Saturday, November 23African Digital Business Magazine

Tag: investments

Energy, Green Energy, Kenya News

A Just Transition to Climate Resilience Could Transform Kenya into a Green Powerhouse

The Continent Is Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change, However, and Needs Significant Global Investment to Adapt to Higher Temperatures, Build Low-Carbon Economies, and Create Local Green Employment African countries face major climate-related challenges, but at the same time they have the opportunity to achieve sustainable low-carbon economies, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled “Building a Climate-Resilient, Low-Carbon, Job-Rich Africa,” identifies particular disadvantages that countries on the continent must overcome but also their potential to become a model for transforming a power system based on fossil fuels to one based on renewables. Although Africa was responsible for only 4% of global CO2 emissions in 2019, it accounts for 35 of the 5...
Medicine, Nigeria News, Startups

DrugStoc Secures $4.4M in Series A Funding to Expand Access to Quality Pharmaceuticals in Africa

Healthtech startup, DrugStoc has raised USD 4.4 million in Series A funding to expand access to quality medicines while providing sustainable supply chain financing for healthcare providers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The funding round is led by Africa HealthCare Master Fund (AAIC), and other investors include Chicago-based venture firm Vested World and the German Development Bank (DEG).  Nobuhiko Ichimiya, Director at AAIC stated that, “We are very excited to be part of the Drugstoc journey. The pharmaceutical market in Africa has enormous growth potential and we are glad to back a company well-positioned to be a key player in the sector’s growth in sub-Saharan Africa.” Chibuzor Opara, DrugStoc’s co-founder and CEO; asserted that “We are committed to making an impact in the healthcare indu...
Lesotho News

Lesotho Business Forum at Expo 2020 Dubai Wrapped Up Successfully

The Lesotho Business Forum, themed “Lesotho Rising to Prosperity”, addressed major topics influencing business and investment opportunities within the country, and brought together stakeholders to discuss policies and ideas, in order to bring in FDI towards Lesotho. Dubai (03/11/21) – The Lesotho Business Forum was held on the 28th of October 2021 at the Business Connect Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai. It was themed “Lesotho Rising to Prosperity”. The Lesotho Business Forum welcomed up to a hundred participants including top speakers at the Expo 2020, with the agenda to promote and address the investment friendly business environment of Lesotho. The Lesotho Business Forum brought together ministers, government officials, public and private sector organizations, investors, policy experts &...
South Africa News

SA’s Social Entrepreneurs Need Support to Succeed

South Africa’s 141,500 social entrepreneurs are both solving the country’s most pressing problems and contributing to the economy in the process, with the creation of nearly 600,000 jobs and an estimated 76,000 more by 2030[i]. Sadly, however, approximately 70% say they struggle to raise funding due to a lack of networks[ii] and40% don’t even know what type of funding to raise[iii]. What’s more, their choice of business model could be impacting the amount of funding they raise[iv]. “These entrepreneurs need support and guidance if they are to succeed,” says Ashleigh Sibanda, Programme Manager: Business Incubation at business growth specialists Fetola. Together with FNB, Fetola has recently opened entries for the 2021 Social Entrepreneurship Impact Lab™(SEIL) Programme. Running for the se...
Main

2021 sees surge in fundraising by African infrastructure funds with $2.14bn USD targeted

Africa-focussed infra investment funds have set a record fundraising target in 2021 Majority of deals by infra funds are of ‘green’ assets, as climate rises up the agenda for asset managers Dry powder and assets under management by infra funds at an all-time high, signalling investment boom to come Africa-focussed infrastructure investment funds have set record fundraising targets in 2021, according to new analysis by global law firm Linklaters. A total of ten funds have set a combined target of 2.14bn USD in their latest fundraising, a marked increase on previous years and over three times the average annual amount targeted over the last ten years. This year has also seen the largest number of newly formed funds that will specifically target Africa’s infrastructure needs - at ten...
Africa Travel, Morocco News

Hospitality Investment Leaders meet at Morocco Tourism Investment Day at Expo Dubai 2020

On Monday, 11 October, the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) hosted the Morocco Tourism Investment Day as part of Morocco: Global Investment Hub Week, which took place at the Morocco Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, in partnership with Bench, the organiser of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa. Imad Barrakad, CEO of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) welcomed over 50 senior hospitality investment leaders to the exclusive, invitation-only meeting saying “Morocco is full of tremendous opportunities at the moment especially in destinations in the South and Agadir and now is the perfect time to invest”. Hamid Bentahar, Chairman of the National Confederation of Tourism was interviewed by Laura Buckwel...
African News, Energy, Uganda News

EXPO 2020 DUBAI: FIRST BIG INVESTMENT DEAL ANNOUNCED BY UGANDA

Participant country starts Expo 2020 Dubai investment rush by signing deals worth USD 650m in the first big investment announcement of Expo Investments are across sectors including healthcare, energy and transportation Ugandan Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Hon. Matia Kasaija signs a series of investment deals that will generate jobs and economic growth in Uganda in the first major public investment deal of Expo 2020 Dubai. The Republic of Uganda became the first participant country at Expo 2020 to publicly announce a raft of new investment as the deals were signed by the country during a special ceremony held at the Expo 2020 Dubai today. The deals come the day after Uganda celebrated its National Day at the six-month-long event that started 1st October. The ...
Real Estate, South Africa News

Clem Sunter and Wealth Migrate’s Scott Picken discuss scenario planning and its impact on the global and local property markets

Investors need to be aware of the red flags that bedeck the global economy and have the potential to derail the most careful preparation. This is the dire warning from scenario planner Clem Sunter, who is also the author of The Mind of a Fox and Thinking the Future. Wealth Migrate CEO Picken interviewed Sunter about the red flags to watch out for when assessing potential risks and opportunities as part of a recent exclusive webinar. The pre-recorded video of the webinar is now available and gives investors valuable insight into global and South African property investments as Sunter identifies the scenarios that could affect future investments. The webinar, which complements Sunter’s books, includes commentary from Picken, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the real estate indus...
Startups

Sustainable Investment Opportunity for Future-fit African Startups Last chance to enter the Global Startup Awards Africa to qualify for the GIIG Africa Fund

While 2020 was a record year for investment into the African tech startup ecosystem, with more startups raising more money from more investors than ever before[i]- critics and commentators alike have often claimed that Silicon Valley-style investment frameworks are ill-suited to the continent’s diversity and nuanced need for funding. With investment into African startups considered key to the continent’s ability to leapfrog its socioeconomic development, Africa demands a new investment framework. This was the focus of a recent webinar hosted by Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa and Loudhailer, titled A New Funding Model for African Innovation. Unpacking the state of investments into African startups and why international investment framew...
South Africa News

South African Spending: How to keep the country saving

Did you know that the country’s national savings rate jumped from 14.2% in December 2020 to 18% in the first quarter of this year – the highest it has been since 2010 [i]? According to the South African Reserve Bank, this is a reflection of household spending patterns amid the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic. Hennie Blignaut, Account Executive at Pay@ - a leading payment aggregator and provider of secure payment solutions - notes that this trend towards saving has also been echoed in debt repayments and insurance premium payment volumes, with the former spiking by 58% and the latter by 83% over the past 12 months. He unpacks some of the reasons behind these increases and shares how South Africans can keep saving: For many, pandemic-induced lockdowns led to salary reductions at ...