Agriculture:

The whole of Southern Sudan is suitable for all kinds of crops. The states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes, Upper Nile and Jonglei are good for rice. Actually, Aweil Rice Scheme used to produce a lot of rice before the war. The surpluses of the produce were exported to the North and other countries.

Melut in northern Upper Nile State and Mongalla in Central Equatoria State were identified for sugar cane plantations and sugar production before the war. Coffee, tea and tobacco were successful in Western and Central Equatoria states. Irish potatoes were also successfully grown in Upper Talanga in the Eastern Equatoria State.

Livestock abound in the states of greater Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile. Fish is plentiful in the Nile between the towns of Juba and Renk, north of Upper Nile state, the tributaries and lakes. There is also plenty of hardwood - mahogany, teak, and ebony - in the country. Hashaab trees that produce gum are numerous in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap states.

Industrial Sector:

The following industries were operating in Southern Sudan before the war:

1. Saw mills, fruit canning factory and brewery in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal state;
2. Kenaf project for making packaging Hessian cloth in Tonj, Warrap State;
3. Nzara Agro Industrial Complex, Western Equatoria State; and
4. Mongalla Cotton Spinning and Weaving factory, Central Equatoria state.

Three industrial projects were identified but the feasibility studies were not completed before the war started:

1. Paper making project from papyrus that grows in the Sudd or swamps of the states of Warrap, Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei and Lakes;
2. Shea Butter project in greater Bahr el Ghazal; and
3. Palm Oil project in Western Equatoria.

Services Sector:

Transport and Communication

Over the past two and half years after the signing of the CPA, major roads liking major towns have been cleared of landmines and repaired. Air transport is available between the ten states capitals and the national capital Khartoum. Three mobile telephone companies serve the Southern Sudan.

Tourism and Hotels

During the war most of the wildlife migrated to Uganda and Kenya. However, since 2006 they have all returned. The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife Conservation and Environment has rehabilitated tourist camp sites. The number of hotels in Juba exceeds 50. Most of them are constructed with prefabricated materials. A few have conference facilities with limited capacities. The other major towns need hospitality services.

Energy and Mining Sector:

Oil Subsector

Oil reserves have been discovered in five states: Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes, Upper Nile and Jonglei. The concessions to explore and extract the oil have been granted to a number of oil companies from Europe and Asia. No significant extraction has started yet. However, there are investment opportunities in oil refineries and other related amenities.

Energy Subsector

The source of electricity in all the towns is from thermal generators, which is usually insufficient for the needs of everyone living in those towns. The fuel used to power the generators comes from the North and East Africa, and is expensive. Blackouts are common. Hydro-electricity is the only hope for cheap, clean and abundant electricity. Two rapids have been identified on the Nile south of Juba. One is Fula Rapids near the town of Nimule and the other is Baden Falls, 35 km south of Juba. Earlier studies estimated that Fula Rapids could produce 1,440MW while Baden Falls could produce 940MW. In Western Bahr el Ghazal, about 20 km south of Wau town, there are rapids near Rafili village that could be harnessed to produce enough electricity for the greater Bahr el Ghazal region.

Minerals Subsector

The south is still virgin in terms of geological survey and mineral exploration. A few international companies started geological surveys which were interrupted by the war. However, there are areas where some minerals have been identified to exist:

1. Gold is panned by the locals near Kapoeta, Eastern Equatoria state;
2. Diamonds are found in Namatina, Western Bahr el Ghazal, close to the border with Central Africa Republic;
3. The iron stone plateau, which stretches across the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Warrap and Lakes was the source of iron before colonization. This abundant iron ore could sustain many iron smelting factories for several years;
4. Copper used to be mined in Hofrat E'nahas, Western Bahr el Ghazal state;
5. Limestone deposits exist in sufficient quantities to sustain cement and glass making factories in Kapoeta, Eastern Equatoria; and Raga, Western Equatoria.