Kenya News Archives - Page 15 of 17

10Apr

By Johan BurgerNo Comments

Energy, Kenya News, Main, Namibia News, Rwanda News, Zambia News

Friday@Noon on Infrastructure in Africa: 2018

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. General Africa has vast infrastructure needs. According to the AfDB, Africa's infrastructure requirements are estimated to be between US$130 billion and US$170 billion, far higher than the previous estimation of US$93 billion a year. The AfDB’s 2018 Annual Report said the new estimates left a financing gap of US$108 billion. Given this, and urgent needs in health, education, administrative capacity, and security, Africa has to attract private capital to accelerate the building of critical infrastructure needed to unleash its potential. African countries do not need to wait until all financing gaps are filled before the...

3Apr

By Johan BurgerNo Comments

Botswana News, Ethiopia News, Kenya News, Main, Mozambique News, Nigeria News, South Africa News

Friday@Noon on Regional Integration in Africa: 2018

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. Regional integration has become a high profile intervention and is seen as the route to economic integration and increasing intra-African trade. Some commentators are of the opinion that Africa must secure its own share of global economic growth and sustain the economic growth of Africa itself. The greatest opportunity for doing this, is Africa’s ability to trade and do business with itself. Improvements to fiscal policies, governance and regulatory frameworks, along with a move to diversify economies away from Africa’s traditional commodities-biased economies, present great opportunities to foreign investors. Africa’s...

Friday@Noon on E-commerce in Africa: 2018

3Apr

By Johan BurgerNo Comments

Business, Egypt News, Kenya News, Nigeria News, Tech

Friday@Noon on E-commerce in Africa: 2018

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. The growth and continuation of e-commerce in Africa has received various boosts during 2018. Africa’s leading online shopping platform, Jumia, reported in 2018 it wanted to make Egypt its biggest market on the continent, and it’s turning to Egypt’s vast network of unlicensed vendors for help. Jumia wants a 10-fold growth in revenue from Egypt and a 6-fold growth in the number of products offered on its platform by 2021. To achieve that, Jumia is urging the government to regulate informal retailers by offering them tax incentives and cheap loans that would allow them to market their goods online. The informal economy ac...

Friday@Noon on Renewable Energy in Africa: 2018

1Apr

By Johan BurgerNo Comments

Energy, Ethiopia News, Green Energy, Kenya News

Friday@Noon on Renewable Energy in Africa: 2018

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. A trend of earlier years in which we saw the further growth and development of the renewable energy sector, has continued in 2018. Renewable energy is becoming increasing popular in Africa. The examples below demonstrate the extent to which Africa is embracing renewable and clean energy. According to the WEF, by mid-2017, 62.5% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to reliable grid-connected electricity. This can largely be attributed to limited power infra-structure in many countries, which is further exacerbated by dispersed rural settlements. However, the region has an abundance of geothermal, ...

1Apr

By Johnstone OltetiaNo Comments

Kenya News, Main, Real Estate

OpEd: Affordable housing requires a new shape for the mortgage industry

By Johnstone Oltetia, Interim CEO Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC) There are two essential parts to achieving affordable housing: building decent, low-cost homes, and developing a housing finance market that enables low-income earners to buy those homes. For, without finance, almost no home price is low enough to be affordable on an average salary. For this reason, the mortgage market has been growing. Housing loans have risen more than ten-fold since 2006, from 1,278 loans valued at Sh19m 12 years ago to 24,458 loans valued at Sh203.3bn by 2015, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). But the market still remains tiny when compared with other nations. In Tanzania and Uganda, the mortgage loan value is under 2.5 per cent GDP while in Kenya stands at 3.15 per cent of GDP by 201...

1Apr

By Jacques VermeulenNo Comments

African News, Ghana News, Kenya News, Main, South Africa News, Uganda News

Towards a world without waste

The invention of plastic has changed the world in so many ways – for both better and worse - that it’s hard to picture modern life without it. Instinctively, we might think a plastic-free world could only be an improvement, but that would be to ignore the extent to which plastic is interwoven in almost every aspect of our lives, including its role in the food economy. It has reduced food waste and packaging costs – contributing to food security - while enabling the convenience lifestyle of the modern working family. You only have to consider how the absence of plastic packaging would increase the risks of food product contamination and the spread of disease to understand the vital part it plays. Yet it’s also clear that the sheer volume of plastic pollution has become unsustainable. A 2017...

The Opportunity Cost of Doing Business for SMEs in Africa

15Dec

By Josephine WawiraNo Comments

Kenya News, Main

The Opportunity Cost of Doing Business for SMEs in Africa

Fintechs are Easing Access to Credit for Small and Medium Enterprises. The African economy has gathered momentum over the years, with an estimated increase of 3.8% of the real output growth in 2017. As the largest economies gradually strengthen, the 2018/2019 performance should reach 4.1% according to the African Development Bank. This economic growth and sustainable development has largely been contributed by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In Kenya for instance, SMEs contribute approximately 40% to the GDP and employ over half of the country’s workforce. Yet, becoming a profitable SME in the continent is never a smooth sail for many. There’s the presence of stringent government regulations in several countries, though the flexibility of doing business in others is a force to be re...

30Dec

By Otavio VerasNo Comments

Burundi News, Kenya News, Main, Rwanda News, Tanzania News, Uganda News

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 connection between its members, ultimately decreasing the cost of doing business and making the bloc more attractive to trade with foreign countries. Singapore is enjoying this opportunity, with investments in the African continent growing at a compound rate of 12% per year[1]; the city-state has traded more than US$400 million with the EAC alone in 2013. Singapore is currently involved in various businesses in the region, ranging from agri...

9Jan

By Lilian GaithoNo Comments

Africa Travel, Kenya News, Madagascar News, Mozambique News, Seychelles News, Tanzania News

2017 Travel Goals; Explore Six of Africa’s Most Exotic Islands

No one talks of safari without mentioning the great treks that crisscross the African continent. So popular is this cradle of mankind for its magic-ridden sunsets and vast plains teeming with wildlife, that many seem to awe away at the bush ideal, totally ignoring that the continent also takes pride in mothering some of the world’s most blissful and unpolluted islands. This year, maybe it’s time to spice up your travelogues by exploring at least one of these exotic and scenic African islands. Madagascar’s bevy of islands Located down Southeast on the coast of the Indian ocean, Madagascar, or Madagasikara as known in the local dialect is a sight of paradise, a lush show of biodiversity that satiates all senses and desire for nature’s own healing. It’s the fourth largest island on earth, c...

18Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Africa Travel, African News, Kenya News

The Grand Opening of the first Golden Tulip in Kenya strengthens Louvre Hotels Group’s development strategy in Africa

Louvre Hotels Group, number one hotel group in East Africa, inaugurated its first hotel in Nairobi, pursuing its creation of a network covering all sub-Saharan African metropolitan areas. Already present in 8 sub-Saharan African countries, with 13 hotels comprising a total of 2,020 rooms under its Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip and Royal Tulip brands, Louvre Hotels Group continues its growth strategy by establishing itself on the Kenyan market. The 4-star Golden Tulip Westlands Nairobi hotel which has just opened its doors counts 94 rooms and offers a multitude of high-end services including several fine dining Restaurants, Gym and Swimming pool as well as Conference Rooms for business travellers. “The tourism sector, especially business tourism, is experiencing strong growth in this regi...