Tag Archives: World Bank

Doing Business in Top 5 Cities of South Africa

Map of South Africa, with provinces, neighbouring countries and oceans labelled in English. Author: Htonl. Source: Wikipedia.

Easy of Doing Business in Thekwini (Durban) Easy of Doing Business in Cape TownSouth Africa is a country of a mixed economy. It has a relatively high gross domestic product than other countries in Africa. Despite having a mixed economy and high GDP, South Africa has a problem of poverty and unemployment. Business is a […]

Integration Efforts in the EAC

Otavio Veras, Researcher of the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies Synopsis The East African Community (EAC) is an economic bloc formed by Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. The countries have a history of cooperation dating back to the early 20th century. In the recent years, they have started various infrastructure projects to improve the […]

A ten-year strategy to support the development of social protection systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

STORY HIGHLIGHTS Social protection, which comprises both social assistance and social insurance programs, is a powerful tool to reduce poverty and vulnerability The World Bank has a new 10-year strategy for social protection in Africa (2012-2022) The vision is to help governments build country-owned national social protection systems Social protection, once thought of as exclusive […]

IMN’s 10th Annual South African & African Capital Markets Conference

  IMN’s 10th Annual South African & African Cap Mkts Conference (Microsoft Word) 22-23 November 2012 The Westin Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa   NEW YORK CITY, NY – As we enter this next decade in the event’s timeline, IMN and our event sponsors will build on our excellent reputation as the only ‘must […]

International Gateway Traffic Verification System Now Fully Operational in Rwanda

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 8, 2012/PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ — A Joint Realization of Global Voice Group and SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance for the Rwanda Utility Regulatory Agency Global Voice Group (GVG) and SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance are proud to announce that the International Gateway Traffic Verification System (IGTVS), commissioned […]

Democratic Republic of Congo: ICT4Gov Project Uses Participatory Budgeting and Telecommunications to Build Transparency and Accountability

  Synopsis Project feedback mechanisms driven by participatory budgeting and new innovations in information communication technology are working to successfully build transparency, increase accountability and overcome a long history of mistrust in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu Province. Challenge Following decades of colonial rule, conflict upon conflict, mismanagement, and internal corruption, the Democratic […]

Serving up a POWER-GEN-sized slice of colossal Kusile

  As part of the inaugural POWER-GEN Africa, taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 6-8 November, an intrepid group of delegates had a unique opportunity to visit Kusile, which once operational will be the fourth largest coal-fired power installation in the world. By its scheduled 2018 completion date the station, located in Mpumalanga […]

Premier IFC/World Bank Off-grid Lighting Conference in Senegal

  WASHINGTON, October 25, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – The joint IFC-World Bank Lighting Africa program, in partnership with Senegal’s Agency for Rural Electrification, invite the media to attend or cover the Third International Off-grid Lighting Conference and Trade Fair in Dakar, Senegal, November 13 – 15, 2012. Lighting Africa will release the findings of […]

Burkina Faso: World Bank grant to support regional “center of excellence” serving engineering students from 36 countries

  The World Bank’s Board has approved a grant of US$10 million to improve existing training facilities and house more students at the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. As many as 2,500 students will now be enrolled at 2iE by 2015, up from just 650 in 2009. The […]

Africa’s Energy Challenge: World Bank Africa Vice President Makhtar Diop

  Remarks at the IMF/World Bank 2012 Annual Meetings Event: The Energy Challenge of Africa Good afternoon everybody. I’m very grateful and thankful to the Japanese authorities for organizing this event jointly with the World Bank and for extending their hospitality to all of us here. I would like, in particular, to thank Minister Gemba, […]

World Bank: Unleashing the Power of Africa’s Private Sector Key to Continent’s Growth

  TOKYO, October, 2012 – The private sector is a key but underused resource for Africa’s development, as much of the continent’s savings go yet untapped for investment. Speaking at the Africa Investor CEO Summit in Tokyo, Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa, stressed that public private partnerships (PPPs) can be an important […]

World Bank Launches New Fund to Help African Countries Negotiate Best-Possible Deals for their Oil, Gas, and Minerals

PARIS, October, 2012―With new discoveries of oil, gas, and other minerals generating a wave of significant mineral wealth in African countries, the World Bank today launched a new fund to help countries on the continent level the playing field and ensure equitable deals in their natural resource contracts with international companies. With Africa holding 15% […]

Despite Global Slowdown, African Economies Growing Strongly― New Oil, Gas, and Mineral Wealth an Opportunity for Inclusive Development

WASHINGTON, October, 2012 – Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow at 4.8 percent in 2012, broadly unchanged from the 4.9 percent growth rate in 2011 and largely on track despite setbacks in the global economy, according to the World Bank’s new Africa’s Pulse, a twice-yearly analysis of the issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects. Excluding South […]

Business in Africa is booming. But are the commercial laws strong enough to sustain long-term growth ?

  An authoritative introduction to the commercial laws being instituted in West and Central Africa through the OHADA harmonization process is published in London this week. Source: IEDP Unified Business Laws for Africa: Common Law Perspectives on OHADA is now available from IEDP. (PRWEB UK) 20 July 2012 The World Bank has just approved an […]

Regionalism

  by Chikomborero Dengu (chikodengu @ gmail.com) Regionalism (Microsoft Word) Introduction There is an increasing recognition for the need to improve the political and economic environment of a country or region via collective action . This recognition is borne out of the realisation that countries or indeed regions are competing with themselves for scarce resources […]

World Bank Approves New Power Transmission Line between Ethiopia and Kenya to Boost Electricity and Economic Growth in East Africa

  Washington, July 12, 2012 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the Eastern Electricity Highway Project, which will connect Ethiopia’s electrical grid with Kenya’s, create power- sharing between the two countries, reduce energy costs, promote sustainable and renewable power generation, better protect the region’s environment, and pave the way for more […]

SunEdison Closes 98 MW of Solar Projects in Europe

SunEdison demonstrates its ability to deploy high value solar assets in Europe and to structure complex transactions attracting world class financing partners BELMONT, Calif., July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), today provided additional details on the solar project closings announced […]

IFC and Norway’s Scatec Solar to Develop Solar Power in West and Central Africa

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Scatec Solar, a Norwegian company specializing in photovoltaic solar systems, have signed an agreement to develop solar power projects that will supply renewable energy to address electricity needs in parts of West and Central Africa. IFC InfraVentures, the […]

Africa Loses Billions in Potential Trade Earnings, Falls Short of Vast Promise in Cross-Border Business―New World Bank Report

Washington, February 7, 2012 – With African leaders now calling for a continental free trade area by 2017 to boost trade within the continent, a new World Bank report shows how African countries are losing out on billions of dollars in potential trade earnings every year because of high trade barriers with neighboring countries, and […]