Author: The Exchange

The World Bank, in 2020, announced that the Nigerian economic may see a dip into recession, the worst the African country has seen in 40 years. This was largely due to the effects of the fall in the global price of oil, a commodity the nation’s economy is heavily reliant on, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, that nearly crippled not just Nigeria’s, but the global economy.   But these challenges were not the only catalysts for Nigeria’s imminent recession, issues around insecurity, infrastructural deficit, trade barriers, and power supply challenges all form a crude mix that has managed to drive the country down…

In a 2019 Human Development Index1 (HDI) issued by the UNDP, countries with low human development include Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Mauritania, Lesotho, Senegal, Togo etc. The Human Development Index is measured through three dimensions: long and healthy life, access to knowledge and decent standard of living. The major importance of the HDI is to enable countries to calculate the overall level of development and what sectors in the economy need more funding and attention. What this means is that countries with low HDI tend to suffer with high rate of unemployment, low Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), high mortality rate,…

During the last decade much has been said about the urgency to develop the African agricultural sector to meet the increasing need for food security across the continent. Frequently it is stressed that Africa largely missed the “Green Revolution” since the continent’s agriculture sector did not transform into an intensive arena with modern technologies to increase the crop yield significantly1. Until today the East African agricultural sector is dominated for 75% by smallholder farmers that apply low farming inputs, traditional technologies and methods, while agriculture remains the backbone of the economy2. This article discusses a reason for optimism, and how…

South African billionaire Michiel Le Roux. Michiel Le Roux is a South African entrepreneur and founder of Capitec Bank in which he owns about 11 percent stake. Founded in 2001 the bank is listed and trades on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Capitec bank targets South Africa’s emerging middle class and is thus far one of Africa’s most successful banks. Le Roux has served as the bank’s board chairman from 2007 to 2016 and now continues to be a board member and is renowned to be one of SA’s billionaires. He is a seasoned banker and financial enthusiast having previously run…

The Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam is inching closer to completion, rekindling the environmental and political controversies that have dogged the project from the start nearly 10 years ago. In addition, recent satellite images show a steady increase in the amount of water being held back by the new mega dam. Mahemud Tekuya explains what’s at stake. The current dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is directly linked to colonial-era Nile treaties. During the scramble for Africa, controlling the source of the Nile was a major colonial goal for the British. In 1902, the UK and Ethiopia concluded the Anglo-Ethiopian…

Bearish sentiment was the overarching theme in the Kenya equities markets, due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that has made the possibility of a global recession closer to reality. On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, the NSE-20 and NASI have posted negative returns of 24.1% and 15.6%, respectively. Notable out-performers YTD are Barclays ETF Gold (+23.7% YTD), a security whose value is pegged on the value of gold (a safe haven asset), Kenya Airways (+53.7% YTD) on a recent price rally, and Uchumi Supermarkets (+6.9% YTD). All other stocks at the NSE are in the red zone YTD, save…

The impact technology has on our world is profound and, some might say, immeasurable. Outside our personal lives, it continues to change industries and global markets at a rapid pace every single day. Foreign exchange, or forex, is one of those financial institutions that are evolving with groundbreaking advancements. But before we can fully appreciate the effects of disruptive technology on forex today and possibly the future, we have to look at how it began. How Forex Was Traded in the Past Trading forex is as old as the history of civilizations. In ancient times, people exchanged goods and services…

“It’s getting better by the day,” said Minal Shah, who has two children that attend the Academy. “It took us a few days, in the beginning, to settle with the new routines and now it’s become a new way of learning for all of us.” Most Academy parents have found that the best way they can help their child during online learning is to help them organise their time wisely, provide a good workspace and be there for them for moral support. “We have been providing a quiet and conducive study location for our child,” said Colin Williams, a parent…

Whether we like it or not at some point we will have to say goodbye to this world we call home. Bad enough is that we do not know when it will be our last time on earth. Due to these few facts, it becomes necessary to take up a funeral cover. Also known as burial insurance this is a form of insurance that pays a specified amount of money in the event of a death by ensuring that the costs of a funeral will be covered so that family members do not have to struggle financially at this difficult…