The forum is being organised by the government of Barbados and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) under the theme “One People, One Destiny: Uniting and Reimagining Our Future”.

Other conveners are the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Africa Business Council, the CARICOM Secretariat, and the Caribbean Export Development Agency.

The conference will give business communities in Africa and those in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region an opportunity to develop strategic partnerships and enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, technology transfer, innovation, tourism, culture, and other sectors.…

The demand for quality warehousing in Africa has been skyrocketing, especially with the rapid mushrooming and proliferation of e-commerce platforms across the continent.

However, the supply has scarcely risen to meet the burgeoning demand. In 2021, the African e-commerce industry grew by 31 per cent to US$28B in revenues from US$21.4 in 2020; whilst in 2022, the industry is predicted to produce US$33.3B in revenue.

This upward trajectory has largely determined the steady growth of the warehousing and logistics market in the continent. Overall, Global Smart Warehousing Market is valued at USD 14.46 Billion in 2020, and is expected to reach USD 31.57 Billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 11.8 per cent over the forecast period. With the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) going on its second year, the sector is projected to register robust growth due to increased intra-African trading on a macro-level.

The …

Reallocation of government financing is essential in unlocking infrastructure potential. It eliminates the crowding out of private-sector funding, as government investing in most commercially viable assets is crucial to those with lower returns (Mckinsey). 

Tanzania is one of the nations that leverages its internal revenue to fund its projects, including iconic bridges in the nation’s commercial capital and several roads, buildings and facilities across the country.  

Kenya is another excellent example of a solution offered by Mckinsey as the government prioritised investment in municipal infrastructure as part of a drive to provide 500,000 new affordable housing units in five years.  

Ethiopia is moving similarly, whereby it has prioritised investment in industrial development zones to attract global apparel manufacturers.  …

Most Kenyans, 83 per cent, indicated a willingness to increase the amount of money they allocate to savings and investments, but the inability to save due to insufficient funds after fulfilling their obligations that require regular funding and the availability of quick digital loans.

Among their obligations which contribute to Kenyans’ financial strain is supporting their extended family which considerably bites into their savings. 84 per cent of people indicated that they regularly provide some income to their extended family, mostly in case of emergencies, because they feel a sense of obligation to send their extended families money and because their extended family members treat them better when they are sent money.

On their part, the extended family members mostly use the money to cater to recurring expenses like food & transport, school fees and medical expenses at 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Farm-related …

According to The Carnegie Endowment, “UK investors accounted for the second-largest FDI stock in Africa in 2019 with US$66 billion, with roughly 83 per cent concentrated in oil, gas, mining, and financial services.” 

However, the connection between the two areas is important. After the UK’s post-Brexit foreign and development policy, the relationship between the two was strengthened in 2020 during the UK Africa Investment Summit, thanks to the establishment of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year in Rwanda, common principles and plans for improving people’s lives were reaffirmed. The most ideal goal to which almost every country in the region aspires is the economic prosperity of Africa.…

• The global mining industry is changing minerals that drove mining activity and profits are slowly being eclipsed by the emergence of a new class of resources, PWC reports.
• The pursuit of net zero emissions has altered the global mining industry which is increasingly leaning towards the production of minerals used in renewable energy and away from the production of fossil fuels.
• According to PWC Fossil fuels still contribute substantially to global mining companies despite critical minerals taking center-stage.
• Global mining activity despite the threat of global warming is not slowing down. It is to the contrary on the rise as the world looks for ways of reducing carbon emissions.
• At the turn of the millennium the global mining industry was driven by mass urbanization of emerging market economies like China, Brazil, India and Russia this projected to slow down or lose ground to the pursuit of renewable energy sources.

PWC’s …