Author: The Exchange

• Mozambique showcases a new visa program to allow visitors a 90-day stay upon entry
• The travel and tourism industry’s overall contribution to Mozambique’s gross domestic product in 2019 was 6.2%, but that number dropped to 3.4% in 2020.
• In 2021, Tourism receipts counted for nearly $700 million, accounting for approx. 4.1% of total GDP (according to World Travel and Tourism Council)

After the first publication of a stimulus package consisting of twenty measures at the beginning of August, Mozambique made an announcement regarding one of the first measures to be put into action: a reformed Visa system.

Mozambique’s Council of Ministers made the announcement that it had approved amendments that are anticipated to have an impact on both tourism and international investments.

Visitors to Mozambique will now be able to stay in the country for a total of 90 days, up from the previous maximum of 30 days. This change …

• Jakaya Kikwete, former president of Tanzania, has been selected as one of the top 10 finalists for the first-ever Africa Education Medal.
• T4 Education, in partnership with HP and Intel, has established a new award that will be granted to exceptional persons in the area of African education who have exhibited influence, leadership, and advocacy.
• Former President of Tanzania and current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Partnership for Education, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, has been selected as one of the Top 10 finalists for the brand-new Africa Education Medal, which was created by T4 Education in collaboration with HP and Intel and launched this year.

The Africa Education Medal was established to celebrate the stories of those who have lit the spark of change so that others will be inspired to take up the torch and continue the fight for a better education on the African …

Burundi’s future is bringing optimism via the change of the country’s health care system, despite a country that has been marred by a lack of suitable facilities as well as human resources in the health arena.

Since the civil war in 2003 that broke out in Burundi, there has been a pressing need for a strategy that is both long-term and forward-thinking in order to guarantee that the most vulnerable children and youth are not abandoned. In this light, and bearing in mind that access to health is a fundamental human right, essential to the future of the country.

Even though a truce was finally reached at the end of 2003, peace in certain parts of Burundi is more of a dream than a reality, and the aftereffects of the conflict are still very much felt. The country’s civil conflict has made the already dire economic situation much worse and …

One arrow in a pirating scheme quiver is the false claim to work or authorship or ownership.  With Blockchain one can ascertain proof-of-work and proof-of-authorship if they upload their work, comply with Blockchain agreements and get their digital certificate which includes a private key, kind of a personal signature.

This can prove ownership of the works as it is time-stamped and known to be in existence.   One can also trace the transactions and copyright use of their works and be able to calculate the intellectual property value in the forms of royalties and license fees and any other form of exploitation either economically or morally. 

For a long time, creatives have decried the often rigid and unclear remuneration process of their royalties, the blame always shuttling between collective management organizations, CMOs and the broadcasters.  …

Given the importance of financial skills in succeeding in life, it is surprising that society today does not offer children the much-needed knowledge about the proper usefulness or value of money.

While the primary responsibility of parents is to prepare children for a more independent life, it is advisable that they also give them financial lessons to navigate life. As in my first scenario, personal finance more often than not is not discussed at the family level.

With a society that is pushing young people to be financially independent, learning about personal finance has never been more important for children. Money management skills for students come in handy in such cases especially when the children are older.…

The movement of exchange rates on the parallel market has been caused by the government itself. Firstly, the government introduced a currency that economic agents have no confidence in because it did not have the macroeconomic fundamentals to give it credence. There was no parallel market for foreign currency during the years that the country made use of a basket of currencies.

The parallel market only emerged when the government introduced a surrogate currency called the bond note which was said to be at par with the United States dollar. No sooner than the surrogate currency had been introduced that the parallel market emerged, and United States dollars started trading at a premium.

Secondly, the government reportedly purchases foreign exchange on the parallel market. Through the central bank, the government issues new currency and then purchases foreign currency on the parallel market and drives up the exchange rate. It has …

Most roads have either poor bike lanes or no lanes at all. And these are not roads made in the 1990s, no, these are roads being made today. With most industrialized western countries doing away with their overreliance on motorized transport for cycling, a far greener alternative, African countries are yet again slow to catch on.   

Secure, well-demarcated bikeways are key to better quality of city life, less vehicular wear and tear on roads and a healthy populace. All these make money sense if you contrast the wage bill on maintaining the roads, combating climate change effects and relieving the overburdened healthcare system.

But more importantly is the creation of an environment where delivery gig work thrives and steps up to be a big earner for young people, who majorly fall under the “untaxable” domain due to lack of gainful employment. 

Currently, there are cycle lanes only on a few …

It is now possible to store, buy, exchange and resell Nigerian naira for bitcoin and a hundred other cryptocurrencies directly from the Binance platform.

The Chinese giant headquartered in Malta is opening up to the fiat currencies of Africa’s largest economy. And for the occasion, it is the Nigerian naira that will serve as a trial balloon.

• Cryptocurrency exchange platforms are generally available to holders of euros or dollars, it is now the turn of the Nigerian naira are to be accepted
• Binance has adopted African currencies and is looking at Kenya and South Africa as well.
• Cryptocurrencies are now competition for Western Union and Moneygram

In an October 24 2021, press release, Binance explains that this milestone was reached thanks to a partnership with Nigerian fintech Flutterwave, which offers secure payment solutions for small entrepreneurs in 150 different currencies. In a second press release, Binance announces that it will …

• Importance of Green Finance in Africa
• The role of Green Bonds to drive infrastructure development in Africa
• Why Green Bonds are good for countries such as Kenya and Nigeria

Africa’s renewables sector is now beginning to take off, as green bonds are creating an opportunity for Africa to generate more of the finance it needs for renewable energy projects itself. Despite this, Africa is still dependent on non-African investors to purchase a significant portion of the bonds that are currently available.

In recent weeks, we have heard about the emergence of Green Bonds in Africa. Kenya has issued its first Green Bond in 2019 and Nigeria has also recently gotten on board. We will take a look at these new green finance instruments and their potential impact on African countries. In the meantime, we’ll also discuss the importance of green finance in Africa and the role that Green Bonds …

The epidemic has solidified long-term paradigm adjustments. Second, the desire for online transactions is on the rise, which is a powerful demand driver for both consumers and businesses. As new, non-traditional insurance providers enter the market, insurers must offer digital engagement at all touchpoints.

Insurance businesses in Africa have reason to be optimistic, though, given the region’s strong economic growth. Unfortunately, the recovery has not yet been reflected in their general trajectory due to a variety of reasons.

The entry of more insurance companies into the market and the resulting decrease in premium rates are at the top of the list of those considerations. In addition to the drop in investment returns, insurers have seen a decline in their financial standing.

Furthermore, traditional insurers have been slow to adopt new technologies in the current era of digitization, which has been to their detriment. With the use of digital technology, insurers …