Growing up in a farming community in central Kenya had a huge impact in the way I saw food systems. Tilling, planting, weeding and harvesting were a common phenomenon if not the order of the day in my day to day life as a child and young adult. I only read about hunger and malnutrition…
Ethiopian airlines has resumed flights with the Boeing 737-Max. This comes approximately three years after the deadly crash of one of its aircrafts outside the country’s capital Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airways Flight 302 heading to Nairobi lost control and crashed shortly after takeoff from Bole International airport in Addis Ababa killing all 157 on board….
Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN) has commenced its assembly of the Peugeot brand of vehicles in its Green Field Assembly plant in Kaduna state. This is a major boost for Nigeria’s automotive industry which has been experiencing mass production halts due to the COVID-19 set protocols and massive lockdowns. Owned jointly by billionaire Aliko…
Swedish Tech founders, executives and venture capitalists have committed finances to a new impact fund focused on supporting entrepreneurs in Africa. The $200 million equity growth fund targets African startups and has completed its first close at $110million. Dubbed Norskenn22, the fund is backed by 30 founders of startups that have achieved a pre-market valuation…
The Chinese government has announced its plan to invest over $300BN in Africa over the next three years. This was announced by Chief Dana Chen, the chairman China Africa Business Council during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and China Africa Business Council (CABC) in…
The dramatic evolution of digital currencies, coupled up by the never ending evolution of new technologies and finance is transforming how we use money today. Gone are the days we would have to queue at banking halls to withdraw and deposit money or apply for mortgages by visiting a bank branch. For many people across…
Mali a vast Sahelian country has been rocked by mass protests in the recent days with Malians taking to the streets after Colonel Assimi Goïta called for protests against harsh sanctions imposed by the West Africa regional bloc ECOWAS over delayed elections. In the capital Bamako, thousands of its citizens wearing the national colors of red, yellow…
African airlines continue to recover from the challenges brought by COVID-19. Both passenger and cargo fleets showed great improvement in 2021 as compared to when the pandemic struck in 2020. Passenger demand for air transport rose to 58% as compared to 2020 when it had fallen to 65% while the international demand for cargo grew…
The World Bank has approved South Africa’s $750 million development loan request. The loan is set to support South African government’s efforts to accelerate its COVID-19 response by protecting both the vulnerable and poor from adverse socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and support a resilient and sustainable economic recovery. This is according to a statement…
US biotech Billionaire Patrick Soon Shiong and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched NantSA Vaccine production hub, a vaccine manufacturing facility aimed at producing COVID-19 vaccines to stop COVID -19. Located in Cape Town the facility seeks to manufacture 1 billion COVID-19 vaccines doses a year, from scratch to finish by 2025. This COVID-19…
The East African (EAC) member states lost $3.36Bn worth of trade in the year when COVID-19 struck. Mitigation measures to curb the spread of the virus led to cutting off of major global trade links through lockdowns. This is according to the latest draft report on EAC Trade and Investment for 2020. Notably, Uganda was the…
The federal Government of Nigeria has lifted its suspension on Twitter after a seven month long ban imposed on the social media network. This was announced by the Chairman technical committee Nigeria- Twitter Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi. In the statement, the Federal government said that this action is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate their relationship with Twitter…
Consumers and traders from the East African hinterland countries will be the biggest winners once the proposed Chinese mega infrastructure plan for the horn of Africa is fully implemented. The multi-billion project, which was announced by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on his recent visit to Kenya, will involve expanding the two major railroads and…
Africa continues to be a large, unexploited market that continues to garner global interests with its business landscape constantly evolving. Often times, businesses that have failed to adjust to the new changes have been at the verge of being extinct. Speculation aside, the reality is that technology is revolutionising the way companies in Africa are…
The East African Business Council (EABC) is pushing for a bilateral meeting to eliminate all remaining non-tariff barriers between Kenya and Uganda so as to further accelerate post-COVID economic recovery and foster integration across the wider region. According to this apex body that represents interests of investors and businesses in the region, a quick convening…
Egypt has remained one of the few countries that has maintained positive growth during and after the COVID-19 crisis. In October 2021, Egypt instituted structural reform policies that were deemed integral to its efforts to accomplish a sustainable and resilient economic recovery. Egyptian GDP remains at an all-time high and is expected to continue increasing…
Over the last decade, tech entrepreneurship has continued to represent a major source of growth and development across the world and has become very vital for Africa. Hundreds of tech hubs have emerged across the African continent and risen to become the most active players in the technology scene. They have continuously driven innovation and…
Twin pressures of tight COVID-19 restrictions and the spate of civil disorder that rocked the country in July contributed to South Africa’s economy contracting in the fourth quarter. According to Statistics South Africa (SSA), GDP slumped by 1.5% eroding some of the hard-fought gains the country had made in the proceeding two quarters. The worst…
Nations across the globe and mostly in Africa are rushing to pass laws designed to support and promote homegrown innovation. Africa has made great strides recently in fulfilling its dream of becoming a launchpad for innovative high technology companies. In 2020 alone, Nigeria and Kenya were the hotspots of venture capital investments with the countries…
Over the last decade, China has outgunned Western powers in cementing its ties with the continent, and now it is winning the COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy war. Vaccine diplomacy is a relatively new term that has entered our lexicon primarily due to the pandemic that began in Wuhan, China. It employs vaccine delivery and distribution to…