Author: Giza Mdoe

The number of tourists arriving in Tanzania has increased an impressive 52% between January and November 2021 and with it, the country has enjoyed increased revenue collection of an even more impressive 69 per cent growth. What has sparked this increase in tourists arrivals is, among other things, the country’s rigorous decimation of the Covid-19 uptake and the generally positive response of the public. Notably, as of 5th December 2021, almost 2 million (1,699,523) vaccine doses have been administered. As was the case elsewhere in the world outbreak of the pandemic fall in tourism arrivals severely affected the economy and more so the…

Tanzania hopes to plant an ambitious 1.5 million cashew nut trees annually across some 535,000 acres of land in a new revitalized effort to grow output and increase revenue from the protein-rich nut. Tanzania is already one of Africa’s largest cashew growers coming third after Nigeria and Ivory Coast. It is the world’s eighth biggest producer and if all goes to plan, the country wants to move up the ranks. In a recent press communiqué, the Cashew nut Board of Tanzania (CBT) released projections that show that Tanzania would produce one million tonnes of the nuts in the 2023/24 harvest…

Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania Corporation Limited (ATCL) has signed a deal that will allow passengers across the region (and continent) to purchase tickets digitally via the CRDB Bank digital portal. In this latest move, Air Tanzania has effectively beefed up its command of the East African skies couple with several interline deals and Air Tanzania is quickly becoming a formidable carrier to contend with. In the same vein, Air Tanzania also recently launched direct flights to Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Officially launched on November 26, the new route is but a predecessor spelling more ‘air control’ for the Tanzanian national…

To get their hands on Zimbabwe’s diamond, they conspire with the country’s top government officials and according to the leaked papers, the corruption runs deep, all the way to the very executive.

Makes you wonder, what is hurting the Zimbabwean people more, the US sanctions or the internal usurping of millions of dollars by corrupt government officials and their international partners in crime.

Zimbabwean diamonds go for as high as USD12 000 per carat. To get a picture of how much this racket is worth, consider report findings that have revealed that 350 000 carats of round diamonds worth an estimated USD140 million dollars have disappeared from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) repositories.

There is need to rebrand Africa, to give it a better, truer image or in the words of the President for the African Development Bank (AfDB)) Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina to change the narrative on Africa to attract increased investments into the continent. Granted the head of AfDB specified the Africa rebranding be specific for the USA but the idea stands true in general, the World needs to see Africa differently. The assertion comes ahead of the upcoming “Africa Investment Forum 2021.’ To be held this December (1-3), the event is one of the biggest flagship initiatives of the African…

South Africa, like many other countries in the world, still uses coal to power its economy, but now the country wants to become a low carbon economy and a climate-resilient society and to do so, it has announced a major U.S.$8.2 billion deal with Europe and the US. This deal makes South Africa the only African country to have come out of COP26 with a tangible, actionable and financed plan to make it climate change resilient. The energy embattled country has signed the deal with all the big boys, the UK, the U.S., Germany, France and the European Union. The…

Black gold runs the world and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni seems to have struck his long-coveted oil pipeline deal with Tanzania. In the wake of his November state visit to Tanzania, the $3.5 billion deal is heading in the right direction. However, this article is about another black gold, not crude oil, no, our topic of discourse is another prime foreign exchange earner for Uganda; the sweet aroma filled and much-coveted Robusta coffee, a $657 annual earner for Uganda. Granted it’s but a fraction of what the oil deal will earn the country but coffee earnings represent much bigger financial…

Remittances to low and middle-income economies have enjoyed considerably strong growth over the last year, a sign of economic recovery as nations resume normalcy post-Covid-19. According to the latest World Bank’s migration and development, analysis show a 7.3 per cent growth to clock $589 billion this year. Overall speaking, despite the devastating effects of the Covid-19 lock downs and resulting economic slowdown, remittances is one area that remained strong as the Diaspora did its best to continue sending money home. The World Bank says last year, while other areas struggle, remittances showed resilience slipping down slightly by only 1.7 per…

Tanzania has taken a firm stand against gender abuse in all its forms, at home, at the workplace and in universities as well. Speaking as he launched the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV) (25 November – 10 December) Tanzania’s  Prime Minister Kassim Majalliwa said the law must take its course and end GBV in all its manifestations. Even though this year, the global campaign marks its 30th year but yet even today, 1 in 3 women and girls worldwide still experiencing violence, warns UN Women. Underlining these numbers, at the same event, Dar es Salam Regional Commissioner, Amos…

While others are still skeptical around the world, crypto currency is not only taking root in Africa but is now starting to bear fruit. The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced it launching its own national digital currency, the eNaira. This announcement makes Nigeria the first African country to have a central bank-backed digital currency. Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele says the currency will serve to accelerate financial inclusion in the country of over 213 million people. A lot of African countries are taking only baby steps towards allowing the use of cryptocurrencies and may are warning their public to be…