Southern and central Africa will get more than $1 billion to improve its infrastructure.

Western nations and lending agencies have agreed to a financing package that will support trade facilitation in the region, drastically reducing the cost of doing business.

Britain has pledged to provide a separate $149.2 million to kitty to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.

Officials attending an investment conference in Zambia say the funds would be used to finance new projects and upgrade existing infrastructure, which include 8,000 km of road, and to rehabilitate 600km of rail track linking eastern and southern African countries.

Once complete, the infrastructure will link businesses in eight African countries - Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. 

The financiers are a mix of public and private investment by donors, the World Bank, East Africa Community, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.