Browsing: East Africa

The elephant population in Tanzania has increased from 43,330 in 2014 to over 60,000 this year. The government attributes the increase to crackdown on poaching syndicates.

A key figure in the poaching and black market trade of ivory, was arrested denting the industry greatly. Christened, the “Ivory Queen” Yang Fenglan, a prominent Chinese businesswoman was last year sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.

However, by time of her arrest, it is estimated she alone was responsible for the smuggling numerous tones of ivory to China. Yang was tried and found guilty of operating one of Africa’s biggest ivory-smuggling rings. By the of her arrest, she is said to have been responsible for smuggling ivory worth over USD2.5m. That value is estimated to have been derived from the slaughter of almost 400 elephants.

Following her arrest, activists suffered a great lose with the murder of Roger Gower in 2016. …

When there is conflict, it is the general society and businesses that suffer the most, in fact business should be at the forefront of advocacy for peace.

With almost every element of business going digital, the question of digital platforms been used for radical sentiments is not a political agenda but a socio-economic one.

There is need to take concerted action to promote and facilitate peace especially now, in an age where social media is been used to spread radical content online. Social media and other digital platforms are also very powerful tools to prevent conflict and extremism and promote greater understanding and tolerance.

“We have to take steps to ensure we instill seeds of peace and tolerance for one another, and social media is a great platform to reach youth to promote peace” Martha Nghambi the, Country Director for Global Peace Foundation Tanzania asserted.

Speaking to media over the …

Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in East Africa declined by 9 per cent to $7.8 billion in 2019, from $9 billion in 2018 shows the latest World Investment Report 2020 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).

This year there could be a sharp decline in FDIs as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect economies across the globe.

In 2019, Uganda’s foreign direct investments increased by 20 per cent to $1.3 billion due to the continued development of oil fields and an international pipeline. Also projects in agriculture, construction and manufacturing contributed to the increased in FDI.

Also Read: Angola set to attract more FDI into oil and gas sector

In Tanzania, FDI inflows didn’t change they remained at $1.1 billion. In Kenya, despite several new projects in information technology and healthcare FDI inflows dropped by 18 per cent to $1.3 billion compared with $1.6 billion in 2018.…

The pandemic has hit the agriculture sector hard with East Africa economies slowly shift from agriculture to services as the main GDP contributor.

Early this month, the African Development Bank highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa in its African Economic Outlook 2020 Supplement Amid Covid-19 report.

According to the bank’s report, agriculture’s contribution to the African region went down from an average of 33.4 per cent at the turn of the millennium to 28.3 per cent in 2018.

This was against an increase in the service sector whose contribution to GDP rose from 44.6 per cent in the early 2000s to 53.8 per cent in 2018. This can be seen in some African countries like Seychelles whose service sector contribution to GDP is at 80 per cent, Eritrea at 67 per cent, Kenya at 60 per cent and Rwanda at 47 per cent.

According to the International …

When you are a small start up in Africa, you do not dream of getting listed on the London Stock Exchange, or shall we say, that is indeed all you dream of, and far fetched dream that is.

However, maybe not so far fetched, if you can achieve consistent annual growth and, keep your finances transparent.

While their business growth is a main factor to get them on the shortlist, however, to be listed in this report, the company must also show transparency in reporting its finances.

In its recent report, titled ‘Companies to Inspire Africa’ the London Stock Exchange Group listed a handful of companies and highlighted them as Africa’s top upcoming firms.

The report, which was produced in partnership with the African Development Bank Group among other stakeholders, describes these companies as the inspiration of Africa’s future and that they are leading the way to an Africa of …

In Africa’s metropolises, you don’t have to be rich to wear Gucci Armani or Prada, no sir, it is common place to see women in the slums carrying Dolce Gabbana handbags.

In fact there is a prominent saying across most all of Africa’s urban centres like Dar es Salaam and Nairobi “…everyone looks good in mtumba.”

Mtumba, is Swahili slang for second hand clothes, and Africa is one of the world’s leading importers of second hands, from caps, t-shirts and shirts, to pants and shorts all the way to bras and women underwear, yes second hand bras and underway are big business.

‘East Africa imported $151 million worth of used clothes and shoes in 2015, mostly from Europe and the U.S.’ And ‘At least 70 percent of donated garments end up in Africa’ – Oxfam.

What is strange here is that, Africa does not want to import these used items …

The African Development Bank (AfDB) ‘2020 African Economic Outlook’ report is very optimistic about East Africa’s economic performance, despite the setbacks of Covid-19. The report shows that on average, the region registered growth of 5 percent throughout all of last year.

Once again, it is the small landlocked Rwanda that booked the highest growth rate reporting an impressive 8.7 per cent. However, worth noting is that Rwanda’s annual economic growth did take a hit from the global pandemic and slowed to 3.6% in the first quarter of 2020.

Second runners up was none other than Ethiopia which brought home 7.4 per cent in economic growth last year says the 2020 report. Next in line is Tanzania which garnered a 6.8 per cent growth, much higher than the rest of world by all standards.

The report say, despite the global pandemic and the economic burdens thereof, Tanzania’s growth is expected to …

Trouble laden Petra Diamond is planning to sale 75 per cent stake of its Tanzanian diamond business but the government of Tanzania says, no. Rightfully so, because as a stakeholder, the government had every right to be informed prior to any sell attempt and in this case, it was not.

The company currently owns the Williamson mine in partnership with the government of Tanzania and as a share holder, the government has said it was not consulted prior to the sale plans.

This government response comes just a fortnight after the UK based miner announced the decision to sell.

In its initial announcement, local media quoted the company’s Africa Corporate Communications Manager, Ms Cathy Malins admitting that the company was facing heavy losses and has no choice but to sale.

The Communications Manager attributed the losses to effects of Covid-19 saying there is a dire fall in the global market.…

The Tanzania insurance market is still very much untapped and even as the country achieves middle income status, much of the population is still not insured.

Commercial banks in the country have smelt opportunity in the industry and are now circling in. CRDB Bank, a leading bank in Tanzania, recently announced plans to register its own insurance subsidiary firm.

The bank is currently already a broker and enjoying considerable premium back payments which almost double in the span of just 3 years (2016-2019).

In an interview with local media, CRDB’s Broker General Manager, Mr Arthur Mosha said in that short time, their premium levels is up from 44.2bn/- ($19.088 million) from 25bn/- ($10.81 million).

Not surprising, Tanzania’s insurance market grew by 8.6 percent in gross premiums over the course of the last financial year. As of 2018, Tanzania’s insurance industry had 31 insurance companies, 109 insurance brokers and 635 insurance …

East Africa’s growth projection for 2020 has been pushed down to 1.2 per cent, a rate that outstrips other African regions and is forecast to rebound to 3.7 per cent in 2021, according to the African Development Bank East Africa Regional Economic Outlook 2020.

The projection is under the baseline scenario that assumes the virus is contained by the third quarter of 2020.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, East Africa’s economic growth was projected to be more than 5 per cent, which is above Africa’s average of 3.3 per cent and the global average of 2.9 per cent. However, COVID-19 and locust invasion have contributed to job losses, increased humanitarian needs and will lead to poverty and income inequality.

If the pandemic persists until the end of 2020, growth is projected at 0.2 per cent which is still above Africa’s predicted average of -1.7 per cent and -3.4 per cent under …