Author: Opinion

When governments across East Africa talk about economic diversification, tourism invariably features in the conversation. Kenya’s Vision 2030, Uganda’s National Development Plan, Tanzania’s Five Year Development Plan — all identify tourism as a priority sector for job creation and foreign exchange earnings. Yet the gap between policy ambition and infrastructure delivery remains wide. The challenge is not demand. International arrivals to East Africa have recovered beyond pre-pandemic levels in most markets. Kenya welcomed over two million visitors in 2024. Uganda’s gorilla permits sell out months in advance. Tanzania’s northern circuit operates at near-capacity during peak season. The challenge is supply…

EBC Financial Group says shortfalls in home grown food, high fuel costs and poorly matched farm loans may be keeping Kenya’s food prices high, a test for the Central Bank of Kenya ahead of the June inflation figures. Kenya’s June inflation figures, due from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on 30 June, may indicate whether the recent rise in food and fuel prices is easing or settling in for longer. Kenya produces about four billion eggs a year but needs around nine billion, a shortfall of roughly five billion eggs filled mainly by imports, with similar yearly gaps…

The limits of storage-only thinking in balancing Africa’s renewable grids: Why a hybrid approach to flexibility will deliver better outcomes than batteries alone. Africa’s energy transition is entering a decisive phase. With some of the world’s best solar and wind resources, the continent is uniquely positioned to leapfrog into a low-cost, renewable-powered future. But as policymakers and planners accelerate deployment, a critical misconception often skews the debates: that battery energy storage systems alone can provide the flexibility needed to balance high shares of intermittent renewables. This assumption is not only incomplete, but it also risks making Africa’s energy transition more…

With roughly 80% of transactions on the continent still rely on legacy USSD technology, BCG’s Associate Director Kitso Lemo outlines how shifting to API-driven, AI-first telcos model will unlock the next wave of fintech growth. Successful AI integration isn’t just hype, it represents a projected 3% to 5% increase in revenue (via hyper-personalization) and a 15% to 20% reduction in capital expenditure through self-optimising networks. Why African telco leadership teams consistently over-index on buying technology but fail at the crucial 70%—people and process change management. For the better part of a decade, the global telecommunications sector has been viewed by investors with…

In this climate of ever shifting geopolitical sands, Africa is well positioned to take advantage of these developments by developing its natural resources and processing same, argues Dele Kuti, Global Head, Energy at Standard Bank Corporate & Investment Banking As we approach the second half of the year, it is important to reflect on the busy first half. After a hectic 2025, most observers would have expected some form of respite. Unfortunately, respite will not likely be a word associated with the half of the year2026. The Oil and gas and the broader energy sector, an industry I have worked…

Critical minerals: The world’s appetite for cobalt, copper, lithium, graphite, manganese and rare earths is growing because the technologies that promise a cleaner and more digital future still depend on physical minerals, writes Prof. Yizhou He. While the U.S. is trying to reduce dependence on Chinese-dominated supply chains. China remains deeply embedded in mining, refining and battery manufacturing. Europe is searching for “secure” and “responsible” mineral partnerships. In May 2026, another deal reminded the world why the Democratic Republic of Congo sits at the centre of the global energy transition. Congo’s state cobalt company, Entreprise Générale du Cobalt, Trafigura and…

The key to AI is not intelligence. It is safety. And safety is not a feature. It is a philosophy, writes AI advisor John Kamara.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about being in a room in Nairobi full of smart, passionate people talking about African AI. The energy was real. The intent was genuine. And something kept nagging at me like a splinter I could not locate. We were talking about AI. We were not, I realised on the drive home, talking about intelligence. This is the piece I could not write yet. Because the more I sat with…

The appeal of Kenya’s creative economy lies in its multiplier effect. Creative production stimulates adjacent industries: tourism, retail, technology, events, hospitality, and infrastructure, generating diversified revenue streams and employment at scale.  Kenya’s creative economy is evolving from cultural promise into investment reality. Spanning film, music, digital content, gaming, fashion, and sports, the sector has emerged as one of Africa’s most dynamic growth frontiers, propelled by digital adoption, favorable demographics, progressive policy reform, and deepening international partnerships. Conservative estimates from government and industry sources consistently place the creative sector’s contribution at approximately 5 per cent of Kenya’s GDP. Recent assessments suggest the figure ranges between 5…

Binance is the central trading hub for crypto, leading in liquidity and price discovery, with $34T traded in 2025 and $145T all-time volume. Beyond trading, Binance’s infrastructure includes regulated access, secure custody for retail and institutional users, transparent asset assurance, and industry-leading security systems.  Binance bridges crypto and the traditional economy, providing institutional custody, collateral services, as well as fiat and payment rails that enable everyday fund transfers. Some people still think of Binance as just an exchange. This label made sense when crypto platforms were used primarily for trading. Yet today, Binance is more accurately described as crypto infrastructure,…

Afreximbank contends that Fitch Ratings failed to account for this critical distinction, producing an assessment the bank views as an unfair misrepresentation of its true credit standing. In a recent public statement, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) announced it would terminate its credit rating relationship with Fitch Ratings. The rationale for this decision was particularly striking. The bank attributed the move to its “firm belief that the credit rating exercise no longer reflects a good understanding of the Bank’s Establishment Agreement, its mission, or its mandate.” It further emphasized that its business profile remains “robust, underpinned by strong shareholder relationships…