Main Archives - Page 17 of 19 - AfricaBusiness.com

9Aug

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Africa Travel, Main

Tourism and hospitality Industry patterns in Africa

Jumia Travel & Accor Hotels give insights into Africa’s Hospitality Industry, 2017 Tourism in Africa is essential for both international and intra-border trade; apart from serving as a major employer by contributing 1 /10 jobs (UNWTO) the sector also serves a unique role in cultural integration and intermediation, therefore cementing the basis for regional trade. It is for this reason that Jumia Travel, supported the compilation of an in depth report delving into the continent’s travel and tourism ecosystem, including the economic outlook, scale of hotel investment, pricing, air travel and constraints faced by stakeholders in the sector. The report which follows a successful series of country-based hospitality reports in countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal among othe...

9Aug

By Jean GrangerNo Comments

Main

How Africa’s mining industry is responding to innovation

While mining companies continue to be pressured by the uncertainty that looms over the global economy, the industry is on a quest to introduce innovation to help improve important business practices. Despite the challenges that remain, the mining industry is increasingly turning to digital technologies to streamline business models, capture reliable data and improve production and safety. To understand exactly how the mining industry is responding to innovation, it is useful to examine what has led to the interconnectedness of the industry. The global mining sector is becoming increasingly automated and digitalised, as technological advances have proven to have many benefits, such as improved safety, efficiency, and productivity. Africa’s mining industry faces challenges that are also ev...

9Aug

By Tobi BamideleNo Comments

Main, Nigeria News

Nigerian Mining Springs Opportunities for Foreign Investors

Commercial quality mineral resources abound in Nigeria but that’s not the issue here. While it’s true Nigeria has been blessed with grand quantities of gold, diamonds, iron ore, a variety of gemstones and lead, among others, find the technical expertise and financial savvy to take advantage of the resources has long plagued the region. The Federal Gov’t of Nigeria is the custodian of the mineral resources on behalf of the citizenry and they are taking steps to make the resources more lucrative than before but investors have long been weary of sending their money to an area known for its political instability. In decades past, the government granted mineral rights to investors so they could explore, mine and get the minerals to market but the gov't preferred to act as an owner-operator. T...

9Aug

By Vahid MonadjemNo Comments

African News, Business, Fintech, Main

Consolidation of the fintech ecosystem in Africa, Good or Bad?

‘Mobile money’ used to be a catch-all phrase, describing everything from consumer wallets to building agent networks, lending, and international remittances. However, African fintech has gradually matured into an industry with specialist roles, and more players in the market every year. This shift has seen more companies take on niche roles. This makes strong partnerships between various parts of the ecosystem crucial for the space’s long-term development. Creating valuable partnerships between fintechs: There are a huge number of fintechs globally and in Africa, but yet we rarely hear about partnerships between them. This is the current paradox facing the sector. In addition to the number of fintech companies, the widespread use of mobile wallets is enabling companies in other sectors...

9Aug

By James MaposaNo Comments

Main, South Africa News

The Trouble with Branding Things African …

James Maposa Director Consultant Intergroup Brand Science (formerly Interbrand Africa) I’ve often heard people describe products and services coming out of our continent as African. Examples include African attire, African cuisine, African print and so on. For those who’ve been lucky enough to have travelled our beloved continent you’d understand the problems that come with blanket branding or making the secondary branding your primary branding. To plead my case, I’ll start off with the fact that Africa is made up of 54 countries. So when someone says that something is uniquely African, isn’t that labelling a bit too loose? And shouldn’t the African theme be secondary or better yet a tertiary reference from a nomenclature perspective. I recently read an article which mentioned the sev...

9Aug

By Otavio VerasNo Comments

Chad News, Equatorial Guinea, Main, Nigeria News

Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil and Africa: What to expect

Otavio Veras, Research Associate of the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies Synopsis In the wake of controversial picks for Trump’s cabinet, the spotlight turns to his appointed choice for Secretary of State, the highest diplomatic rank in the United States government. After a brief interlude with Mitt Romney, which would certainly be a favourite pick among Republicans, Donald Trump showed that he would continue with his anti-establishment agenda and decided instead to recommend Rex Tillerson for the role. Rex Tillerson is an experienced executive of the Oil and Gas industry. Having worked at ExxonMobil for 41 years, Tillerson rose from a production engineer role, when he joined the company in 1975, to vice-president of ExxonMobil by 1999, and finally to chairman and CEO by 2006. Tillers...

9Aug

By Harry ValentineNo Comments

Energy, Main, South Africa News

Future Options to Store Energy near Cape Town’s City Centre

Electric power arrived at Cape Town around 1900 with the construction of a coal-fired, steam-driven power station located near the Victoria and Alfred dockyard area. The location offered 2-advantages in that the power station was close to the unloading area of coal ships that could sail from Durban. The second advantage was that close proximity to the sea allowed for seawater cooling of the exhaust-steam condensers. For several years, City of Cape Town owned that power station that closed in 1965 and ended electric trolleybus operation in the city. Table Mountain Pumped Storage: Very recently, City of Cape Town officials have expressed interest in once again operating a power station. At the present time, the topography of Cape Town offers an option to introduce pumped hydraulic energy s...

9Aug

By James MaposaNo Comments

Main, South Africa News

Brand valuation missing the so what

James Maposa Director Consultant Intergroup Brand Science (formerly Interbrand Africa) I recently read an article that reported on South Africa’s most valued brands for 2016. The country’s top-10 brands were MTN, Vodacom, Sasol, Standard Bank, Woolworths, FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Investec and Mediclinic; with Multichoice bubbling under at number 11. For me what was missing in this article was the so what. So what if MTN is the most valued brand in South Africa and Africa? Does it mean that it requires a lot of cash to acquire this asset based on the equity that it has built over the years trading within the African market? Does a higher brand value mean that the firm has better access to capital and this capital is being offered to them at a more affordable rate than brands that are valued l...

9Aug

By Harry ValentineNo Comments

Energy, Main, South Africa News

An Option for Energy Efficiency and Water Production at Cape Town

Summary: The thermal capacity of seawater off Cape Town’s coast can be applied to reduce the energy consumption of commercial scale refrigerators and air-conditioners as well as sustain the energy efficient operation of refrigeration-based technology that extracts potable water from humid air. Introduction: During successive summer seasons that extend over a period of decades, the City of Cape Town has encouraged citizens to save water. The usual weather patter involves winter rainfall that is stored in mountain dams to provide Cape Town with water over the hot and dry summer season. Perhaps as a result of changing weather patterns occurring internationally, the winter of 2016 recorded unusually low levels of rainfall in the catchment areas for Cape Town’s main dams. The result was that...

9Aug

By Ehiedu IwerieborNo Comments

Main

Liberated Africa: Pathways to Self-Transformational Development

In the period since independence in the 1950s, Africa has undergone profound social, cultural, economic and political changes. Some inherited and historically rootless colonialist political and social systems have collapsed, been transcended and reconstituted. Different political systems – single party rule, personal rule and military governments have come and gone. New post-independence political and social systems; economic institutions, professional associations and labour unions, various types - traditional and new and varied cultural expressions have all emerged. Creative efforts to foster effective nation-building, develop a sense of belonging and manage diversity productively have also been made. New political systems, different forms of electoral democracy and democratic governme...