Category Archives: Main

Friday@Noon on Mining 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. Various mining initiatives and challenges occurred during 2018. Below is a snapshot of some of it. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Tanzania Tanzania wants […]

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 […]

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 […]

Investing in Africa: An Outlook on Nigeria and Ethiopia

Africa-regions. Source: Wikipedia

Itumeleng Mukhovha, an associate in the Corporate/M&A practice at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg One can easily assume that international investors are deterred from investing in Africa given the growing need to weather a global financial crisis, which has been distorted by Brexit, rising geopolitical tensions, tightened global liquidity conditions, leveraged loans and sketchy debts that […]

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 […]

Towards a world without waste

African Business News

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 […]

Improved housing doubles in Sub-Saharan Africa

A new study led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London and Malaria Atlas Project, University of Oxford has revealed that improved housing had doubled on the African continent between 2000 and 2015. The study published in the “Nature International Journal of Science” is the first accurate estimate of urban […]

Africa needs policies to protect its economies from vulnerabilities

African Business News

Mr. Elhiraika said Africa’s growth is projected to remain strong, moderating around 3.2% in 2018, but expected to recover to 3.4% in 2019 and 3.8% in 2020 African countries need policies that can help build resilience, raise potential growth and inclusiveness if the continent is to achieve the sustainable development goals and aspirations of Africa’s […]

Why Invest In Chicken Production in Africa

Living in a Sub-Saharan can be a lot harsh. In a country full of barren lands it can be hard to relocate a source of protein, making a product like chicken hard to come by as the people of general cannot afford it, making it available to only a specific line of affluent people. Why […]

Health (in)security and migration: African lessons for a world in transition

By Annamarie Bindenagel Šehović Analysis in Brief: Global health security lies at the intersection of Europe and Africa, between inherited state-based intervention and a new regional, global approach. Given this, it is vital to redefine health security and it is imperative that this new definition include cross-border populations. Likewise, knowledge exchange in both definitional scope […]

Angola: The grace period is over for João Lourenço; It is now time for effective action

Bay of Luanda (view from Island of Luanda), Angola. June 2008. Author: Paulo César Santos

Angola’s economic troubles began in 2014 when global crude oil prices dipped and severely hampered the government’s ability to generate revenue João Lourenço has been president of Angola since 26 September 2017. About one year later, he cemented his hold on power by taking over the chairmanship of the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA). […]

African trade amongst African countries: with the groundwork laid, innovation and infrastructure investment are needed to unleash the continent’s economic potential

By James Hall Analysis in Brief: The benefits of boosting the low rate of trade amongst African countries are undeniable. The countries signing on to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) know this. However, inertia to break old trade barriers and against building value-added industries to replace foreign imports is the challenge to overcome. As […]

The Opportunity Cost of Doing Business for SMEs in Africa

Doing Business in Africa. Image by Andrey Popov

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 […]

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 […]

Maputo Could Be a Mega-Ship Port

The Port of Maputo in Mozambique has excellent development potential. It is located along the east coast of Southern Africa, to the north of the Ports of Durban and Richards Bay. It is one of several ports that connect via road and railway line to South Africa’s mega-metropolis of Johannesburg that is still Africa’s leading […]

Super-Wide Rail Cars Could Boost Port Transfers

The majority of maritime ports worldwide offer the option of intermodal transfer of containers between maritime and railway transportation, and at some ports, the port railway may serve as the means by which to undertake ship-to-ship transfers of containers. Railway technology, including parallel railway tracks, offers the possibility of developing super-wide railway cars that can […]

Farming module provides locally produced food all year round

A new, unique solution enables profitable ecological cultivation in urban environments Exsilio, a Finnish enterprise, has developed a high-tech solution for cultivating salad and herbs, among others, in urban environments. The solution comprises a redesigned container, where ecological local food can be cultivated efficiently. “Our solution is ideal for example for restaurants and institutional kitchens […]

Transparency is key to corruption-free infrastructure

By Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International The first Regional Roundtable on Infrastructure Governance was held in Cape Town at the beginning of November. Peter Eigen, founder of Transparency International (www.Transparency.org), who addressed the event, reflects on the vital importance of openness and transparency for successful and sustainable infrastructure projects. Corruption is nothing new and it’s certainly […]

Africa Presents Unique Challenges for Multinational Corporations

Thabo Mpelele, Sales Manager: Southern & Eastern Africa, Orange Business Services Despite being plagued by economic uncertainty and socio-economic issues, Africa remains a promising long-term growth opportunity for business; with multinational corporations (MNCs) the world over continuing to enter into the region. When drawing up development and expansion plans any enterprise is faced with the fact that […]

Why good infrastructure governance is the key to unlocking Africa’s potential

Africa’s first roundtable on infrastructure governance is taking place in Cape Town this week. Chris Heathcote, CEO of Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub) (GIhub.org), which is co-hosting the event, shares his views on the opportunities that infrastructure development offers African countries and some of the obstacles to the success of such projects.  Infrastructure is crucial to Africa’s […]

9 Tips from a Trade Mark Pro – Enhance and Protect Your Name or Brand

By Stephan Viollier – Intellectual property lawyer at Legalese A simple word or image can trigger a host of sounds, emotions, memories and meanings. What comes to mind when you think of Apple, Glastonbury, Netflix, Nike, PlayStation, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Harley-Davidson, GoPro or Ray-Ban? Each word communicates different images, feelings and stories, through a simple […]

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. […]