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Industry and Trade
- Meg Whitman, US Ambassador to Kenya, highlights key investment opportunities in Kenya, particularly in the creative industry and clean energy.
- She noted that Kenya has the potential to become the Singapore of Africa through vertical business integration, job creation, innovation, and foreign direct investment.
- AmCham Business Summit 2024 seeks to strengthen bilateral trade and investment between the US, Kenya, and East Africa.
The fourth edition of the regional American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (AmCham) Business Summit, has officially kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme, ‘Catalyzing The Future of US-East Africa Trade and Investment’.
This year’s forum underscores AmCham Business Summit as the premier platform for strengthening bilateral trade and investment between the United States, Kenya, and East Africa.
Hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), the two-day Summit has brought together delegates from the United States of America, East and Sub-Saharan Africa in efforts to deliberate and …
- South Africa’s Strategic Fuel Fund (SSF) operates Block B2 in South Sudan in collaboration with Nilepet.
- The company has just completed a major phase of its oil and gas exploration in Jonglei state.
- SSF recently completed undertaking the largest geophysical survey ever done in South Sudan, covering 47,000 square kilometres.
In a move marking the strengthening bilateral relations between South Africa and South Sudan, the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), South Africa’s state-owned petroleum company, convened a key meeting with South Sudan’s national oil company, Nilepet, in Juba last week.
The meeting was a highlight of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit, underscoring the growing economic ties between the two nations.
The SFF, which operates Block B2 in South Sudan and collaborates with Nilepet through the Nile Orange joint venture, has recently completed a major phase of its oil and gas exploration campaign in Jonglei state. The initial aerial survey …
- Africa’s agribusiness sector is undergoing significant transformations driven by population growth, urbanisation, technological advancements, and shifting consumer preferences.
- Alongside their role in stimulating economic growth, agribusiness and agro-industrial development have the potential to reduce poverty and foster social and economic growth.
- Technological advancements and digital transformations are revolutionising agribusiness in Africa, offering transformative opportunities.
Africa’s agribusiness sector potential
Agribusiness in Africa is undergoing significant transformations driven by population growth, urbanisation, technological advancements, and shifting consumer preferences. As a continent with abundant agricultural resources, Africa holds immense potential for agribusiness development.
African economic growth remains commodity-based, mainly on commodity exports, with minimal processing and value addition involved. To foster sustainable and inclusive growth and development in Africa, there is an urgent need to promote a new development approach based on exploiting the continent’s full agribusiness potential.
Some pressing issues call for a reorientation to support agribusiness and agro-industrial development, namely, poverty …
- Red Sea shipping disruptions by Houthi rebels stemming from the Israel -Palestine dispute in the Gaza Strip.
- Simultaneously, transits around the Cape of Good Hope are up by a nearly similar amount in the same period.
- Since the first attack in November last year, data shows the numbers have risen to about 68 as of March 12.
The East African region is still at risk of future global shocks as continued Red Sea shipping disruptions and attacks on cargo vessels by Houthi rebels could likely dent the current ease in the cost of living in Kenya, with analysts predicting an increase in fuel prices.
This is likely to negate the calmness in inflation witnessed in the past three months, when the country recorded a decline in fuel and some food item prices, bringing down the level of inflation to 5.7 per cent in March.
The attacks that are stemming from …
- Kenya looks to rise on its estimated $38.4 million blue economy investments to grow sector revenue to $921 million annually.
- Africa, with its vast coastline and rich marine resources, is poised to harness the immense potential of the blue economy.
- BlueInvest Africa is a business-to-business event that aims to catalyse the growth of Africa’s blue economy through strategic investments.
The Kenyan government is looking to ride on its estimated $38.4 million (KES 5 billion) investments in the blue economy initiatives to increase revenue to $921 million (KES 120 billion) annually.
This will be a threefold increase from the current $288.6 million (KES 37.6 billion) that the state generates from the blue economy.
The Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy & Maritime Affairs, Salim Mvurya, said that part of the plan was to map the fisheries’ infrastructure across the country.
“We want to increase the revenue to Sh120 …
- 121 African startups secured $466M, marking a 27 per cent drop from the previous quarter; women-led startups got 6.5 per cent of the capital.
- About 87 per cent of startup funding in the three months to March went to entities in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa.
- Gender imbalance persists as only 6.5 per cent of the financing went to female-led startups in Africa.
The big four economies of Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt continue to attract the highest share of funding going to startups in Africa, even as the ecosystem suffered a 27 per cent drop in financing to $466 million in the three months to March 2024.
The latest analysis from Africa: The Big Deal shows that 87 per cent of startup funding in the three months to March went to upcoming entities in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa.
Attracting $160 million, Nigeria’s economy accounted for …
- The partnership will enable Kenya and South Korea to strengthen legal services and networks for African companies.
- G&A has built a strong reputation in Africa, delivering on transformational projects like the recent Eurobond
- In February last year, the two countries pledged to continue to nurture and expand ties
A law firm in Nairobi is championing a plan to see Kenya and South Korea strengthen legal services for companies in Africa. Kenya’s G&A Advocates LLP has signed a partnership agreement with South Korea-based law firm Jipyong ahead of the Korea-African Summit. The partnership will enable Kenya and South Korea to strengthen legal services and networks for African companies.
The Korean African Summit is set to take place between June 4 and June 5 in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme: “The Future We Make Together, Shared Growth, Sustainability and Solidarity.”
The summit, which will be the first-ever, aims to strengthen the …
- EAPI Retail Forum will take place on the event’s second day on 17 and 18 April 2024 in Nairobi.
- Rising consumer demand has led to the development of strong local retail brands.
- Key speakers at the EAPI Retail Forum say a growing middle class and the rise of digital connectivity are boosting the retail sector.
Retail is emerging among the most vibrant sectors of the East African economy. Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, has become an important retail market in its own right and a stepping stone into the rest of the country and wider East Africa.
Nairobi is a rising regional shopping destination, the headquarters to many regional retail and food and beverage (F&B) businesses, and a Launchpad for retail concepts in other East African areas.
Digitally savvy middle-class Kenyans are demanding local brand experiences that align with what they see regionally, continental, and internationally and are boosting the retail …
- African Airlines revenues for January 2024 were $ 1.83 billion compared to $1.56 billion in November 2023
- Available seats per kilometre (ASKs) also exceeded the level of March 2019 by 7.7 per cent.
- Open skies will boost intra-African connectivity and drive down airfares.
Investments among the continent’s carriers have begun to pay off as African Airlines Revenues and seat numbers hit a record high, a new report by African Airline Association (AFRAA) has shown.
The number of airline seats offered in the region has increased by 12.6 per cent to 16.1 million in March 2024, thanks to new routes and flight frequencies.
For the first time in four years, the industry surpassed pre-COVID-19 monthly figures of 14.3 million, recorded in March 2019.
The year 2024 is shaping up to be a significant year of recovery for the aviation industry. Airlines have regained their pre-Covid levels of capacity and traffic and …
