As Toyota launches assembly plant in Ghana, what is the future for Africa’s automobile industry?
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As Toyota launches assembly plant in Ghana, what is the future for Africa’s automobile industry?

ByBrian Kithinji

 (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…

Toyota launches assembly plant in Ghana: What’s the future Africa’s automobile industry?

ByEditorial

Ghana recently launched a Toyota assembly plant making it the second auto assembly plant in the country in less than a year. With the assembly unit boasting a $7 million investment with annual production capacity of around 1,330 units, is Africa beginning to cash in on its ‘youth dividend’?

To achieve Europe’s climate goals, car manufacturers are destroying Guinea’s ecosystem
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To achieve Europe’s climate goals, car manufacturers are destroying Guinea’s ecosystem

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

Half of Africa’s population lack access to electricity, UN study reveals
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Half of Africa’s population lack access to electricity, UN study reveals

ByBrian Kithinji

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,…

Inside Ivory Coast’s plan to become a regional medical hub
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Inside Ivory Coast’s plan to become a regional medical hub

ByBrian Kithinji

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,…

ADS Group to launch Africa’s first floating studio in Cape Verde
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ADS Group to launch Africa’s first floating studio in Cape Verde

ByEditorial

Africa Development Solutions (ADS), through its creative platform Social Nation, will be launching the Mansa creative hub – a world class floating studio – in Mindelo, Cape Verde on August 14th, 2021. The inauguration of the Mansa Floating Studio will be an iconic three-day event, climaxing with the Baia das Gatas Music Festival, Cape Verde’s…

Will a government onslaught push Africa’s largest pay TV operator out of Nigeria?
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Will a government onslaught push Africa’s largest pay TV operator out of Nigeria?

ByBrian Kithinji

 (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…

New documents reveal Israeli involvement in one of DR Congo’s biggest scandals
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New documents reveal Israeli involvement in one of DR Congo’s biggest scandals

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

G7 nations to invest $80 billion in Africa
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G7 nations to invest $80 billion in Africa

ByBrian Kithinji

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 climbs to 7.8%, World Bank grants additional $200 million for COVID-19 financing
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Ghana’s inflation rate climbs to 7.8%, World Bank grants additional $200 million for COVID-19 financing

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

After months of denial, Tanzania begins COVID-19 vaccinations
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After months of denial, Tanzania begins COVID-19 vaccinations

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

Explained: What is happening in South Africa?
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Explained: What is happening in South Africa?

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

As Ethiopia opens its telecom market, what lessons can foreign investors learn?
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As Ethiopia opens its telecom market, what lessons can foreign investors learn?

ByBrian Kithinji

 (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…

Imbalanced capital flows are killing African entrepreneurship
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Imbalanced capital flows are killing African entrepreneurship

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

Why Ghana is launching Africa’s first social bonds
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Why Ghana is launching Africa’s first social bonds

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

EXPLAINED: The economic impact of democracy protests in Eswatini

EXPLAINED: The economic impact of democracy protests in Eswatini

ByEditorial

(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…

Eastern Africa’s geothermal sector to receive $95 million investment
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Eastern Africa’s geothermal sector to receive $95 million investment

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

Covid behind drop in foreign direct investments to Africa in 2020
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Covid behind drop in foreign direct investments to Africa in 2020

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

Why Africa’s coronavirus cases will hit record highs in coming week
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Why Africa’s coronavirus cases will hit record highs in coming week

ByBrian Kithinji

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…

The story of white privilege in Kenya’s financial sector
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The story of white privilege in Kenya’s financial sector

ByBrian Kithinji

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…