Friday, March 29

Opinion

President Hage Geingob
  • President Hage Geingob was truly an African giant, but one whom far too many people didn’t know about.
  • Namibia has President Geingob to thank for its rapidly developing green hydrogen sector, which will lead to even more jobs, business opportunities, and access to electricity for Namibians.
  • The late Geingob’s visionary leadership, integrity, and his wise approach to building Namibia’s hydrocarbon and renewable energy sectors was outstanding.

On Monday morning, February 4, many of us woke to the news of the tragic passing of Namibian President Hage Geingob.

The death of this great man and remarkable leader is a tremendous lsac à dos eastpak jordan proto max 720 yeezy boost 350 v2 hyperspace yeezy shoes under 1000 inflatable kayak sit top kayak custom kings jersey nike air max 90 futura sac à dos eastpak deuce vaughn jersey nike air max 90 futura 8 ft kayak kansas city chiefs crocs nike

Read More
energy costs
  • In Africa, just like elsewhere, energy-intensive businesses are under great pressure to decrease CO2 emissions.
  • Wärtsilä Energy knows more about this than most: many of our mining and industrial partners in Africa operate their microgrids, either from choice or necessity.
  • While wind and solar power can offer emission-free energy at lower costs than fossil fuels, their intermittent nature adds uncertainty to the system.

In African countries, particularly those with a well-developed industrial sector, a significant portion of energy production may come from the industry’s own power plants.

This is especially true in countries with low grid reliability, and industries rely on self-generated power to ensure a stable energy supply.

In this article, we offer insights into Wärtsilä Energy’s approach to supporting energy-intensive industries to optimise the use of renewable energy and reach their decarbonisation objectives.

In Africa, just like elsewhere, energy-intensive businesses are under great pressure to decrease CO2 emissions …

food security climate change agriculture
  • Food security is increasingly under threat as extreme weather events, shifting agro-ecological zones and changes in rainfall patterns accelerate the risk of food insecurity.
  • In response to the challenges posed by climate change, various adaptation measures have been identified and implemented.
  • These aim to improve livelihoods and enhance food security while mitigating the impact of climate change.

Climate change is an undeniable reality, and its consequences have far-reaching effects on various sectors, particularly agriculture and food security. RSK Tanzania Senior Social Consultant Geofrey Mutayoba says developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as their economies heavily rely on agriculture. However, innovative adaptation measures are being introduced that are yielding benefits that go beyond climate resilience.

Food security is increasingly under threat as extreme weather events, shifting agro-ecological zones and changes in rainfall patterns accelerate the risk of food insecurity. Developing countries face significant challenges in providing …

hazard2

The year began amidst a raging bull market. Global equities have made up all the post pandemic losses and are up 85% (as at 7 May 2021) since their March 2020 lows.

It’s hard to overstate how dramatic this market moment was, or how much panic was in the air. The horror of more than 700 people dying every day in New York City alone for instance was still in the future, with nurses and doctors wearing trash bags instead of medical personal protective equipment (PPE).

Data shows that many investors have missed the bull run altogether or are significantly underinvested, waiting for the ‘right’ opportunity to re-enter. Those who did stay invested through the volatility or re-entered the market in 2020 have a slightly different problem ‘Should I sell?’.

The Covid-19 crisis was the ultimate affirmation of what is called the golden rule of investing, buy and hold. Your …

eco

These days, technology has changed our life, how we respond to everything including how we buy and sell products and services. Fewer clicks on our smartphones or computers now and we can book a cab, a hotel room, a cinema ticket, buy salt, pizza, groceries and a lot of other products and services.

To do so, we often download apps or go to certain web platforms, create accounts by providing personal information and agree to the terms and conditions. We are then able to buy the products and services we are looking for.

When on the platform, done selecting the products or services we wanted, right before paying, we are most of the time requested to confirm that we agree to the “terms and conditions” or “terms of use” or “terms of service” of the platform. By clicking that we agree, we thus enter into a binding sale contract.

I …

Flat I 31

Africa’s leading Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), MTN, Vodacom and Safaricom, have recently made bold plans to venture into the increasingly dynamic world of fintech. On 23rd June 2021, Safaricom launched its super app, which creates an ecosystem of mini-apps from the network operator as well as third-party apps that feed off the super app[1]. A month prior to this development, Safaricom, the leading MNO in Kenya announced plans to release an Application Protocol Interface (API) for the super app to enable third-party app developers to build more products and services on top of the super app[2]. This means the super app is going to be an app store that consolidates the reach of Safaricom.

In May, MTN also announced plans to become a tech platform to rival the likes of Apple and WeChat as part of their Ambition 2025 which is currently being implemented[3]

africa PV9RXED min

On the eve of World Environment Day, the topic of climate change has become a major subject matter for the developed world and the developing world. Africa is by far one of the lushest continents being ripe for vegetation and the key enabler to save the planet. The UN Sustainable Development Goals seeks to promote sustainability via a global collective. In light of that,  the Billion Tree Initiative is a new commitment by Synergetic Trees and one that is headed by its founder Dr. Bahadur Bahadur to drive global sustainability. 

“Twenty-five years ago, people could be excused for not knowing much, or doing much, about climate change. Today we have no excuse.”  – Desmond Tutu

 

Accordingly to Dr. Bahadur, CEO of Synergetic Trees (ST) is a global network of teams focused on carbon sequestration by planting and caring for trees in the long term. Carbon sequestration is any process …

african tech exchange

I ended my May 2021 essay with the hypothesis “…leading fintechs might turn around and start acquiring the banks” and, sure enough, on the 12th of May 2021, the Competition Authority of Kenya in a gazette notice approved the acquisition of 84.89% stake in Century Microfinance Bank by Branch International Limited – a leading global fintech with operations in Kenya[1]. One of the signs of a maturing ecosystem is home grown ventures mature into unicorns[2], gazelles and zebras[3], increased mergers and acquisitions[4] and the entry of global tech giants hungry for a piece of the action – the subject of this essay. So, whilst the Branch acquisition was unexpected, it was unsurprising when Twitter announced on 14th April 2021 that they are setting up their Africa HQ in Ghana[5]. On the very same day Amazon announced an investment of …

macron ramaposa theexchange.africa

By Emmanuel Macron, Paul Kagame, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Macky Sall

PARIS – The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we can no longer treat seemingly faraway crises as distant problems. What happens anywhere can affect people everywhere. That is why addressing the impact and legacy of the pandemic in Africa is so important.

Although Africa has suffered fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than other areas of the world, the pandemic’s impact on the continent could be more sustained, deep-rooted, and destabilizing for the entire planet. In one year, the pandemic has halted a quarter-century of steady economic growth, disrupted value chains, and caused an unprecedented increase in inequality and poverty.

But it is not only Africa that is at risk of losing its opportunity to emerge fully from COVID-19. The global economy could lose one of its future drivers of growth.

Africa has everything required to overcome the pandemic crisis …

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

STAY INFORMED

Unlock Business Wisdom - Join The Exchange Africa's Newsletter for Expert African Business Insights!

Stay ahead of the game with our weekly African business Newsletter
Recieve Expert analysis, commentary and Insights into the enviroment which can help you make informed decisions.