Tag Archives: africa

McKinsey & Company Predicts African Fintech Revenues Could Reach an Impressive $30 Billion by 2025

As the fastest-growing start-up industry in Africa, African fintech raised over US$1,3 billion in 2021 alone, the success of fintech companies is being fuelled by several trends, including increasing smartphone ownership, declining internet costs,  expanded network coverage, and a young, fast-growing, and rapidly urbanizing population. [i] African fintech has a significant impact on day-to-day life […]

African e-commerce users are expected to exceed 500 million over the next three years

The new event facilitates strategic African trade opportunities With the number of African e-commerce users expected to exceed half a billion over the next three years, there is an increasingly urgent need for sophisticated logistics systems to strengthen and support the continent’s expanding transport infrastructure. The pandemic served as a catalyst for the advancement of […]

Africa’s industrialization progress in the past decade highlighted in new report

Africa is making progress towards industrialization, with 37 of 52 countries becoming more industrialized over the past eleven years, according to a recent report. The African Development Bank, African Union, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization teamed up to produce the report, which shows that some African countries are making significant strides in developing their […]

Inaugural Africa Airforce Forum highlights the role of Air Force in bridging regional stability

Day one prioritizes partnerships to build transnational capabilities and address security challenges in the region, particularly low-intensity conflict areas Panelists address the top 5 priorities for fleet modernization and capability building Focus placed on better human resource management for the African air forces Airforce industry leaders from across Africa and global defense experts gathered today […]

How cloud technology can boost economic development in Africa

Andrew Cruise, Managing Director of vendor-neutral cloud infrastructure provider, Routed

Cloud technology could be a major enabler of economic development on the African continent – but some stubborn barriers need to be cleared first, says Andrew Cruise, Managing Director of vendor neutral cloud infrastructure provider, Routed. The African continent represents 60 percent of the world’s arable lands and 30 percent of the earth’s mineral reserves – […]

A Payment Solution for Africa That Bypasses Complexity

Understandably, merchants are finding it increasingly difficult to keep abreast of all the latest payment products and solutions that are available. “It is complex and costly for merchants to manage their own integrations into multiple solution providers. Merchants should be focusing on their core businesses and leave payment complexities to specialist companies,” says Andrew Springate, […]

Sentech Africa Tech Week 2022: Connecting Africa for a Digital Future

Sentech Africa Tech Week 2022 made its fourth consecutive appearance this year, providing a platform where 5,000 attendees came together – in person and virtually – to learn, be inspired, and meet those in the industry who are making a remarkable impact on solving Africa’s unique challenges. Held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre […]

Sports Tourism: The Key To Economic Development In Africa

By Eugene Nizeyimana, Founder and CEO of African Business Chamber Of a variety of ways to develop an economy, sports and tourism are major contributors to social and economic development in most countries. There are many types of tourism opportunities that countries invest in, to propel and initiate development strategies. One such tourism type is […]

Property scams continue to rise at alarming rates

Investing in property is one of the biggest financial decisions a person is likely to make. New and increasingly sophisticated scams and incidence of fraud are on the rise and affect developers, buyers, sellers, estate agents, conveyancing attorneys, and other property professionals. “As property transactions typically involve substantial sums of money, they are a natural […]

Tips for Successful Homeschooling in Africa

In many African nations, homeschooling is becoming a popular choice for both nationals and ex-pats. It guarantees the quality of education and allows parents to guide the curriculum. If you’re considering homeschooling your children, be sure to keep these tips in mind.  Find Out the Rules for Homeschooling in Your Country While homeschooling is legal […]

Why Africa Is One of the Fastest Growing Consumer Markets in the World

For over a century, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa was solely centered around the extraction and export of natural resources.  Today, the momentum has shifted, and global investors are going to Africa more for its consumer-based power rather than for its physical properties. As such, mining and petroleum now account for a minority share […]

Africa is leapfrogging into the future of retail

The bi-annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), which is a study of the global retailing landscape has revealed Africa is poised to move away from traditional retail models and become the fastest-growing, richest, and most sophisticated market in the world. Prashaen Reddy, a partner at management consulting firm Kearney says that this is thanks to the […]

The United Arab Emirates, a new strategic player in Africa

Created in 2014, at the initiative of President Macky Sall, the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security will be held on December 6 and 7 in the Senegalese capital, in the presence of around a hundred decision-makers from the continent, including several dozens of Heads of State – notably those of Niger, South Africa, […]

African Growth and Opportunity Act eligibility requirements under review in three African countries

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 […]

Angola’s Special Economic Zone, provides new services to national and foreign investors with the inauguration of the GAI – Investor Support Office

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 […]

Fairtrade Farmers Increasingly Threatened by Climate Change, Warns ‘Alarming’ New Study

BONN, Germany – The intensifying impacts of climate change pose a serious risk to global agricultural production and directly threaten the livelihoods of millions of Fairtrade farmers around the world, a new Fairtrade study has revealed, adding that increased investment in climate adaptation and resilience measures are critical if plummeting incomes for Fairtrade farmers are […]

African Oil & Gas: Evolving the industry post Covid-19

By Ogi Williams and Jacques Du Preez The following paper provides excerpts from Johannesburg-based consulting firm In On Africa’s 2021 African Oil and Gas report.  The post Covid-19 period has pushed Africa’s oil and gas industry to adapt to a very different paradigm and one revolving around hydrocarbon divestment and increased renewable energy focus. As […]

Increasing competition policy enforcement across Africa

By Angelo Tzarevski, Associate Director, and Zareenah Rasool, Candidate Attorney, Competition & Antitrust Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg Competition policy continues to be viewed by regulators as a key driver of economic growth globally. Across Africa, competition policy enforcement is increasingly being employed as a tool to boost economic performance and promote the revitalization of trade […]

Energy transition-a new path to power in Africa

Africa currently sits on the cusp of a transition into a new energy paradigm, one in which technological and commercial innovations are delivering increasingly decentralised power to the people of the continent in new ways. A recent White Paper released by global management consultancy company Kearney outlines the overarching strategic considerations for African utilities to […]

New global tax rules will help address imbalances in tax revenue in Africa

By Denny Da Silva, Associate Director, Tax, Baker McKenzie, Johannesburg One hundred and thirty six of the 140 members of the OECD G20 Inclusive Framework, including South Africa, have agreed on a new set of global tax rules that will reform the world’s tax system. Notably, two African countries that are members of the Inclusive […]

Over Half World’s Population Now Using Mobile Internet

But More Work Needs to be Done to Bridge the Digital Divide  GSMA Research Shows 3.4 Billion People Do Not Use Mobile Internet Despite Living in Areas with Mobile Broadband Coverage   The GSMA has launched its global State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report 2021 showing that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of the […]

Increasing competition policy enforcement across Africa

By Angelo Tzarevski, Associate Director, and Zareenah Rasool, Candidate Attorney, Competition & Antitrust Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg Competition policy continues to be viewed by regulators as a key driver of economic growth globally. Across Africa, competition policy enforcement is increasingly being employed as a tool to boost economic performance and promote the revitalization of trade […]