Browsing: investing in Africa

• The event has been postponed over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.
• This marks the second year running that the vital investment forum has been disrupted due to the coronavirus, with last year’s event cancelled.
• This year’s Africa Investment Forum was meant to showcase118 deals in its pipeline from all eight founding members.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has postponed the 2021 Africa Investment Forum (AIF) until further notice.

Delegates had already started preparations to travel to Abidjan for the event that had been slated for December 1, 2021.

The event has been postponed over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

What is Omicron?

The heavily mutated Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa on Nov. 25, with the first cases identified in neighbouring Botswana and later cases reported in Tshwane, the municipality in which Pretoria is located.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new variant is likely to …

It is hard to remember any decision that has ever harmed Kenya as much as the recommendation now before parliament that it adopts the European Union’s (EU) policies on agricultural inputs and phase them out. In fact, as the latest and most disastrous move yet by health policy-makers to take over the country’s agricultural policy, it is an overreach where ignorance could cost us 20 per cent of our entire GDP, as well as countless lives. 

 Also read: East African Trends: A focus on East Africa’s agribusiness investments

For there is nothing about the recommendation from the Parliamentary Health Committee to indicate it has examined the policies it wants introduced, or understood them, or assessed the impact on Kenya. Nor has it mentioned why the rest of the world – including Kenya itself – has moved into WTO disputes seeking the overturning of the very same policies, or why the …

I am by nature an optimist. A long and challenging life has tempered that optimism with a large dose of realism but I am definitely a “glass half-full” kind of man. As a regular contributor to The Exchange I don’t really want to blame another contributor for tipping me over the edge into downright pessimism but, having read the excellent piece by Eric Kimunguyi entitled, “Europe taking on the world to lock out agriculture” I am not of good heart. In fact, I cannot remember a time when I have been less optimistic about the financial future of the world economy. 

The world financial system is even sicker than the world’s population. The Covid-19 pandemic is still having devastating effects on human health and wealth around the world – some 18 months after it first appeared. The world’s leading economies are broken and are still printing money to subsidise their …

The shareholders of Equity Group Holdings Plc have passed resolutions that will reinforce the governance structures of the Group, continue to diversify the Board composition, and also assure investors of dividend pay-out every year as long as the Company posts profits.

In a statement, the Group says shareholders voted for the Amendment of Articles 1 and 79 of the Articles of Association of the Company thereby reinforcing its governance structure and signaling the growing significance of Equity Group Foundation as the social impact investment arm and custodian of the purpose of the Group.

Speaking after the AGM, the Group Board Chairman Equity Group Holdings Plc (EGH Plc), Professor Isaac Macharia said the move will further strengthen the structures to ensure the Board is reinforced through diversified representation for effective oversight.

“In so doing, the shareholders have passed a resolution enabling shareholders with more than 12.5 percent shareholding to participate directly …

Africa has abundant natural resources and holds immense opportunities for investors to unlock its full potential.

According to the International Monitory Fund (IMF), Africa’s hardwon economic gains for the last two decades which are critical in improving living standards can be reversed from the impacts of the pandemic.

The scope for growth through large public investment programs is limited by the uncertain outlook for international aid and the high public debts levels. In its statement, the IMF notes that if countries in the region are to enjoy a strong recovery and avoid stagnation, Africa’s private sector will have to be more involved in economic development.

According to IMF, the private sector should be involved in both social (health and education) and physical (roads and electricity) infrastructure.

“Africa’s infrastructure development needs are huge—in the order of 20 per cent of GDP on average by the end of the decade. How can …

The African continent has been portrayed in most literature as the “Dark Continent”, with not many expectations from it. This degrading view is slowly fading from the trending news globally, as the continent continues to headline great achievements. 

There has not been a shortage of millionaires as well, with new six-figure worth individuals being added each year impacting the socio-economic outlook on the continent.  …

An educational approach especially one that combines study in key areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is critical to achieving lasting change in the continent. 

An educational-based development model is a revolutionary tool in the economic sector as it fosters innovation, problem solving and creativity in real-life situations.  

 The approach has been adopted in most countries globally, as well as in the African continent. It has a significant impact on society, the economy and the way people relate to the natural environment.…

Consider everything you have heard about Africa is wrong and start on a quest to know and understand the continent better when it comes to the opportunities it has to offer. 

For anyone giving investing in Africa a wide berth, it is because of what they have heard and rarely due to what they have experienced. This will lead to missing the myriad opportunities the continent has in the different sectors where investment is badly needed.

For starters, Africa is not only the fastest-growing continent on the planet but it is also fuelled by a young and rapidly urbanizing population which will drive demand for a long time to come.…

Access to finance has been one of the many challenges that African start-ups have been grappling with.

Bantaba, a platform that enables Startups in Africa to access talent and capital from the diaspora community by creating a link between Diaspora and African Start-ups has moved to bridge this gap.

The platform which looks to help boost African businesses leveraging technology to address the continent’s various challenges (tech based businesses) – fintech, healthtech, ecommerce, logistics, software, agriculture to investors.

Also Read: East African businesses adopt digital solutions amid covid-19

“Entrepreneurs can access Bantaba’s services by signing-up to our platform. The sign-up can be done on our website: BANTABA. When registering, the Startups will be able to describe what problems they are solving, what impact their solution is having on the community and more importantly what their needs are in terms of talent and capital.” Said Co-Founder & CEO of Bantaba, Lamin …