Author: Giza Mdoe

• Every so often, Africa is being forced to choose sides between China, Russia, and the West. 
• However, to win big, Africa must speak in one voice and trade as a unit in the new world order
• What’s more, Africa’s vas resource endowments can strengthen the continent’s resilience of its Transatlantic Alliance.

From friend-shoring brought about by COVID-19, then the Russia-Ukraine war, and now escalations in conflict in the Gaza strip, a new world order is taking shape, and Africa must align itself.

The big question for Africa is who to ally with and who to forego. Alignments with China are almost unavoidable, yet they place African economies at loggerheads with the West. While support for Israel pays off, it turns African countries into easy targets for the increasingly complex terror networks taking root on the continent.

Then there is the need to diversify sources of food and fertilizer imports, and …

• General cost of living in Africa has increased driven by food inflation.
• Researchers project a possible decline in food prices in 2024.
• Food security in Africa is threatened by possible escalation of conflict in Gaza.

The cost of living in Tanzania is steadily increasing, driven by the rise in the prices of basic foods. As of August 2022, Tanzania’s food inflation was reported at 7.8 per cent by the World Bank. The inflation rate worsened, reaching a peak of 9.7 per cent as of December 2022.

“This upward trajectory of food prices persisted into January 2023, where the food inflation rate reached 9.9 per cent,” reports Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group Ltd (TICGL), an economic research institute.

Food inflation is not only affecting East Africa but also most of the rest of the world. The World Bank states, “Inflation higher than 5per cent is experienced in 63.2 per cent of …

• The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, is threatening to impose a new burden on food security systems in Africa.
• African economies find themselves compelled to choose sides between Israel and Palestine carefully.
• However, our analysis indicates that Africa faces a no-win situation when dealing with instability and the worsening conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war is having devastating effects on Africa’s economic and political spheres, with food inflation being the first tangible negative impact.

As African economies are still recovering from the effects of the global COVID-19 lockdown and grappling with the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war is further destabilizing fragile food security systems in the continent.

The disruption in trade is attributed to new security challenges and what economists describe as investors opting for a “flight to safety.” These investor actions are strengthening the US dollar and causing …

• Ongoing China’s real estate crash is causing a ripple effect in the steel industry.
• Market prices for steel have fallen sharply in Asia amid the flood of Chinese exports.
• At the same time, Sub-Saharan Africa metal exports are relying on anti-dumping laws to stay afloat.

China’s real estate bubble has busted and with it caused a global ripple in the metal markets and especially the Asian economic giant’s steel exports business.

Stanislav Zinchenko the CEO of GMK Center notes that China’s investments in the real estate and construction sector in general, which are the largest consumers of steel, fell by 7.2 per cent between January and May of last year.

The first effect of the real estate crash has been the drop in demand for steel products. With the fall in domestic demand for steel, China has turned to the new frontiers to drive steel exports.

The result of …

• Tabora area leader Batilda Burian has invited investors to seize investment options in Tabora irrigation schemes
• The call follows Tanzania move to launches pilot block farming projects dubbed Samia Block Farms.
• Irrigation remains the key to commercializing agriculture in rural Tanzania.

Agriculture contributes nearly one-third of Tanzania’s GDP and employs 75 percent of the population, making it a pillar in addressing the country’s food security.

While Tanzania enjoys a tropical climate with two rainy seasons, rain-fed farming is limiting the country’s agricultural potential as unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change intensify. To achieve its national goal of commercializing and mechanizing the agriculture sector to fix food security needs, Tanzania has little choice but to adopt irrigation for year-round farming activities.

For this purpose, Tanzania has set up the National Irrigation Commission, a unit that is charged with facilitating and promoting irrigation in the country. According to the Director of …

• President Samia strikes deal to increase volume of meat export to Saudi Arabia.
• Tanzania meat export segment is often undermined by quality, which is attributable to pests and diseases, a challenge the nation seeks to fix by rolling out mass livestock vaccination campaign.
• At least three Saudi Arabian companies plan to invest in Tanzania’s livestock, and fodder production sub-sectors.

Tanzania is rolling out livestock vaccination campaign as part of a raft of measures geared at enhancing the quality and volume of meat export. Although the East African nation boats of the third largest livestock herd in Africa, the quality of meat export is often hampered by persistent pests and diseases.

“We want every livestock keeper to vaccinate, and we will develop a specific vaccination schedule for each livestock disease,” said Livestock and Fisheries Minister Abdallah Ulega.

Policymakers in Tanzania seek to triple meat export by 2030 a goal that is …

• The “Master Gas” CNG filling station, the first of 12 planned stations, has a capacity of 11,000Kg of CNG, serving well over 800 vehicles daily.
• Vehicles powered by CNG emit about 25% less CO2, contributing to Tanzania’s consumption of clean, environmentally friendly energy.
• The filling station is a joint investment by TAQA Arabia and JCG Oil & Gas.

Tanzania has marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its inaugural Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station in the port city of Dar es Salaam. The commissioning ceremony, overseen by Dr. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Tanzania, celebrated the joint investment by TAQA Dalbit, a tie up between TAQA Arabia and JCG Oil & Gas.

“We are on the cusp of a transformative shift in Tanzania’s energy landscape. With the dedication and foresight of industry leaders like TAQA Dalbit, we are ushering in an era …

Digital Transformation

The 2024 casino industry is ready to undergo a strong digital transformation. Online casinos are also rapidly gaining traction, utilizing the latest advances in technology such as AR and VR to enhance gaming. It is aimed at designing smooth platforms that offer players the excitement of traditional casinos but in a virtual environment.

With the ongoing digital wave altering the industry landscape, it comes as no surprise that more and more establishments are moving towards prioritizing online accessibility, thus, allowing players to enjoy their favorite games from wherever he or she is – whether it be on handheld or desktop devices. Moving forward, not only will there be lots more interesting casino games to play in the form of slots, as well as classics like blackjack, poker, and baccarat, but the ways to play them will also be more immersive and innovative, offering a variety of unique themes, …

• The Saudi Arabia-Africa Summit has reaffirmed bilateral relations between the two regions.
• Saudi Arabia announced a 600 billion euro wealth fund to support Africa’s development.
• Through the Green Middle East Initiative, Saudi Arabia is assisting several African countries in planting over 50 billion trees to reduce more than 10% of global carbon emissions.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to increase its investment in Africa through its 600 billion euro wealth fund and its Public Investment Fund. The Kingdom’s Investment Minister, Khalid Al-Falih, made the pledge at the opening of the Saudi Arabia African Economic Conference in Riyadh on November 10.

Khalid Al-Falih stated that Saudi Arabia has resolved to make some “game-changing” investments in Africa. To kick off the investment pledge, Saudi Arabia signed preliminary energy agreements with Nigeria, Senegal, Chad, and Ethiopia.

In the same vein, Saudi Arabia has also pledged to help reduce Africa’s debt burden, with Ghana set …

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers new job opportunities for tech-savvy African graduates.
• African policymakers must, however, protect current employees from job losses in the new AI era.
• Gen AI has the potential to offer solutions for Africa’s medical, nutrition, and financial difficulties.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new frontier, offering numerous possibilities for efficient productivity. However, what does it mean for Africa’s job sector?

AI means new job opportunities for tech experts. Yet, it also means lost jobs for less tech-savvy staff. For example, Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) can generate text, images, or other media using generative models. This implies that graphic designers, copywriters, artists, personal assistants, and others are no longer needed.

“Gen AI is being embedded in everyday tools like email, word processing applications, and meeting software, which means the technology is already positioned to radically transform how people work,” writes Sandra Durth, a researcher with consulting firm, …