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 …

• About a fifth of children under 17 have received unsolicited online requests to discuss sex or sexual acts.
• Up to a third of children aged 12-17 in Ethiopia and Mozambique are sharing personal information with strangers online.
• An estimated 13 per cent of 12-17-year-olds in Kenya and Mozambique reported being threatened or blackmailed to engage in sexual activities online.
• A third of 9-17-year-olds in South Africa and over a quarter of 12-17-year-olds in Mozambique went on to have face-to-face meetings with individuals they initially met online.

Fresh reports from two of Africa’s leading child rights groups have uncovered a shocking rise in online child sexual exploitation and abuse across the continent. The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) and ChildFund’s investigations reveal a deeply troubling trend, with children increasingly becoming victims of online predators.

These findings underscore an urgent need for robust measures to combat this growing menace and …

• For the first time, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) came to Africa, with Nairobi playing host last week.
• According to the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the forum is expected to spread across the continent, with different countries hosting it in the coming years.
• The Asian country is keen to continue its influence and trade dominance on the African continent.

China has launched a charm offensive on Africa in renewed efforts to tighten its grip on the continent. The West has recently shown growing interest in political and investment corporations, and China is seen as keen to continue its influence on the continent.

For the first time, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) came to Africa, with Nairobi playing host last week. According to the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, it is expected to go around the continent, with …

• Within the financial history of Africa, the last 10 years have witnessed a notable surge in the acceptance of Forex CFD trading.
• Technological advancements have become the unsung stars of the Forex CFD trading story in Africa.
• If you wish to get started with Forex CFD trading in Africa – you need a trusted broker with a reputable trading app.

Within the huge financial spectacle, Forex CFD trading is a gripping protagonist that draws traders into its complicated storylines of profit and risk, all set against the dramatic backdrop of a Shakespearean tragedy. With 2024 drawing to a close, it is wise for us to examine critically the story of Forex CFD trading in Africa. Like a rollercoaster journey over the wild landscape of the stock market, each turn offers a unique combination of opportunity and difficulty.

The Rise of Forex CFD Trading in Africa

Within the financial history …

• Africa is experiencing growth in the export of goods and services and its economics outline promising opportunities for further growth.
• As trade volumes continue to rise and digitalization shapes e-commerce, customs, port, and border administrations must adapt quickly to ensure smooth clearance processes, accurate tracking, regulatory compliance, and timely delivery.

In today’s fast-paced world of trade, the demand for efficiency and transparency has never been more pronounced. Digitalization and cutting-edge technologies have continued to streamline trade processes fostering a more efficient trading ecosystem.

Annually, the European Commission’s Customs Union manages a staggering €3.5 trillion in goods trade, highlighting how vital it is to have smooth customs and clearance control checks. In the past decade, Africa has experienced growth in the export of goods and services and its economics outline promising opportunities for further growth aimed at facilitation and integration.

As trade volumes continue to rise and digitalization shapes e-commerce, customs, …

• Four innovators from Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda, selected from a shortlist of 16, vie for the £50,000 (over $62,000) Africa Prize.
• Their innovations encompass recycling in construction, AI tools for healthcare and farming, and reengineered waste collection, addressing crucial societal needs.
• The three runners-up will each receive £15,000 (over $18,000), while a £5,000 (over $6,000) prize titled ‘One to Watch’ will be awarded to the most promising business among the shortlist.
• Since 2014, the Africa Prize has empowered nearly 150 entrepreneurs across 23 African countries, creating over 28,000 jobs and positively impacting more than 10 million people with their innovative products and services.

The Royal Academy of Engineering is set to host the final showdown of the 10th Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the continent’s premier engineering accolade, on June 13, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Out of an initial pool of 16 visionary innovators crafting sustainable, scalable engineering solutions …

• Firewood is responsible for killing at least 33,000 people yearly in Tanzania.
• A person who is exposed to firewood smoke for an hour has similar health risks as a person who smokes between 200 and 300 cigarettes.
• Tanzania is estimated to lose nearly 470,000 hectares of forest each year due to the rampant acts of cutting down trees for charcoal and firewood.

The use of clean cooking energy is no longer a luxurious thing. It is a necessity, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan noted recently during the launch of the 10-year National Clean Cooking Strategy in Dar es Salaam. However, this assertion comes at a precedented moment when women such as Magreth are seeking alternative energy.

“We ask President Samia to help us in any way possible with alternative ways of cooking such as gas,” says Magreth Ngole, a resident of Njombe and a frequent user of firewood for cooking …

• Over 68% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas in 2050 up from the current 55%.
• However, poor living conditions are worsening with about 1.1 billion people worldwide residing in informal settlements or slums.
• Furthermore, another 318 million people are either homeless or at risk of homelessness globally.

As the world grapples with unprecedented pace of urbanization, the role of city planning has never been more critical. As populations surge, housing shortages bite harder, and the impacts of climate change manifest in increasingly severe ways, the traditional paradigms of city planning are being challenges like never before.

As projections indicate that over 68 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by 2050, the imperative need for visionary city planning has never been clearer, Dr. Erfan Ali, Chief of Staff at UN-Habitat, Nairobi, told delegates at a forum on Future Cities at the …

• Inaugural event promises to be a cornerstone in the region’s wood and woodworking machinery industry
• As construction projects continue to increase, the demand for woodworking machinery is expected to escalate
• Saudi WoodShow is showcasing an impressive line-up of exhibitors, including renowned companies such as Al Arak Wooden Manufacturing Company

 Thousands of delegates are converging in city of Riyadh for the Saudi International Wood and Woodworking Machinery Exhibition (Saudi WoodShow) is all set to close tomorrow, May 14. Organized under the banner of WoodShow Global, this inaugural event promises to be a cornerstone in the region’s wood and woodworking machinery industry.

Globally, woodworking machinery market is projected to experience a steady Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent between 2023 and 2032, fueled by the robust expansion of the construction sector worldwide.

With the industry witnessing significant growth momentum, the woodworking machinery market, valued at $4.9 billion in 2022, is …

• Kenya Apparel Exports currently stand at about Sh51 billion, according to a Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) report.
• Kenya is one of the global suppliers of big fashion brands in America, such as H&M, Levi’s, JCPenny, and Wrangler.
• Youngone intends to start a vertically integrated manufacturing factory, from knitting to dyeing to manufacturing of garments.

Top Global apparel and footwear manufacturer Youngone will set up a factory in Kenya at the Athi River Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industrialization Rebecca Miano has revealed.

The CS said the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) had received a Manufacturing application form with all the required attachments from Youngone Kenya EPZ Limited (Proposed) by April 21, 2024, and issued an Approval in Principle Letter on 25 April 2024.

This comes as the government, through the Ministry of Trade, has been seeking more investors in the textile industry to drive local …

• It is estimated that inaction on SDGs will cost the global economy an extra $38 trillion
• Currently, the SDG financing gap is at approximately $11–15 trillion per year
• By the end of 2050-2060, there will  be over 1 billion climate refugees globally

Inaction in advancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could cost the global economy an extra $38 trillion per year by 2050 at the current rate of progress.

This is according to renowned business leader, campaigner, and author Paul Polman, who has called on the Kenyan private sector to raise the level of ambition in advancing the global goals to move the country forward faster.

With the SDG financing gap at approximately $11–15 trillion per year, or four times greater than current spending levels, Paul Polman noted that the $38 trillion dollars is approximately 20 per cent of the entire global economy, and the longer we …