Investments in Africa Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

21Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Startups

The African Business Landscape: Evolving and Growing

The African business landscape is undergoing a transformational shift, with more businesses and startups in Africa than ever before. According to the latest research, there are now over 2,000 businesses and startups in Africa that have received investment from venture capitalists. This is a significant increase from just a few years ago, when there were only a handful of African businesses that had attracted investment from VCs. The rise in VC investment in Africa is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing global interest in Africa as an investment destination, the growth of the African consumer market, and the rise of African entrepreneurship. There are many reasons why VCs are increasingly investing in Africa, but the most important reason is the continent's enor...

2Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, Startups

Venture Capital trends shaping the African investment landscape

As the second half of 2021 approaches and Covid-19 vaccinations roll out across the globe, albeit at varying rates, Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC, investors in early-stage, high-growth technology businesses, considers the trends making an impact on the African Venture Capital (VC) landscape. Homegrown solutions take on the world At HAVAÍC, our investment thesis is centred around investing in businesses that solve real-world challenges. With the world having adjusted to new ways of shopping, learning, and doing business as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the appetite for solutions that solve real, tangible problems are without a doubt the best opportunities for growth. Solutions that offer people and organisations better ways of living and working with less friction will reign ...

14May

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Events, Tech

Africa as a magnet for investors | Africa Tech Week 2021

The much anticipated Africa Tech Week summit took place on the 5th and 6th of May. Joined by phenomenal speakers and acclaimed sponsors, the event took off to new heights. In a panel discussion by Marian Croak, vice president of engineering at Google, and Lindiwe Matali founder and CEO of Africa Teen Geeks, the importance of mentorship for young girls and women was highlighted. Marian serves as an excellent mentor and departed sterling advice on achieving your goals in manageable steps at a time. Yemi Keri, CEO of Heckerbella and co-founder of Rising Tide Africa spoke on the reasons investment in Africa is a golden opportunity. Since the continent has the most youthful population in the world, and this young group behaves as the early adopters of tech, it makes for incredibly fertile groun...

11May

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Events, Main

African Energy Chamber calls for more US-Africa Energy investments with series about unjustified risk perceptions on Africa

Following President Biden's Interim National Security Strategic Guidance signalling for continued growth in partnerships with African economies, at the African Energy Chamber ("AEC"), we believe it is vital to engage U.S. companies and investors to counter the often-wrong preconceptions about investing in the continent, as Africa has some of the fastest-growing economies globally and possesses significant investment and development opportunities for U.S. firms. U.S. companies stand to play a significant role in the road to a lower-carbon future in the continent., and to continue leading some of the most important markets in the energy industry. From majors like Chevron, ExxonMobil and Kosmos Energy making significant discoveries and operating in multiple countries like Angola, Mozambique,...

16Apr

By Baker McKenzieNo Comments

Botswana News, Egypt News, Main, Mauritius News, Morocco News, South Africa News

Competition law in post-pandemic Africa a key driver for market participation, consumer protection and fair practices

With the growth of economies across Africa, competition law has remained one of the key drivers for effective market participation, consumer protection and fair business practices. However, the global pandemic introduced new challenges for competition authorities in Africa and abroad, with each enforcer pursuing the most beneficial enforcement method for its national or regional jurisdiction. According to Lerisha Naidu, Partner in Baker McKenzie’s Competition & Antitrust Practice in Johannesburg, “These efforts were aimed at curbing the persistence of unjustified price hikes, anticompetitive cooperation between competitors and other harmful business practices that sought to undermine competition. In addition to the urgent responses to the unprecedented impacts of the global COVID-19 c...

13Apr

By African Energy ChamberNo Comments

Energy, Mozambique News, Senegal News, Tanzania News, Uganda News

African Energy Developments Demand Sustained Investment with new projects in Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Senegal

A recent uptick in direct investment activities in Africa’s energy sector sheds light on the role of sustained investor interest in catalyzing socio-economic growth. In the past twelve months, the African energy sector has seen several encouraging developments – in the form of both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and strategic partnerships – that have advanced the sustainable development of its natural resources. In fact, despite a global downturn in investment in 2020, FDI flows to developing economies accounted for 72% of global FDI, the highest share to date. Given the magnitude of Africa’s oil and gas reserves – not to mention its abundant renewable resource wealth – the continent remains a highly attractive market for inbound investment, which is vital for its growth. Take Ugan...

28Mar

By Dirk BolNo Comments

Cameroon News, Main, Nigeria News

Successful Development In Africa

Economic Trends 2000-2020 by Dirk Bol March 2021 Introduction In this paper I intend to review Africa’s economic progress since the year 2000, so two decades. When I say Africa I mean Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 47 to 49 countries excluding the five North African ones (but including Somalia without data and South Sudan with little data). Africa (SSA) today accounts for around 14% of the world’s population, but only about 2% of global GDP. In the first part I review data with respect to the economic development of the continent during the last two decades, 2000-2020, with respect to economic growth, poverty, and the structure of the economy. This overview ends at the end of 2019, so does not include the corona crisis nor locust plague or other calamities (ethnic confict Ethiopia, ISIS i...

22Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech

The Rise Fund to invest $200 million in Airtel Africa’s mobile money business, at $2.65 billion valuation

Airtel Africa to explore potential listing of mobile money business within four years. Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, announced on 18th March the signing of an agreement under which The Rise Fund, the global impact investing platform of leading alternative investment firm TPG, will invest $200 million in Airtel Mobile Commerce BV (“AMC BV”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airtel Africa plc (the “Transaction”). AMC BV is currently the holding company for several of Airtel Africa’s mobile money operations; and is now intended to own and operate the mobile money businesses across all of Airtel Africa’s fourteen operating countries. The Transaction values Airtel Africa’s mobile money business at $...

Janus Continental Group (JCG) Invests $13 Million in Highview Power as part of African renewable energy storage drive

11Feb

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy

Janus Continental Group (JCG) Invests $13 Million in Highview Power as part of African renewable energy storage drive

JCG’s investment arm Janus Capital takes stake in Highview Enterprise Limited. The deal will bring Highview Power’s cutting edge CRYOBattery™ energy storage technology to JCG’s core markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The investment will unleash the potential of renewable energy storage across Africa, supporting JCG’s wider growth and business goals in this sector. Janus Continental Group (JCG), a conglomerate with businesses in the Energy, Hospitality and Real Estate sectors across three continents, has announced that it has invested USD $13 million in Highview Enterprises Limited, the developer of liquid air long-duration energy storage systems, called the CRYOBattery™. JCG’s subsidiary, Great Lakes Africa Energy Ltd (GLAE), will license Highview Power’s cryogenic energy storage technol...

29Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Startups

Workshop 17 Wins Global Startup Award – Competition expands across Africa

On the 27th of January 2021, the winners of the 2019 season of the Global Startup Awards (GSA) were announced at the Global Grand Finale Day. Bringing home an Award to Africa was Workshop17, which scooped Best Coworking Space in the world’s largest independent startup ecosystem competition. On outshining the other finalists from around the world, Paul Keursten, Co-Founder and CEO of Workshop17 says: “We are thrilled to be a winner of such an established, global competition. It is a recognition for our vision to be a platform for entrepreneurship and innovation, and a tribute to the whole South African ecosystem of start-ups and innovator.” Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde shares: "I am very proud of Workshop17's win in the Global Startup Awards. Over the past year, we have seen tradition...