration and has already yielded in excess of 500 million barrels of crude.

Inga Dam, Democratic Republic of Congo: $80bn (estimate) -The long-mooted Inga Dam has been tied up in finance issues for a while. The planned hydroelectric dam would generate a vast amount of power, but in the $80 billion projected cost has been a sticking point thus far.

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