Tag Archives: African trade

Africa-focused Banking & Finance team from Baker McKenzie advised on one of Global Trade Review’s Best Deals 2022

Baker McKenzie’s Africa-focused Banking & Finance team advised on one of Global Trade Review’s (GTR) Best Deals 2022 . The team advised Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited and certain of its subsidiaries (Aspen Group) on this winning deal, which comprised a joint financing package for the amount of €600 million (around ZAR 10 billion) that was finalised by the […]

Trade finance and the efforts to boost intra-African trade

By Lodewyk Meyer, Partner and Head of the Banking & Finance Practice, and Lucy Stratton, Associate Designate, Baker McKenzie, Johannesburg As stated by President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi A. Adesina, “trade finance is an important instrument for influencing Africa’s long-term economic development and structural transformation”. According to a report by the AfBB and […]

Ten reasons to consider African trade and investment opportunities in 2022

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 […]

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 […]

Creating a disruption-proof supply chain in Africa

The impact of the pandemic on global supply chains has prompted governments around the world to look at ways to fix the broken links. In Africa, the launch of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has provided the continent with new opportunities to strengthen its regional supply chain. Virusha Subban, Head of Indirect Tax at […]

Africa: tax implications of digital transformation in the consumer goods and retail sector

By Jana Botha, Tax Consultant, and Prenisha Govender, Associate, Tax Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg The pandemic-fuelled growth of the digital economy and unabated demand for online retail products across Africa have led to extensive disruption in the Consumer Goods and Retail Sector (CG&R) sector. Due to a growth in demand for online retail, CG&R companies […]

Some Archaeology Discoveries In Africa

2-Million-Year-Old Stone Tools Discovered: How Were Humans Back Then? Ancient Artifacts and findings in Kalahari. Archaeologists discover new site in East Africa. Medieval Beads: The Truth behind the African Trade Routes. The Oldest Bedding Found in South Africa. South African ‘lost city’ found using laser technology. The 2021 year. 2-Million-Year-Old Stone Tools Discovered: How Were […]

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Vulnerable Trade Routes

Africa Map. Wikipedia.org

In 2020, 95% of all kidnappings at seas took place in the Gulf of Guinea. There, pirates, equipped with firearms, frequently enter ships, capture the crew, and steal cargo. Pirates are becoming more and more advanced in their tactics and the majority of attacks are carried out in hopes of getting ransom. Piracy creates problems […]

The top 5 reasons why investing in Ireland makes sense for African businesses

Photo credit: Lucian Potlog (pexels.com). Dublin, Ireland

By Daireann Gibson, Managing Partner at Gibson & Associates Solicitors Ireland is becoming an increasingly popular destination for individuals from across Africa who are looking to move abroad. South Africa in particular has seen 3,000 immigrants choose Ireland as their new home, and for investors in particular, Ireland provides a wealth of opportunities. The relationship […]

Calling African Innovators: Solutions for Sustainable Living and Economic Development in Africa Sought

Appliance giant Defy to aid in the advancement of projects that ensure the sustainability of trade, natural resources, and life in Africa From 5 – 7 March 2021, leading manufacturer of home appliances, Defy, will be hosting the Hack The Normal online hackathon with the aim of exploring how technology can be leveraged for sustainable living and economic development […]

AfCFTA is Now Operational: What to Expect in the First Few Months

by Pomy Ketema, Counsel, Baker McKenzie, New York The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the largest trading blocs in the world with the majority of African countries now operating under its preferential trade framework. Trading under AfCFTA commenced on January 1, 2021 under a liberalized trade regime that would gradually lead […]

African dealmaking decreases, the Africa’s Free Trade Agreement expected to boost recovery

Dealmaking activity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) dropped in the second half of 2020 (H2 2020), when compared to the second half of 2019 (H2 2019) and year-on-year, deals were also down in both volume and value when compared to 2019. According to Baker McKenzie’s analysis of Refinitiv data, M&A transactions dropped in SSA in H2 […]

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 […]