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Friday@Noon on Economic Development in Africa: 2018

10Apr

By Johan BurgerNo Comments

Friday@Noon on Economic Development 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. The year 2018 saw numerous cases of economic development on the African continent. This would include trade, etc. Africa The US$2 trillion-plus Sub-Saharan Africa economy continues to strengthen from a low point in 2016, thanks to domestic policy adjustments and improved global economic activity. Growth is projected to increase from 2.7% in 2017 to 3.1% in 2018. With the exception of SSA’s two biggest markets (Nigeria and SA), the rest of SSA has grown at 5.3% on average in the period spanning 2010-17, but with wider heterogeneity across countries. Hence, there are plenty opportunities for dedicated investors. The regi...

26Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

A company that knows how to make things look easy

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa Alcatel-Lucent has a success story to tell. Its stories, references and activities in Africa in 2012 is a lesson for many other organizations who what to make it big on the continent. In a recently published document Alcatel-Lucent shares references, successes, achievement and activities in Africa; as well as vision of African Market and broadband according to Daniel Jaeger, Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa. News from Algiers, Algeria reveal that broadband for Africa, realize the potential of a connected world and tackle rural inclusion. I – Alcatel-Lucent presence, activities and foot print in Africa. II- Broadband in Africa, vision and view according to Daniel Jaeger Vice-President of Alcatel-Lucent Africa. III - Alcatel-Lucent’s pres...

13Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, South Africa News

African Banking innovation sees AfDB approving multi-currency line of credit of USD 300m

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa The African Development Bank has extended the equivalent of USD 300 million to FirstRand Bank Limited to support projects across Africa This week an announcement from Tunis, Tunisia, revealed that the African Development Bank has approved a seven-year multi-currency line of credit for an amount equivalent to USD 300 million to FirstRand Bank Limited (FRB) of South Africa to finance a wide range of projects in local currencies and across Africa. And most African countries are characterized by low discretionary rates of domestic savings. As a result, the intermediation capacity of the financial sectors is limited, leading to the gap currently being filled with borrowings denominated in foreign currency. However, this introduces a currency mismatch in the fi...

27Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, South Africa News

The call to make Cape Town a ‘Smart City’ is getting serious

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa Further calls to make Cape Town a 'Smart City' continue to increase. One of the people in the forefront of these calls is Chris Whelan, CEO of business think-tank Accelerate Cape Town. Whelan says, “Developing a ‘smart city’, where information and communication technology (ICT) is leveraged to provide excellent service and which significantly contributes to a business environment conducive to both foreign and domestic investment, is an important part of positioning Cape Town as Africa’s global city, a city of innovation and inspiration.” According to Whelan, enabling technology exploitation in education, healthcare, transport, and safety and security all contribute to the development of a ‘smart city’. “One of the most exciting steps the city is taking...

17Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Senegal News

IBM Helps Senegalese City of Thies Plan for Economic Growth

THIES, Senegal, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of experts from IBM (NYSE: IBM) presented recommendations to the City of Thies to grow the economic sector through measures to bolster entrepreneurialism, agricultural exports, and education. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO ) The 14-member IBM team of experts, with members hailing from ten countries, are completing a month-long engagement as part of IBM's pro bono Corporate Service Corps program, which provides problem-solving assistance to educational institutions, small businesses, non governmental organizations (NGOs), and governmental agencies in emerging markets. Since the launch of the Corporate Service Corps in 2008, over 2,000 IBM employees based in 50 countries have been dispatched on mor...

16Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Senegal News

Africare to outline essential role of civil society, small-scale farming and best practices at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum

Agri2012 - AfriCare (Microsoft Word) Leading American NGO spotlights small-scale farming for a result-driven future for Africa’s Agri-Food sector. “Across Africa it is the small entrepreneurs and businesses that drive community livelihoods and national economic development. Yet without adequate financing or access to buyers, producers associations are not able to sell their products to increase their incomes and bolster their livelihoods. Furthermore without knowledge of the markets, they are unable to secure the inputs and technology needed to increase production,” explains Gwen Young Senegal Country Director for Africare who will be presenting Africare’s vision at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum taking place in Dakar, Senegal from 25-28 November 2012. Focused on establishing s...

12Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

Former President of the African Development Bank Babacar Ndiaye to lead Investment Day at this year’s AgriBusiness Forum.

African expert calls on everyone involved in agriculture to step up to the fore for the sake of the entire continent’s development and in the fight against poverty. 12th November 2012, Brussels, Belgium With the AgriBusiness Forum 2012 just around the corner, Babacar Ndiaye, former President of the African Development Bank and founder of the African Business Roundtable (ABR), outlines his demands towards the African and international community to act and establish basic and fundamental financial policies to create real change, after years of debates and establishing potential visions and objectives. “Africa’s agricultural potential cannot induce people into a self-righteous optimism, but should instead incite a responsible and pro-active approach from the sector’s various players because ...

7Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, South Africa News

Abengoa Begins Construction on Two CSP Plants Awarded by the South Africa Department of Energy

- Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One will be the first concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in South Africa and will use advanced technology specifically developed for the country's needs - Both plants will be able to store energy and generate power after sunset SEVILLE, Spain, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Abengoa, the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, announced today that it has begun construction on the 50 MW solar power tower Khi Solar One and the 100 MW parabolic trough plant KaXu Solar One in South Africa. The concentrating solar power (CSP) plants were two of the 28 renewable energy projects announced late 2011 by the South Africa Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE ...

6Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Ethiopia News

The 5th African Private Sector Forum gets underway under the theme “The Role of Private Sector in Promoting Investment and Agro-Industry in Africa”

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, November 6, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – The 3 day 5th African Private Sector Forum was launched today in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with strategic aims to promote investment and trade through partnerships and joint ventures between the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Member States, the Middle East and the world at large in key sectors such as infrastructure development, transportation, telecommunication amongst others. Held under the theme “The Role of Private Sector in Promoting Investment and Agro-Industry in Africa”, the annual Forum will bring the African and Arab business communities on one platform to explore business opportunities, focusing primarily on how the private sector actors from both regions can forge sustainable partnerships with a v...

5Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Malawi News

Malawi Economic Conference Affirms Recent Policy Reforms and Calls for Additional Measures to Achieve More Inclusive Growth

LILONGWE, Malawi, November 5, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – The Malawi Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the International Monetary Fund jointly organized a conference in Lilongwe during November 2-3, 2012 aimed at discussing strategies for enhancing the implementation of Malawi’s Economic Recovery Plan (ERP). The high level conference was held under the theme “Toward More Inclusive Growth.” The conference which was opened by Her Excellency President Joyce Banda attracted leaders from the Executive and Legislative branches of Government, and representatives of civil society, labor, business, academia and Malawi’s development partners. In her address, President Banda charged participants to review critically the ERP implementation strategy and come ...