To cement trade ties, boost investment flows and encourage tourism between Tanzania and China, Standard Bank and the Industrial Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) have launched the I Go Tanzania loyalty program in partnership with Tanzania Tourism Board.

This initiative, part of ICBC’s I Go Global rewards scheme for its card holders in China, was unveiled in Tanzania on 6th August 2019. It will capitalize on the growing appetite among Chinese travelers to visit Tanzania by offering a range of discounts and special offers from merchants across the travel, hospitality and lifestyle sectors, says Standard Bank’s group head of card and emerging payments across Africa in personal and business banking, Lincoln Mali.

“ICBC is the biggest bank in the world, with approximately 139 million credit cards and as many debit card customers,” says Mali, explaining the rationale behind the new loyalty program, which was designed by Standard Bank in partnership …

• Africa’s agribusiness sector is undergoing significant transformations driven by population growth, urbanisation, technological advancements, and shifting consumer preferences.
• Alongside their role in stimulating economic growth, agribusiness and agro-industrial development have the potential to reduce poverty and foster social and economic growth. 
• Technological advancements and digital transformations are revolutionising agribusiness in Africa, offering transformative opportunities.

Africa’s agribusiness sector potential

Agribusiness in Africa is undergoing significant transformations driven by population growth, urbanisation, technological advancements, and shifting consumer preferences. As a continent with abundant agricultural resources, Africa holds immense potential for agribusiness development.

African economic growth remains commodity-based, mainly on commodity exports, with minimal processing and value addition involved. To foster sustainable and inclusive growth and development in Africa, there is an urgent need to promote a new development approach based on exploiting the continent’s full agribusiness potential.

Some pressing issues call for a reorientation to support agribusiness and agro-industrial development, namely, poverty …

• AIM Congress 2024 aims to facilitate economic opportunities and foster mutually beneficial international economic relations.
• The congress provides a platform to engage with global leaders, explore investment trends, and forge meaningful B2B and B2C partnerships.
• The Future Finance Forum Track at AIM Congress 2024 will explore the use of cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, AI, fintechs, and digital currencies.

The AIM Congress, under the leadership of Dawood Al Shezawi, President of AIM Global Foundation, stands poised to host an unprecedented global gathering from May 7th to 9th. This event promises to assemble an extraordinary array of leaders, including over 25 government ministers, 45 city mayors, and 12 central bank governors, reflecting its vast international appeal and strategic importance.

With more than 900 speakers and 450 dialogue sessions scheduled, the congress aims to foster comprehensive dialogue and networking among the most influential figures across various sectors worldwide.

The sheer scale and …

• Global verification body Verra certifies d.light’s clean cookstove projects in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.
• Initiative to distribute 600,000 clean cookstoves, which are now verified by leading certifiers as a trusted source of high-quality carbon credits.
• Launched in 2022, these projects have already positively impacted over one million lives and are on track to transform the lives of three million people by 2025. 

d.light’s clean cookstove initiatives

In a landmark move that helps advance the journey towards sustainable development and environmental health in Africa, d.light, a firm that provides innovative solutions for low-income households, has achieved a milestone with its projects receiving certification from Verra as a trusted source of high-quality carbon credits.

This certification marks d.light’s clean cookstove initiatives in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda as crucial players in the voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), aiming to reduce carbon emissions, combat indoor air pollution, and curb deforestation.

Addressing environmental challenges, and earning

• Artificial intelligence in Africa can potentially propel the fintech industry into a new era of financial inclusion.
• AI tools can analyse data from client discussions, producing legal documents in simple language and at a fraction of what it would typically take to draft a contract.
• Banks, for example, can make their services more affordable to their customers by rolling out AI-powered chatbots to handle routine queries while sparing them from having to travel to a bank branch.

It’s difficult to imagine a time before the widespread adoption of mobile technology in Africa – particularly where financial services are concerned. For millions of unbanked people, transactions were limited to cash, postal services or even the barter system.

Now, in much the same way as mobile payments completely disrupted the status quo, AI has the potential to propel the fintech industry into a new era of financial inclusion. And perhaps most exciting …

• The key highlight of the AIM Congress 2024 is the Investment Awards, scheduled for the opening day, May 7th.
• These awards celebrate top direct investment (FDI) projects from around the globe.
• The awards underline the diverse ways investment can contribute to economic progress with categories ranging from Innovation and Research to Sustainability and Local Linkages.

As the global investment contours keep evolving, the AIM Congress 2024 is taking shape as a critical platform to foster global investment innovations and sustainability.

Set to convene in Abu Dhabi from May 7-9, the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress promises to be a crucial gathering for driving the new dynamics of economic resilience and growth.

This year’s congress theme, “Adapting to a shifting Investment Landscape: Harnessing New Potential for Global Economic Development,” aptly captures the current global challenges and the opportunities they present. Under the banner “Resilient Sustainable Economic Growth–Creating a Healthy and Prospective …

• Kenya’s economic resurgence in 2024 proving a reality following a notable upturn in recent months, marked by positive indicators across sectors.
• According to CBK, leading indicators point to the continued strong performance of the Kenyan economy in the first quarter of 2024.
• According to the World Bank, Kenya’s economic growth is projected to be 5.2 per cent, boosted by increased investment in the private sector as the government reduces its activities in the domestic credit market.

A strong rebound

Kenya’s economic prospects are looking brighter, attributed to the interventions by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which have played a massive role in easing volatility witnessed less than three months ago.

Major economic indicators in the country show that confidence is slowly creeping back after the government secured the International Monetary Fund’s facility to pay back the Eurobond.

The repayments had triggered volatility in financial markets, including the …

• Cairo, Egypt, holds third place after Athens and Manilla, Philippines.
• India stands out, with three cities being included in the world’s top 10 most stressed cities.
• Los Angeles, US, holds the ninth place with the highest obesity rate on the list.

Experts conducted a study to identify the most stressful cities to live in 2024.  The study measured several parameters including the quality of life, safety, and pollution index as main criteria, also considering the presence of stress-related habits such as smoking rates, obesity, and alcohol consumption. The final score was made, considering all of the mentioned criteria.

The most stressed city in the world is Athens, Greece, with the highest stress levels, which include a low safety index and a high rate of stress-related habits such as smoking, over-eating, and alcohol consumption. Compared to other cities on the list, Athens has the highest smoking rate, with 31.3 per cent …

• Ventures interested in applying for the Investment Showcase can submit applications here by 2nd May.
• To qualify, the ventures must be African, have at least one African co-founder or be headquartered in Africa.
• They must also offer a product or service designed for scalability, and be able to present in person at the Africa Tech Summit (ATS) London.

On June 7th, 2024, the Africa Tech Summit (ATS) London will convene at the London Stock Exchange for its eighth edition, continuing its tradition of fostering business and investment opportunities in Africa and around the world.

This tech conference, known for its dynamic engagement and insight into the African continent’s tech industry, is poised to attract over 300 African and international tech leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and corporates.

The summit’s key event, the Investments Showcase, is inviting African tech ventures to present their business models to a curated audience of potential investors …

• Survey shows 60% of journalists interviewed indicate that their newsroom lacks an AI use case policy.
• However, 20% of journalists revealed that they are planning to explore AI’s potential applications.
• State of Journalism Survey 2024 interviewed 1,106 respondents  across the world.

Media houses are still lagging behind in the push for AI adoption in their line of work with a majority failing to institute AI policies in newsrooms. This is according to a recent survey conducted by Muck Rack delving into the current landscape of journalism, revealing notable trends and concerns among journalists across the industry.

From the findings, 60 per cent of the surveyed journalists indicated that their newsroom lacks an AI use case policy, while only 24 per cent reported having one in place.

This raises questions about whether the absence of policies hinders journalists from exploring AI tools or if other factors, such as a lack of …

• Exclusive pre-congress workshop launched to elevate startups for the global stage
• This year’s startup competition has attracted entrants from 53 countries.
• With cash prizes amounting $60,000, the stakes are high for participants to showcase their innovations.

As the global business community looks forward to the AIM Congress 2024, an exclusive startup workshop has been announced to prepare tech entrepreneurs for the grand stage.

Scheduled for May 7-9, the AIM Congress is set to be a pivotal gathering for industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovative startups under the theme “Adapting to a shifting investment landscape: Harnessing new potential for global economic development.”

In preparation for this landmark event, AIM Startup, in partnership with Bloom, is organizing a preparatory workshop designed to hone the skills and strategies of promising tech entrepreneurs. The workshop, aimed at empowering participants to maximize their impact at the congress, is part of a broader initiative by …