Trending
- Africa’s leapfrogging from oil and gas is not the quick energy fix the world seems to think it will be
- Dry weather spell sours Kenya’s first quarter tea exports
- Tanzania’s X blockade signals deepening purge on opposition chiefs ahead of elections
- Fresh reforms to unlock Burkina-Ghana trade opportunities
- Integration vital in unlocking Africa’s $180Bn digital trade economy
- Tanzanian Prof Janabi nominated to steer WHO Africa Region office
- The anatomy of Italy-backed Mattei Plan to speed up Africa’s growth
- Global energy chiefs demand rapid shift in Africa’s resource strategy
Industry and Trade
- Kenya’s tea exports fell sharply by 20 per cent to 157,514 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025 owing to a prolonged dry spell in growing areas.
- Statistics show that between January and March, Kenya earned $356M from tea exports—down from $446M.
- Kenya’s tea has always found a steady market in Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Russia, Sudan and Chad.
Kenya’s tea sector, long a pillar of the country’s export economy, is feeling the sting of unpredictable weather patterns. According to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), revenue from Kenya’s tea exports fell sharply by 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, a downturn attributed to lower shipment volumes following a prolonged dry spell in tea growing areas.
Between January and March, Kenya earned KES46.07 billion (about $356 million) from tea exports—down from $446 million recorded during the same period in the …
- Burkina-Ghana border post suffers from poor management, weak agency coordination, and widespread non-compliance.
- Burkina Faso’s exit from ECOWAS continues to negatively impact future trade policies, border protocols, and regional cooperation.
- For decades, Burkina Faso has depended good relations with Ghana to access the sea, so it can ship its minerals and cotton to overseas markets.
A new study has unveiled a number of reforms to rev up opportunities that cross-border investors eyeing Burkina-Ghana trade corridor can bank on to grow. For years, landlocked Burkina Faso has depended establishing good relations with Ghana in order to access the sea, so it can ship its minerals and cotton to overseas markets.
However, red tape has always hampered the movement of goods, and labour along the border. The situation worsened even further with the start of insurgency in Burkina Fase about a decade ago. Ever since, traders – especially women – have to …
- Africa’s digital trade economy remains hampered by infrastructure bottlenecks, fragmented logistics, and procurement inefficiencies despite its huge potential.
- Experts say to tap its potential, there is need to shift from scattered digital projects to comprehensive ecosystems that support the full trade cycle.
- One of the tools that look promising is Matta, a transformative platform aimed at enabling sustainable industrial economies across the continent.
A quiet shift is reshaping Africa’s digital trade economy; an ecosystem which analysts project is valued up to $180 billion. Fueled by the power of digital platforms and backed by continental policy frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent is on the cusp of unlocking a projected $180 billion digital economy this year.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global trade reached an unprecedented $33 trillion in 2024. Within this surge, developing …
- Winners from Africa in the AIM Congress 2025 Regional Pitch Competition will showcase their businesses to a panel of investors, industry leaders, and global decision-makers in April next year.
- The regional competitions seek tech startups in the Seed and Series A stages that have a great potential to scale.
- AIM Congress will be promoting a total of $200,000 in investments across the event, reinforcing its dedication to fostering global entrepreneurship.
Startup owners running brightest and most innovative technology enterprises from Africa have a chance to join a regional pitch competition that would see them win vital investment and the support needed to scale their innovations.
The 2025 Regional Pitch Competition, which will also be carried out in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, USA, China, India, and ASEAN countries, is aimed at tech startups in the Seed and Series A stages that have a great potential to scale.
According …
- Initiative targets 7,500 artisanal gold miners and will be spread in over five years at a cost of $24 million.
- In Zimbabwe, about 96% of artisanal gold mine sites use mercury, with miners working without protective gear.
- Mercury used in gold extraction goes a long way in polluting air, water and soil, thereby worsening food chains.
Thousands of workers in artisanal gold mines in Zimbabwe are set to benefit from a $23.7 million initiative that seeks to significantly reduce the use of toxic mercury element in the mineral’s extraction across the country.
The government-backed project aims to align the country with responsible mining industry standards at a time when buyers in the world are championing for ethical sourcing of minerals.
According to a statement, the initiative was launched in mid-November in the capital Harare with an Inception Workshop that drew stakeholders to discuss how planetGOLD Zimbabwe will support a more …
- Agreement is critical in promoting infrastructure and economic development projects in 10 member states common to both institutions.
- ATIDI and ASF plan to enhance the region’s attractiveness to investors by mitigating risks often associated with doing business in Africa.
- The partnership has the potential to provide tailored financial solutions for Africa’s unique challenges.
A new agreement between the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) and African Solidarity Fund (ASF) is poised to reshape Africa’s investment trajectory.
This partnership seeks to bolster economic development across the continent by mitigating risks associated with investment and trade. Signed during the Africa Investment Forum 2024 (AIF 2024) in Rabat, Morocco, the agreement signals a growing focus on collaborative solutions to Africa’s economic challenges.
Strengthening Africa’s Development Infrastructure
The agreement’s central aim is to promote infrastructure and economic development projects in member states common to both institutions. These include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, …
- BRICS Competitive Agencies are set to develop a new approach to food markets regulation.
- One of the largest global blockchain platforms on commodities, Covantis, may be the first to fall under restrictions.
- Founded by the largest agro-traders of the ABCCD group and Viterra, Covantis avoids antitrust scrutiny due to its structure.
Antitrust authorities drawn from BRICS member countries are set to establish a unified system to monitor and control food markets regulation, in a move that is poised to put Covantis, one of the giant platforms on commodities under close check.
In a statement released during a meeting on the sidelines of the 3rd BRICS + (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia + partners) Digital Competition Forum in Rio De Janeiro, the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre tabled a fresh approach to monitoring markets.
According to BRICS, the fresh system offers a new …
- Experts call for a shift from short-term political cycles to forward-looking, long-term effort to address the climate crisis effectively.
- Carbon taxation taxes carbon, it doesn’t tax energy. It creates incentives for the private sector to move from fossil fuels to alternative sources of energy.
- Globally, countries pump $5 to $7 trillion dollars a year into fossil fuel subsidies. Experts argue that if you stopped that and put it into clean technologies, we would have solved the problem.
In a world increasingly shaped by the dual crises of climate change and economic instability, the Oxford Department of Economics, in collaboration with EBC Financial Group (EBC), hosted a pivotal session in the “What Economists Really Do?” (WERD) series.
The event brought together leading minds from academia and finance to explore actionable strategies for aligning economic systems with environmental sustainability while addressing pressing societal concerns.
The event, titled “Macroeconomics and Climate,” …
- AIM Congress 2025 will solidify its role in shaping a sustainable global economy, observes His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade.
- Already, the annual forum has positioned itself as a hotbed for transformative ideas and partnerships; the bridge between emerging economies and global powerhouses.
- Key themes Foreign Direct Investment, Global Trade, Startups, Future Cities, Future Finance, Global Manufacturing, Digital Economy, and Entrepreneurship are tailored to resonate with the pulse of a rapidly evolving global economy.
In April next year, the bustling city of Abu Dhabi will once again take center stage as world business leaders and policymakers converge for the 14th edition of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress. Under the theme “The New Wave of a Globalized Investment Landscape: Towards a New Balanced World Structure,” this expo promises to reshape investment trends globally.
Hosted at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre …
