Browsing: FDI

• Reduced commodity prices will hamper Zimbabwe’s economic growth aspirations in 2024. Commodities produced by Zimbabwe include platinum, gold, and diamonds.
• Over the last two years, the country earned record foreign exchange export receipts due to booming commodity prices. However, exports have started to slow and are expected to continue into 2024.
• Zimbabwe will face a perfect storm of economic headwinds, combining factors such as persistent soft commodity prices, anticipated El Nino conditions leading to reduced agricultural output, and lower power generation, all contributing to a reduction in economic growth.

Zimbabwe’s economic growth in 2024 will face challenges due to headwinds within its economy, compounded by external factors undermining its growth aspirations. Global commodity prices have recently decreased, posing a significant concern for countries dependent on producing these commodities for economic sustenance.

Over the last two decades, mining has increased significantly in Zimbabwe’s economy. While agriculture was once central to the …

• Kenya seeks to attract $10 billion in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the next four years despite dwindling inflows over the past years. 
• The Kenya Investment Authority has partnered with UNDP and the World Bank to develop and implement an Investment Facilitation Framework and FDI Attraction Strategy.
• The framework is aimed at creating a transparent, predictable, efficient and trusted mechanism for effective investment facilitation.

Kenya aims to attract $10 billion in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the next four years despite experiencing declining investment inflows in recent years. The East African country, in collaboration with the Kenya Investment Authority, has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank to formulate and implement an Investment Facilitation Framework and FDI Attraction Strategy.

Rebecca Miano, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI) in Kenya, stated that the framework seeks to establish a transparent, …

The implications of fragmentation and polarization on Africa’s economic growth and whether these trends will continue are unknown. What is certain is that multilateral organizations will need to continue encouraging international dialogue to promote economic integration and collaboration. As a result, one problem that emerges is whether African nations would adopt a unified stance or take a non-aligned approach in the Sino-American dispute.…

• Tanzania garnered $1.2 billion (approximately Sh2.8 trillion) in investment through projects filed with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) from January to March, compared to $787.4 million (Sh1.8 trillion) in 2022
• According to the most recent TIC report, the investment will be invested in 93 projects that would create more than 16,400 job possibilities
• Domestic sources made significant contributions, contributing US$887 million, or 76 per cent, of the total permitted investments ,US$276 million, or 24%, came from overseas sources.

Due to an improvement in the economic climate, Tanzania had a 52.4 per cent rise in investment over the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

Tanzania garnered US$1.2 billion (approximately Sh2.8 trillion) in investment through projects filed with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) from January to March, compared to US$787.4 million (Sh1.8 trillion) in 2022.

According to the most recent TIC report, the investment will be …

According to Statista, agriculture contributes at least 4% of the annual value added to the gross domestic product of Brazil. It accounts for at least 9% of the people who are employed and able to work. On the face of it reading numbers 4% and 9% seem like they are nominal until one considers the sheer size of the country of Brazil in terms of land mass. Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of land area. It sits on no less than 8.5 million square kilometres.

Of this land mass, approximately a third is used for agriculture. For perspective’s sake, Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, and the United States. The Brazilian Report states that all the countries that make up the European Union would fit inside Brazil’s borders!

To bring the perspective much closer to home, …

Southern Africa, East and West Africa saw their flows of FDI rise in 2021. It was only in Central and North Africa that flows of foreign direct investment were flat or declined, respectively. Flows to North Africa fell by 5 per cent to $9.3 billion.

Egypt saw its FDI drop by 12% as large investments in exploration and production agreements in extractive industries were not repeated. Despite the decline, Egypt has the second highest flows of FDI in 2021 on the continent.

UNCTAD reports that it expects FDI flows to increase in North Africa owing to pledges of as much as US$ 22 billion to the region from Gulf states. In Egypt, according to the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2022 tripled green field projects of US$ 5.6 billion and real estate projects of US$ 1.5 billion.

In Morocco, FDI flows increased by 52% to US$ 2.2 billion. This was driven …

AfCFTA will be a game changer for Africa, but its success depends on certain enablers being present. The first and most obvious impediment and an obstacle to the initiative will be mustering the political will of the signatories to implement the necessary reforms to enable its success.  This may not always be politically feasible or possible.

The less obvious enablers and the financial institutions on the African continent. Their presence and activities have a direct and strong bearing on the success of AfCFTA. One of the foremost bankers on the African continent, Sim Tshabalala, the chief executive of the continent’s largest banking institution by assets, is fond of saying that banking is a derived business. This means that banks butter their bread from the activities of economic agents.

If AfCFTA is to succeed in its quest to merge the various comparative advantages of the countries that constitute Africa it will …

Interestingly, of the US$1.5 trillion in foreign direct investment recorded in 2021, 53% of that money was channelled towards developing economies. Africa made a very strong showing in terms of foreign direct investment in 2021.

According to the report, Africa attracted US$ 83 billion in foreign direct investment compared to the US$ 39 billion it achieved in 2020. Of the global investment flows that landed on African shores in 2021 US$ 41 billion went directly to South Africa.

Despite the positive developments that occurred in 2021 in foreign direct investment, the UNCTAD report concludes by stating that the growth and momentum in FDI flows in 2021 will not be sustainable given the adverse economic developments that have occurred in 2022.

UNCTAD expects these developments will either put downward pressure on the flow of FDI or flatten the curve.…

The European Union (EU) and Nigeria have enjoyed robust trade and bilateral relations since the formulation of this lucrative partnership, and remains its most important trading partner for oil and non-oil exports. In cognizance of Nigeria’s strategic importance as Africa’s most populous nation, and one of the largest economies; the EU’s cooperation with the country aims to enhance growth and stability to achieve social equity, hence their partnership has been rooted in shared values and interests since inception. In addition, Nigeria is also a key beneficiary of the EU’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

To boot, the EU has recently renewed its commitment, pledging to continue to pursue with increased vigour, its bilateral engagement and friendship with Nigeria I n order to deliver better and to make the partnership more fruitful. This comes after the trade volume between the European Union and Nigeria, increased by 25.8 per cent to peak at …

UNCTAD World Investment Report 2021 specifically states that “Greenfield investments in industry and new infrastructure investment projects in developing countries were hit especially hard.”

These financial flows of investment dollars have deep-rooted implications for Africa in the sense that they are vital for sustainable development in less developed and poorer countries.

The decline in investment flows was disproportionately skewed towards developed countries where FDI fell by 58 per cent according to UNCTAD. Investment flows in developing economies fell by a moderate 8 per cent mainly because of resilient flows in Asia.…