AfricArena, which provides open innovation challenges, research and dealflow services to help accelerate the work of founders, investors and corporates, hosted its fifth annual Summit from 16 – 17 November in Cape Town. It was preceded by its Founders’ Bootcamp and VC Unconference Weekends, attended by 60 high level international investors and 40 startups from […]
By Lerisha Naidu, Partner, Competition & Antitrust; Lodewyk Meyer, Partner, Banking and Finance; Mike van Rensburg, Partner, M&A; and Virusha Subban, Partner, Customs and Trade, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg 1. Visible green shoots – rising commodity prices The pandemic closed borders and stopped trade, other than for essentials, across the continent and was the principal reason […]
The foreign currency market may be speculated on legally and profitably in South Africa via the use of forex trading. Predicting price changes in currency pairings may be lucrative for South African Forex traders. The volatility of the foreign exchange market enables certain traders to make huge gains, with some even making millions of dollars. […]
Airtel Money, the dedicated mobile money platform, is driving better efficiency for businesses to engage in seamless mobile money activity with its upgraded Airtel Africa Developer Portal. The portal, using several Open APIs and solutions, integrates remote payments with Airtel Money wallets, to provide greater ease of access for Airtel Money services across multiple business […]
AURA, the leading African-based security and medical response marketplace, has secured R62 million in a Series A funding round, which was led by MultiChoice Group (MCG), KLT Holdings and Buffet Investments. This positions AURA favourably for its global expansion plans. AURA is a marketplace that enables anyone to access the closest vetted private and public security and […]
One of the world’s fastest growing FinTechs having added 1.5 million customers in the last 6 months alone. Accelerating customer growth driven by strategic investment following landmark $125M Series B funding round in May 2021. Investment and innovation driving financial inclusion, set to unlock $5.4bn in annual savings for consumers and SMEs by 2025. Paysend, […]
By Virusha Subban, Partner and Head of Indirect Tax, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg On 2 November 2021, US President Joe Biden announced that three African countries would be terminated from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program, unless they took urgent action to meet statutory eligibility criteria by 1 January 2022. The three […]
Growing your business is hard work. From creating a product to marketing it, there are many things that need attention. However, hiring a content marketing agency might be the answer if you’re looking for ways to grow your company and increase sales. A content marketing agency can be a powerful ally for any business looking […]
The Annual Investment Meeting 2022 has announced prizes for Startups attending the pitching competition. The Annual Investment Meeting will serve as the premiere platform for Startups planning to scale up & expand to Dubai. The world’s renowned and leading investment platform, The Annual Investment Meeting, will be providing prizes for startups at the startup pitch […]
Healthtech startup, DrugStoc has raised USD 4.4 million in Series A funding to expand access to quality medicines while providing sustainable supply chain financing for healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The funding round is led by Africa HealthCare Master Fund (AAIC), and other investors include Chicago-based venture firm Vested World and the German Development Bank […]
In 2020 and 2021, the African continent spawned more unicorns than ever before with at least eight companies now being valued at more than one billion dollars by investors. To keep the momentum going in 2022, Pranary (formerly Startup Circles), will be kicking off its Business Growth Week from Monday, the 15th of November 2021. This is a free […]
For the past few weeks, Stellenbosch’s best and brightest minds have been pitching their novel ideas to turn Stellenbosch into a ‘Smarter City’ as part of the second annual #IdeasForChange Challenge. After much deliberation, the judges have announced their top three finalists who will now be entered into a poll on social media and vie […]
The Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE) launched a useful new tool for investors, the GAI (Guiché de Apoio ao Investidor), or Investor Support Office, which in addition to supporting the presidential directive to facilitate access for national and foreign investors, will eliminate bureaucratic obstacles that can hinder the actions of those who want to access […]
For a long time now, economy and the conservation of biodiversity seemed to be two different worlds. Not many CEOs or financial managers were able to explain how their company’s impact contributed to the loss of species, deforestation or the acidification of oceans. But times have changed. Today, trailblazing entrepreneurs understand that they don’t have […]
A new book from Burnet Media, Cape Town will inspire and guide the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Failing To Win by Mike Quinn is the authentic story of a uniquely African startup at the forefront of the continent’s fintech revolution. Inspired to become the “M-Pesa of southern Africa” after Kenya’s pioneering mobile money innovation, […]
Zero-emission fuels and vessels must start being deployed at scale over the next decade to achieve full decarbonisation of the shipping sector by 2050. Scaling the first pilots and demonstrations into industry-wide solutions will be challenging, given the complex nature of the global shipping industry. Produced for the Getting to Zero Coalition, the new study […]
Kenya has long aimed to bring 100 percent of its primary students to high school. Over one million Kenyan students finished their primary school education in 2020, and all are expected to attend high school, but many factors continue to hold these students back. Many Kenyan parents are unable to pay for the school fees […]
Startup testimony Charles Bwanika, a new generation social entrepreneur Charles Bwanika is a new generation social entrepreneur, passionate about undertaking positive challenges to bring about positive impact people’s lives he’s a seasoned child rights activist, experienced and qualified Community development expert with aBA in Development Studies (BDS) and a Diploma in Community Psychology from Ndejje […]
By Faizal Bhana – Director Jersey Finance – Middle East, Africa and India. According to Asoko Insight’s FOB500 research, Nigerian family-owned businesses make up 36% of companies within the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS). These businesses have been vital to the socio-economic development of Nigeria and have been instrumental in the region’s back-to-business […]
Global losses from payment fraud have tripled from US$9.84 billion in 2011 to US$32.39 billion in 2020, according to Deutsche Bank’s 2021 report on the future of payments. And financial professionals are saying COVID-19 hasn’t helped matters, with 65% believing that the global pandemic is to blame for some of the accelerated rate in fraud […]
A report by a top caucus of experts in the United Kingdom shows that many countries have benefited from improved economies and healthier populations by farming genetically modified (GM) crops. Most significantly, the low pesticide use associated with GM farming is linked to fewer incidences of pesticide poisoning among farmworkers—particularly for small-scale farmers, observes the […]
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, toured Egypt pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and expressed his admiration for the display and amazing content of the pavilion, especially the mixture of history and civilization, as well as the vision for […]