As many living in the continent continue pondering on the often repeated statement that “Africa is rising”, a new report indicates that it one specific sector, it is. The research carried out by American firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found out that Ghana and Kenya have the second and third highest mobile payment usage in…
(This is a transcript of the podcast posted on Monday, July 26th 2021. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on this link https://open.spotify.com/episode/763m3ERbbWqL8htciEi7qI?si=nh0QyguqSeezi9WVFVIdrg&dl_branch=1&nd=1) ARNOLD SEGAWA: A very warm welcome to this edition of Mansa’s The Weekly Beat I’m Arnold Sagawa, joining you from Johannesburg in a very, very cold winter snow in the…
It may be located 6,500 miles from the capital of the European Union, Brussels, but this West African country holds the key to a zero-emissions future the bloc seeks. Last week, the EU proposed an effective ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 as the body seeks to speed up…
A new study commissioned by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) indicates that 600 million people in the continent lack access to electricity and 900 million have no access to clean cooking fuel. The study titled “Energy Prices in Africa: Transitioning Towards Clean Energy for Africa’s Industrialization” cites countries such as Liberia, Malawi,…
Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister Patrick Achi says that his country is on track to becoming a regional medical hub thanks to a $300 million financing agreement signed with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC). The agreement helps medical clinics in the world’s largest cocoa producer procure equipment from manufacturing giants General Electric and Philips,…
(This is a transcript of the podcast posted on Monday, July 19th 2021. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on this link https://mansamedia.africa/the-weekly-beat-july-19-2021/) Welcome to The Weekly Beat by Mansa with your hosts, Arnold Segawa, Maggie Mutesi, and Dumi Jere. Giving you all the info on Africa’s big finance and economic stories, The…
A set of documents filed in an Israeli court have revealed the extent to which one of its billionaires went to secure mining rights in the resource rich Democratic Republic of Congo. In the affidavit filed by tycoon Dan Gertler, it is reported that $360 million in cash was lent to a company that used…
The world’s biggest seven economies and multilateral partners including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have announced plans to collectively invest $80 billion in Africa’s private sector over the next five years. The funds, according to one of the members of the G7 group United…
Ghana’s inflation rate rose to 7.8% in June, the Government Statistician Samuel Kobina announced on Wednesday, driven by transport and food items. Food contributed 41.8% to overall inflation while transport contribution increased from 16.5% last month to 18.1%. “Inflation for June 2021 indicates that the six-month continuous decline in food inflation has been reversed by…
Despite months of repeated denials over the presence of COVID-19 infections in Tanzania, health authorities in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago have begun immunizations. According to Zanzibar’s Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Omar Shajak, frontline workers began receiving Sinovac Biotech shots last week, and they plan to give a second dose after two weeks. “The Sinovac vaccines…
A new wave of violence has erupted in South Africa with the government deploying military troops to restore calm and order. At least 6 people have died. The disturbances have intensified as former President Jacob Zuma began a legal challenge to his 15-month prison term sentence in the country’s top court. Images of burning buildings…
(This is a transcript of the podcast posted on Monday, July 12th 2021. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on this link https://mansamedia.africa/the-weekly-beat-july-12-2021/) Welcome to The Weekly Beat by Mansa with your hosts, Arnold Segawa, Maggie Mutesi, and Dumi Jere. Giving you all the info on Africa’s big finance and economic stories, The…
Throughout my publications for Mansa Media, I’ve been steadfast in championing an evolving Africa through stories that explore the opportunities and complexity of our continent and the African diaspora. That stems from my core belief that these are critical drivers which we need to work towards standardizing. However, as we do this there are varied…
Plans are underway for Ghana to launch social bonds, a first in Africa, capitalizing on an instrument that has boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The government plans to borrow up to $5 billion on international markets this year, and use the proceeds from these sustainable bonds to forge ahead with a free secondary-school initiative…
(This is a transcript of the podcast posted on Monday, July 5th 2021. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on this link https://www.buzzsprout.com/1655965/8814901) Welcome to The Weekly Beat by Mansa with your hosts, Arnold Segawa, Maggie Mutesi, and Dumi Jere. Giving you all the info on Africa’s big finance and economic stories, The…
As part of its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Eastern Africa, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to invest $95 million in geothermal power projects across the region. The bank also plans to increase sustainable and reliable energy supply and boost energy efficiency in businesses, health centers and educational facilities. The investment…
Foreign direct investments into Africa plunged by $7 billion in 2020, a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) indicates, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The investment flowing into the continent dipped to $40 billion in 2020, compared to $47 billion in 2019. However, the Asian continent was able to…
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa are rapidly rising exacerbating fears that the continent may soon hit its worst week since the start of the pandemic in March last year. The rising cases are blamed on the more infectious delta variant of the disease that began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. According…
It’s no secret that the startup scene in Kenya, like much of Africa, is on an upward trajectory but what many living in the country may not know is who exactly is a beneficiary of the funding that fuels this growth. A rising middle class and a younger, more educated demographic are some of the…
A looming power crisis is about to hit Zimbabwe after a surge in electricity imports from neighboring South Africa overloaded its network and caused generating plants to fail. According to Energy Minister Soda Zhemu, the surge caused a nationwide blackout in the wee hours of Monday morning, as it affected output at the country’s main…