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Online Marketplaces Could Create 3 Million Jobs in Africa by 2025

3Apr

By Josephine WawiraNo Comments

Business, Tech

Online Marketplaces Could Create 3 Million Jobs in Africa by 2025

Online marketplaces such as Jumia, Souq, Uber, and Travelstart could create around 3 million new jobs by 2025 across Africa. These digital platforms, which match buyers and providers of goods and services, could also raise incomes and boost inclusive economic growth with minimal disruption to existing businesses and workforce norms. These are among the findings of a new report, titled How Online Marketplaces Can Power Employment in Africa, released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Generating employment is an urgent priority across the continent. The African Development Bank estimates that one-third of the 420 million Africans age 15 through 35 were unemployed as of 2015. Around 58% of the new jobs—created directly, indirectly, and through the additional economic activity generated by onli...

Investing in Africa: An Outlook on Nigeria and Ethiopia

2Apr

By Itumeleng MukhovhaNo Comments

Investing in Africa: An Outlook on Nigeria and Ethiopia

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 continue to riddle bank systems, idiosyncratic governments and the bond yield curve that is trending toward inversion. However, this is not the case. Conversely, the global financial crisis and the desperate search for growth, yield and solvency has led investors to pay more attention to emerging markets in Africa, and in particular frontier markets with favourable growth paths, moderate debt levels an...

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, ...

Africa needs policies to protect its economies from vulnerabilities

21Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Main

Africa needs policies to protect its economies from vulnerabilities

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 Agenda 2063. This was said Wednesday by Adam Elhiraika, Director of the Macroeconomics and Governance Division of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in his presentation to the 38th meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Marrakesh. Mr. Elhiraika, who gave an overview of Africa’s recent economic and social development performance, said the continent also b...

18Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Main

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 is it difficult As mostly unexplored the Sub-Saharan hold potential opportunities for development that is if operated properly. Maybe we will see Africa fully independent and fully developed in the days to come. But life in the Sub-Saharan does not favor its occupants. The majority of the people live under the poverty line making it difficult for them to purchase a product like chicken. Poultry is a necessary source of protein in a place like Sub-Sahara. So living under the poverty line does not help when protei...

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

20Feb

By Annamarie Bindenagel SehovicNo Comments

Main, South Africa News

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 and political and experimental approaches across Africa and beyond is an important contributor to health security in a globalised world. Global health security agenda Image courtesy: Homeland Preparedness News, 2018 Introduction Health insecurities know no borders. In Africa, these include not only infectious diseases, but also non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and a context marked by deficits in treatment p...

Growth of African Tourism as industry remains resilient

15Jan

By Josephine WawiraNo Comments

Africa Travel, Interview

Growth of African Tourism as industry remains resilient

The festive season in Africa also marks the highest season in the tourism industry, as demand for getaway destinations in the continent surges. According to a Hospitality Report Africa - 2018/19, IATA’s most popular airline destinations in Africa in terms of traffic are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Tanzania respectively. These being just among other African countries favorited by tourists not only during Christmas seasons but also throughout the year; for their exotic and relaxing nature. Magnificent sceneries, wild and untouched nature for remarkable safaris and inestimable coastlines, Africa is indeed a favorable tourism destination. In the report by Jumia Travel, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary Ge...

Africa’s Travel & Tourism Top 2018 Highlights

15Jan

By Josephine WawiraNo Comments

Africa Travel

Africa’s Travel & Tourism Top 2018 Highlights

Africa’s travel and tourism industry continued to record impressive growth in the past year. The continent hit a 63 million high in international tourist arrivals in 2017, as compared to 58 M in 2016 (+ 9% vs 2016); according to a Hospitality Report published in December 2018. The growth record is slightly above the global performance of a 7% rise in 2017, to reach a total of 1.323 billion international tourist arrivals. Here are some of the tourism highlights for the just concluded year, 2018. International tourist arrivals As compared to her counterparts, Africa’s share of international tourist arrivals was only 5%. Europe boasted the lion’s share with 51%, followed by Asia and the Pacific which recorded 24%. The Americas and the Middle East had 16% and 4% respectively. Results we...

18Dec

By James HallNo Comments

African News, Main

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 exemplified by AirRwanda’s increase in direct flights between Lusaka and Johannesburg, intra-African trade benefits all participating countries. For instance, Zambia benefits as an intermediary between South Africa and Zambia along one of Africa’s busiest air routes. Likewise, Ethiopian Airlines is currently expanding its African scope to derive similar benefits. However, more cross-border movement of trade is required to match aviation’...

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...