Africa Business, Author at AfricaBusiness.com

22Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Gabon News

Owendo Mineral Port (OMP) and British International Investment (BII) accelerate port’s energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions with new solar energy system

Owendo Mineral Port (OMP), part of the pan-African group Arise Ports & Logistics, and British International Investment (BII), UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, announced a significant commitment to sustainable development with an investment of 2.6 million USD. The funds will be dedicated to the implementation of a 1.56 MWp solar system and a 1 MW battery energy storage system. This project, aligned with BII's vision of achieving a net zero emissions portfolio by 2050, represents a concrete step towards solving the climate challenge. The anticipated environmental benefits are major, with an estimated reduction of more than 1,700 tons of CO2 per year, while optimizing port operating costs. This solar energy investment is part of OMP's wider sustainability strateg...

ThriveAgric Kicks-Off Phase Two Distribution of Agricultural Inputs, Targets 100,000 Farmers for 2023/2024 Dry Season Farming Cycle

16Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Agriculture, Nigeria News

ThriveAgric Kicks-Off Phase Two Distribution of Agricultural Inputs, Targets 100,000 Farmers for 2023/2024 Dry Season Farming Cycle

Calls For Strategic Partnership To Optimise Dry Season Farming in Nigeria ThriveAgric, Nigeria’s leading agricultural technology company, has flagged off the ThriveAgric 2023/2024 dry season farming cycle with the distribution of agricultural input, targeting over 100,000 smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria to facilitate the production of over 300,000MT of grains. ThriveAgric would provide farmers with irrigation facilities, drought-resistant input, access to technology, storage, and premium markets to help optimise output in this farming cycle. The flag-off was announced at an event in Jigawa state, Nigeria. The event brought together various stakeholders including financial institutions, government officials, farmers, and representatives of the farming communities from Jigawa, Bau...

10 Ventures Announced for the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2024 Investment Showcase

16Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Events, Kenya News, Startups

10 Ventures Announced for the Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2024 Investment Showcase

Africa Tech Summit Nairobi has announced ten African tech ventures that will showcase their solutions to a diverse audience of industry experts, investors and fellow innovators on February 14th and 15th. While African startup funding declined in 2023, the investment showcase continues to foster collaborations and stimulate investment opportunities to bridge the funding gap in the ecosystem. According to data from Africa: The Big Deal, African startup funding experienced a 39 percent decline, falling to $2.9bn in 2023 from $4.6bn recorded in the previous year. The 250+ entries received from various countries across Africa, including Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, South Sudan, Malawi, Angola, Morocco, Botswana, Benin, Congo, Uganda, South Africa, Sierra Leone and more, highlight t...

16Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Events, Nigeria News

Programme Unveiled for Eighth SAIPEC 2024

The eighth edition of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) returns to the Eko Convention Center in Lagos from 13-15 February 2024. This premier industry event, is hosted by PETAN in strategic partnership with the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and NNPC Limited. Keeping with the theme, “The Next Steps: Accelerating African Content," the conference will highlight billions of dollars of project opportunities across Africa. SAIPEC, with local content at its core, plays a vital role in charting the pathway to developing the continent's untapped energy, oil, and gas resources and annually represents more than 30 NOCs, IOCs, governments, and regulators. With more t...

15Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Marketers and PR agencies can no longer afford to be vague

By Judith Middleton, CEO of DUO Marketing & Communications Everyone should be able to answer: How do you use data to drive commercial results and insights? We all know that data is not just important, we understand that it is fundamental to how we shape our collective future. Metaphors abound, but one thing is certain, data is the gravitational force shaping the contours of business. Effective marketing and public relations agencies have been at the forefront of this evolution. Every agency needs to answer this question: How do you use data to drive commercial results and insights? This is not an exercise in finding listicles online about how data can or should be used in an agency environment. Rather, it is an exercise in testing an agency’s data maturity because, with each success...

African markets impacted by FX volatility and inflationary pressures in sobering 2023

12Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Main

African markets impacted by FX volatility and inflationary pressures in sobering 2023

The African business ecosystem has matured, despite a 2023 characterised by macroeconomic and funding challenges, says Risana Zitha, Managing Director and Head of Africa at DAI Magister The global business landscape underwent a profound transformation in 2023, triggering a turbulent year for companies worldwide. Geopolitical turmoil, inflationary pressures, and a shifting economic landscape unleashed a torrent of challenges, particularly for start-ups and growth-oriented companies. In Africa, notable currency depreciations created unfavourable market conditions − the Nigerian Naira saw a 40% depreciation for 2023, while Kenya experienced a 20% depreciation in its currency value. Additionally, there was a contraction in the size and volume of VC deals, with both metrics decreasing by 40% ...

12Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

What to expect from South Africa’s cybersecurity landscape in 2024

As widely reported last year, South Africa received the most cybersecurity threats on the continent by far – 230 million compared to second-placed Morocco’s 71 million in 2022. Virodh Sunderlall, Product Manager at Services and Solutions Aggregator Tarsus On Demand, says South Africa is particularly vulnerable because of affordability challenges. “More developed countries have more funds available to buy multiple security systems. Our economy has not been at its strongest, so people try to lower expenditure by cutting expenses that don’t generate money, such as security and insurance. This leaves enterprises open to attack.” South Africans are, however, learning that cybersecurity is not a luxury, as with protection of physical property, he says. As the country ramps up its safeguards,...

Solar Power vs. Environmental Challenges: Addressing Concerns and Maximizing Benefits

12Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy

Solar Power vs. Environmental Challenges: Addressing Concerns and Maximizing Benefits

By Jean Armstrong Solar power is one of the most promising renewable energy sources in the world. It can provide clean, abundant, and affordable energy for millions of people. However, like any other form of energy, solar power also has some environmental impacts that need to be considered and mitigated. In this blog post, we will explore the positive and negative environmental impacts of this popular industrial energy solution and how we can balance the trade-offs of solar to maximize its benefits for the planet and humanity. What are the Benefits of Solar Power? Solar power has many environmental benefits compared to conventional energy sources, such as fossil fuels and nuclear power. Some of the main benefits of solar power are: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions Solar power do...

8Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Ghana News, Kenya News, Main, Nigeria News, South Africa News

Global Cities Report: A mixed bag of results for Africa

Social, geopolitical, and technological transformations are actively disrupting the traditional hierarchy of global cities, creating a more widely distributed geography of opportunity. This is according to Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report, which highlights that established global city leaders face ever-greater competition from emerging hubs, with those taking a regenerative approach poised to lead in the attraction of talent, innovation, and investment. Global Cities Index The Global Cities Index (GCI) seeks to quantify the extent to which a city can attract, retain, and generate global flows of capital, people, and ideas. Cities are measured against five key dimensions: Human Capital, Information Exchange, Cultural Experience, Political Engagement, and Business Activity. Average GC...

8Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

How each department in every SA business can mitigate fraud in 2024

Fraud of all kinds increased by a shocking 600% over the last four years in South Africa. Clearly, it’s more important than ever to follow best practices when doing due diligence before sealing a business deal with someone – whether client or enterprise. Robust Know Your Customer (KYC) or Know Your Business (KYB) checks are one of the best ways to mitigate fraud risk, says Sameer Kumandan, Managing Director of SearchWorks, South Africa’s largest and most innovative data aggregation platform. “Having reliable data is crucial before making any significant business decisions. Whether it’s hiring a new employee or partnering with a supplier, having accurate information will not only reduce the risk, but also provide confidence in the decision-making process.” But such in-depth checks can pro...