Author: Giza Mdoe

Tanzania’s third five-year development plan focuses on creating employment for its fast-growing youth population. The country plans to increase the employability of its graduates and youth in general through a comprehensive skills development program. According to a report, Tanzania’s five-year development plan will cut unemployment from 9 per cent in 2019 to 8 per cent by 2025/26.

The World Bank plans to ease lending terms to increase liquidity. Increased disposal income will help reduce global poverty. Countries required to highlight financial inclusivity plans. The World Bank is “taking bold new steps to increase its lending capacity”, a move that will likely trigger various implications for individuals, businesses, and economies across Africa. In July, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged further reform of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks. Yellen said capital increases will be an option once these institutions make changes to increase their capacity to assist nations in addressing climate change and other issues.…

One in five people in Africa suffers from hunger. With the rising population, action is necessary to ensure access to healthy and sufficient food. AfCFTA can serve as a strong incentive for farmers and other participants in agri-food value chain. Africa’s population is expected to hit two billion by 2050 yet her food security systems remain a fleeting mirage largely due to delayed financial commitments. Granted, in the past two decades, most African governments have placed great emphasis on transforming their food systems but it progress has been rather slow. Financing of food systems Currently one in five people in…

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says food production across Africa is stubbornly low. Households across Sub-Saharan Africa spend roughly 23% of their total income on food. The Collapse of the Black Sea Initiative, the bombing of an ammonia pipeline, and a key dam in Ukraine spell doom for Africa’s food production systems. Reducing hunger and increasing food production in a persistently low-income environment will be one of Africa’s biggest problems in the next ten years, a new report by FAO says. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032 report attributes the challenge to increasingly volatile weather patterns due to climate change.…

Digital switchover: Successful businesses do not just use digital, they become digital. African youth face a gloomy future if not empowered through systems riding on digital economy  There is a need for increased political will for Africa to tap into power of digital shift in accelerating growth The concept “digital transformation” has gained popularity in the business sector, but what does it actually mean? Successful companies embrace digital technology and transform into it. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a weird sci-fi movie but a real game change for companies and entire countries. “Today, all digital transformations are AI transformations,…

Energy, skills gap and poor infrastructure remain huge hinderances to realizing tech-enabled economic growth in Africa. Investments in technology can offer an accelerated pathway to inclusive productivity growth in Africa. However, many economies are struggling to make progress. Modern technology offers chance to foster entrepreneurship and innovation while attracting foreign direct investments. New technology has fostered growth in all industries for all centuries and Africa is banking on tech-enabled economic growth albeit with struggles. For economies to have an edge over their peers, technology plays a vital role Technology can help businesses grow on one hand and especially emerging technology…

Zanzibar is fast-tracking the start of direct flights to and from Saudia Arabia. Trade between Zanzibar and Qatar more than doubles in the last decade. New UAE consulate in Zanzibar spearheading investment pacts between the two countries. The island of Zanzibar is championing a renaissance in trade with talks on securing agreement for direct flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This comes only months after Saudi Arabia introduced direct flights to the country’s commercial capital of Dar es Salaam. The direct flight from Saudi Arabia effectively cuts travel time and reduces travel costs by more than half. Travel time from Julius…

Tanzania is seeking a slice of the global vanilla beans market that is set to reach $2.11 billion this year. The East African country is ranked the 27th largest exporter of Vanilla in the world.  An enormous trend toward convenience foods driven primarily by urbanization is driving vanilla market globally. Tanzania vanilla farming value chain is aligning itself to tap into growing consumer preferences as people move to experiment with novel food products to satisfy their taste buds. The global food industry is producing new food products with functional and nutritional features, and Tanzania’s vanilla value chain intends to meet…

China signs deal to reopen closed uranium mining site in crisis-hit Niger. Niger further agrees to give Chinese Company an oil pipeline deal. China to build an industrial park for manufacturing, real estate, mining. China has signed a deal with troubled West African nation of Niger for the reopening of a controversial uranium mining site. Before China, there was France, and now the question is, will Chinese leave Niger in a better condition than the Frenchmen? China is actually looking to score a broad-based investment deal that will include the construction of an industrial park, and an oil pipeline among…

In an escalation of geopolitical tension, Russia has pulled a power move, ending the Black Sea Gran Initiative. To what extent does this decision threaten food security in Africa?  Collapse of the deal will drive inflationary pressure on grain prices, especially in countries heavily reliant on imports, experts warn. Currently, Africa is facing biting food shortage as inflation fueled by high food and fuel prices grips economies. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural produce especially grains through the Black Sea, has collapsed following the withdrawal of Moscow from the agreement. For those…