Browsing: Congo

• Kenya-DRC and Tanzania-DRC Corridors have been identified as the key links that will drive East Africa trade.
• Within the Southern Africa region, higher integration will drive its share of total intra-Africa exports to a third by 2035.
• The MENA Region and the Middle East-East Africa corridors will also be substantial, with combined trade volume expected to reach almost USD200 billion by 2035.

Increased infrastructure interconnectivity by the African states has been identified as the key driver that will lead to success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Kenya-DRC and Tanzania-DRC Corridors have been identified as the key links that will drive East Africa trade.

This comes after members after some member states expressed concern that the African trade system has failed to grow beyond the estimated 14–15 per cent over the last three to four years.

However, prospects are now positive that intra-Africa trade will grow 3.9 per …

• Congo is working to increase its crude oil and gas production ahead of OPEC negotiations in November.
• Afreximbank is offering $300 million loan to Trident OGX Congo to increase crude oil production by 30%.
• Congo-Brazzaville’s production is expected to rise to 400,000 barrels per day by next year.

Congo is rolling out a plan to increase crude oil and gas production ahead of vital negotiations over OPEC production baselines in November. In the latest move, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has entered into an agreement to provide a $300 million loan to Trident OGX Congo aimed at increasing the country’s crude oil production by 30 per cent. 

The $300 million loan will enhance Congo’s crude oil output significantly within a year, and double gas production in two to three years, effectively stepping up the country’s 2024 output quota. 

Congo-Brazzaville’s production is currently just below 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per …

• Since President Félix Tshisekedi took power in January 2019, DRC has been pitching and welcoming international and regional investors in Kinshasa. 
• President Tshisekedi has struck mining and agriculture investment agreements with Chinese companies.
• In July, UAE signed a $1.9 billion deal with a state mining firm in the DRC to develop four mines in eastern Congo. South Africa struck electric batteries deal with DRC in July, too.

Across the Democratic Republic of Congo—the second largest country in Africa—the weather is friendly, and the policymakers in Kinshasa have been steadily turning the tide, making DRC a hub for investments.

A stroll down the streets of Kinshasa, a city of over 13 million bustling with activity, heavy clouds are keeping the glare of the tropical sun at bay. The capital’s streets are busy and crowded. The traffic is congested and millions rub shoulders on the sidewalks. To my utter shock, in Kinshasa, …

The DRC investment summit is a creative tool used by the nation to attract global investment stakeholders. According to the summit organizers, the summit brings together international investors, businesses, developers, and policymakers to attract and retain investment, as well as discuss trends that influence economic growth in the DRC.

DRC is arguably one of Africa’s richest countries in terms of natural resources, but it still ranks lower in investment performance.

Furthermore, DRC’s Human Capital index is 0.3 percent below the SSA average of 4 percent.

DRC has the world’s third-largest human population of impoverished people, which the WB argued remains widespread and is increasing due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.…

• Democratic Republic of Congo will host a major investment summit 27-29 June in Kinshasa
• Favourable policy changes to be discussed by top government officials
• President Felix Tshisekedi government reassures investors of security measures

Only three months after joining the East Africa Community (EAC) the Democratic Republic of Congo will this June host its inaugural DRC Investment Summit that will open the doors to Central Africa’s investment opportunities like never before.

Scheduled to take place from 27 – 29 June 2022, the two day summit will feature expert sessions that will highlight investment opportunities in the country. These sessions will provide a one of a kind platform allowing investors to learn of and hold in-depth analysis linked to policy making as well as global supply and demand movements

Organised by the government of the DRC, this inaugural summit is a global meeting place for investment in the Democratic Republic of …

• Airtel Africa and UNICEF said the deal will see them connect schools to the internet and ensure free access to learning platforms across 13 countries
• Airtel Africa is the first African private sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to ‘Reimagine Education’, a global initiative launched by UNICEF in 2020

Airtel Africa and UNICEF have entered into a five-year pan-African partnership to help accelerate the roll-out of digital learning.

In a statement, the partners said the deal will see them connect schools to the internet and ensure free access to learning platforms across 13 countries.

These are Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Airtel Africa has revealed that its financial and in-kind contribution for this partnership is $57 million over five years to 2027.

By providing equal access to quality digital learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children, …

As Agricultural activities intensifies to provide sufficient food for a growing population in south Africa climate change and its manifestations, which includes extreme weather events, have been featured as prominent risks on the radar of investors, banks and commercial farmers bearing in mind that South Africa has a market-oriented agricultural economy that is highly diversified and includes the production of all the major grains (except rice), oilseeds, deciduous and subtropical fruits, sugar, citrus, wine and most vegetables.

In Illustration, the World Economic Forum ranks environmental risks among the top five global risks in its ‘2020 Global Risk Report’.

The 2020 Global risk report discusses the prominence of extreme weather, failure to adapt to climate change, environmental damage caused by humans, major biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and major natural disasters.

Financial institution Nedbank believes that, while agriculture is a key contributor to environmental impacts, it finds itself on the receiving end …

African Ministers and Heads of Delegation of Ministries in charge of Housing and Urban Development, African Finance Ministers, the Directors and Management of Shelter Afrique, and representatives of international, regional and national institutions, the private sector and civil society, have agreed to enhance mechanisms for the mass production of decent and affordable housing in the continent to achieve social and economic development.

During a three-day summit at the 40^th Annual General Assembly of shelter-Afrique that was held in Yaunde Cameroon, the participants resolved to address the challenges that have hindered the efforts to provide decent and affordable housing in Africa.

In a research concluded by the Shelter-Afrique, a pan African housing finance and development institution, shows that the overall shortage of housing in Africa is estimated at 56 million housing units with out of this, more than 90 per cent are in affordable housing bracket.

The Managing Director …

The African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) released its sophomore Industry Survey drawing African Limited Partners and General Partners commitment to African investment as long-term.

The survey report that was released on April 15, was conducted in review of broad cross-section of global and African Limited Partners’ (LPs) and General Partners’ (GPs) to determine perspectives and attitudes of investing in African private equity (PE) across various categories, sectors, geographies, investment stages, challenges, and returns.

According to the survey report, Majority of Limited Partners (86%) plan to raise or maintain their allocation to African Private Equity {PE} over the next three years, with impact and the investment mandates viewed by most Limited Partners as the primary factors driving their investment approach.

ALSO READ: Investing in Africa: Trends driving Private Equity and Venture Capital in Africa

65% of Limited partners said that the African Private Equity {PE} attractiveness remained the …

The opportunities for trade in the DRC are huge for the EAC—the value of goods the country imported in 2019 stood at US$6.6 billion.  EAC exports to the DRC in 2018 stood at US$855.4 million, representing 11.5 % of total DRC imports while China dominated as the top exporter with a 31.2% share. 

In June 2019, through a letter to the EAC Chairman, Congo officially made a request for its admission into the EAC.  This is obviously because the country wants to reap from the benefits presented by the bloc as it has tremendously expanded in the past two decades, growing from the original three partner states which are Kenya Uganda and Tanzania to its present six member states. 

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