Author: Francis Mwema

I am a Multimedia Journalist with six years of experience from Digital to Broadcast Media{Radio and Television}. Interested in reporting Current affairs happenings within and across the borders. I have an excellent attitude towards working with others and communication skills extremely patient and persistent with the ability to formulate unique ideas and hand-eye coordination. Ability to work under minimal supervision, curious, hardworking, and polite. In another life, I am a News Anchor and Reporter

Turkey investment in Africa

Turkish engagement in Africa is expanding rapidly, extending beyond economic outreach to encompass business, aid, diplomacy, culture and military support.

The rapid growing Turkish presence on the continent has been primary conceived by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, who has sought to remodel Turkey as an “Afro-Eurasian state”; a model for the Islamic world and an alternative to the West, which, in his mind, has surrendered its moral authority.

What began with economic outreach, experts say, has progressed into a complex Africa policy encompassing business, aid, diplomacy, culture and military support.

Today, Turkish fingerprints are all over Africa, from the Kigali Arena in Rwanda, East Africa’s biggest stadium, built by a Turkish construction firm, to an Olympic swimming pool in Coastal Senegal, a colossal mosque in Djibouti, Turkish military hardware on Libya’s battlefields, A military base in Somalia. And in arid Niger, a gateway to the Sahara desert, and a …

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hazard 6

Zimbabwe represents an exciting new frontier, with recent exploration activities leading to strong indications of significant oil and gas prospects.

The Southern African country which borders Mozambique to the east, Zambia to the north and South Africa to the south has no proven hydrocarbon reserves yet, instead deriving its energy primarily from hydropower and coal, along with petroleum imports from neighboring countries.

However, with the promise of potential prospects in the Muzarabani Basin which borders Zimbabwe and Mozambique the country is sitting on the verge of a hydrocarbon boom, set to be unlocked through foreign capital, technology and expertise. As Zimbabwe prioritizes the expansion of its energy sector and invites global stakeholders to explore its uncharted territory, the four day African Energy Week (AEW) 2021 in Cape Town in November will serve as the official platform whereby Zimbabwe will showcase its potential to prospective investors.

African Energy Week (AEW) 2021 …

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Farmers reap a bumper harvest in zimbabwe

According to official statistics Zimbabwe has started reaping the benefits of a stellar agricultural season after cereal imports, including maize, dropped to 1,9 percent in the five months to May 2021 from 9,1 percent in January.

Statistics from May’s trade report released by the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (Zimstat) show that maize output for this season is projected at a record 2,7 million tonnes, about 193,1 percent up from 0,9 million tonnes produced in last season.

The maize output will be complemented by increases in the output of other grains, including sorghum, pear millet and finger millet, a situation that has led to low grain imports, especially after outright ban of maize shipments by the Government.

In Mid-May Zimbabwe suspended maize imports after the country recorded a bumper maize harvest, this was according to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya who said in a press conference, saying that …

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Nigeria bank crackdown on fintech firms

Four days after the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN} obtained a court order to freeze the accounts of fintech platforms Rise vest, Bamboo, Trove and Chaka for the next six months, Finance and investment analysts on weekend castigated this decision by such a reputable institution terming it as a desperate move that could hamper the long-term development of the economy.

This came as the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited underscored the importance of FinTech’s in achieving an inclusive digital economy.

Market analysts at Cordros Securities said the freezing of the fintech accounts was “a desperate move to preserve the value of the naira” but it could further worsen the country\s economic perception.

“For us, this development could further worsen foreign investors’ perception of the country’s investment climate and may constrain private investment in the fintech space,” Cordros Securities stated.

The CBN had obtained a court order to freeze the account of …

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Startup Investment in Africa

Despite the effects of Covid-19 Africa remains the ripe land of opportunities and as the conversation about Investing in Africa is shifting from one of deficits and gaps to one about Opportunities, Prospects, Trends, Innovation and creativity, in the Companies and industries who have paid close attention to how business in Africa operates.

Africa continues to be the newest destination for emerging market investors and according to Eric Osiakwan, the managing partner at Chanzo Capital, half of the world’s fastest-growing economies have been in Africa, with Ghana and Ethiopia among the countries which showed a real GDP growth of 8 percent in 2018.

In an interview with this reporter at the Social House hotel in Lavington area of Nairobi, Eric Osiakwan a renowned tech investor and entrepreneur says that Investors seek out emerging markets for the prospect of high returns, as they often experience faster economic growth as measured …

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Effects of insurgency on Mozambique Investors

Foreign oil majors have taken a recent interest in Mozambique, but the new facilities are facing challenges beyond the usual social and environmental risks associated with such projects. An Islamic State-aligned insurgency group has attacked Total’s record-breaking investment in the area, raising questions about energy and personal security in the country.

In recent years, Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province has shot to the forefront of the global oil and gas sector. Discoveries made by US energy firm Anadarko and Italian company ENIhas revealed that more than 2.4 trillion cubic metres of gas off the country’s eastern coast, have attracted the attention of some of the world’s largest oil companies, with Shell, BP, and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) all making moves in the area.

However, the discovery has come at a cost, with local people displaced by the sudden influx of large-scale industrial operations and the usual concerns over environmental …

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Nigeria Presidents Assents PIB Bill

It is indeed good news to the Petroleum and other Industry players after Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s President finally appended his signature into law the Petroleum Industry Bill after twenty years of deliberation and revision.

The signing of this historic Petroleum Bill comes barely a month after the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2021 was voted by both chambers of the National Assembly.

After so many questions surrounded the bill after it was passed by the two houses, major one being whether the PIB was going to be the game changer for the industry, pending the President’s signature, it is now the proverbial saying of only time will tell after the President gave the bill a green light.

The new legislation which aims to Overhauling and transforming the Nigerian Oil and Gas is anticipated to drive investment in the sector by providing a framework for almost all aspects of oil and gas …

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Insuring Agriculture in South Africa

South Africa has a market-oriented agricultural economy that is highly diversified and includes the production of all the major grains (except rice), The agricultural sector contributed around 10 percent to South Africa’s total export earnings in FY 2019 at a value of $10.7 billion. The grain industry (barley, maize, oats, sorghum and wheat) is one of the largest agricultural industries in South Africa, contributing more than 30% to the total gross value of agricultural production. The industry is comprised of a number of key stakeholders including input suppliers, farmers, silo owners, traders, millers, bakers, research organizations, financiers, etc but with increasingly severe weather, growing political volatility, cyber concerns and other threats, farmers need to continue to invest in their risk preparedness.

As the farming industry is disrupted by digital, insurers and intermediaries must anticipate emerging risks to remain relevant and be the partner that farmers need. Now’s the time for …

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Namibia explores Opportunities to be an International oil and gas player

Historically overlooked by independent oil companies (IOCs) and considered something of an oil and gas frontier state, Namibia is establishing itself more prominently on the international oil and gas map.

Namibia has until recently been largely overlooked by the oil majors. A spate of farm-in agreements over the last six months suggests that this is changing. International oil companies are keen to secure a stake in the southern African country’s oil boom, should one materialize.

Austria’s OMV and Murphy Oil Corporation from Arkansas are the latest companies to make their first foray into the Namibian oil and gas sector, buying 25 and 40 per cent, respectively, of Cowan Petroleum’s licence to explore two blocks off the Namibian coast.

The Wingat-1 discovery by HRT in 2013, which encountered rich oil-bearing source rocks in the Walvis Basin, was the start of this change and, in the years since, the country has become …

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technology and innovation

Africa is at the heart of tomorrow, it is an important region in the world, it is definitely a growing region and a clear focus market for us. In the big picture, Africa is among Alcatel-Lucent’s most promising markets with ultra-broadband access and IP networking being very important for the development of the continent.

Many Countries across the world have felt the ravaging effects of Covid-19, ever since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China and spread all across other Continents that prompted to measures and directions imposed aimed to curb the spread of the lethal virus that has since claimed millions of people across the globe.

Historically, sectors like education and healthcare have been points of issue for many African countries, as governments strive to improve access to, and experiences in, these sectors.

The fight with COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the way these industries are operating …

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