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 […]

The trade of illegal weapons implicates senior government officials in Djibouti – Report

Map of Djibouti. Author Alvaro1984 18

EXX Africa (EXXAfrica.com) published a special report on the arms trade in the Horn of Africa. The trade of illegal weapons implicates senior government officials in Djibouti, which suggests that the Doraleh port terminal, which is now under government control and suffers from porous customs checks, will increasingly be leveraged as an arms trade hub. However, […]

SA tech company tackles water crisis

“SAVING WATER GETS A SMART SOLUTION“ Cape Town’s drought has changed most South Africans’ thinking around water usage and the future of the country’s water supplies. Government tariffs and self-regulation has meant a re-think in our relationship with water and how we go about using, saving and re-purposing this scarce resource. A Cape Town company, […]

Transformation in Africa’s digital retail landscape

Undeniably, digital transformation continues to dramatically change the way we live and do business – almost daily it seems. Globally, the retail industry is one of the top industries in which we are seeing massive strides and changes when it comes to the adoption of technology, the evolving customer journey, and innovation in terms of […]

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 […]

Zanzibar tourism attracting more emerging markets including the Gulf region

Zanzibar

Hafsa Mbamba | Founder & Managing Director Destination Zanzibar Zanzibar is witnessing a renaissance in tourism as the sector continues to attract international operators from new markets. How do you see this evolution impact the hospitality industry as a whole considering the size of the island? Zanzibar is witnessing a renaissance in tourism attracting more of […]

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 […]