Browsing: investing in Africa

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 …

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 …

Investors are set to pump a total of $8.41 billion into Nigeria’s economy.

According to the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), more jobs will be created since the investors are targeting various sectors in the country.

NIPC Executive Secretary Yewande Sadiku who made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja said  the country’s unemployment level is the second highest globally.

Sadiku noted that the $8.4billion is pledged for the first quarter of the year, while over 23.19 million Nigerians, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, were unemployed during the fourth quarter of 2020.

However, Sadiku said although investment announcements are not actually investment, it gives an aggregate of investors’ interest in Nigeria and also help to translate those announcements to actual investment.

According to her, the Commission has been honest on the gap between announcement and actual investment demonstrating potential.

“We have also said that a …

Over Sh600, 000 is up for grabs in the new Makueni Innovation Challenge 2021 that is seeking ideas that will bring economic recovery amidst Covid-19.

The challenge targets all youths across the country, individual, groups or institutions aged between 18-35 years with ideas that fall into the thematic area of Agriculture, Health and Trade.

The challenge has been organized by Makueni County in collaboration with other partners that include Association of Countrywide Innovation Hubs, Communication Authority of Kenya, Africa118, Africaistalking, Decoded and Liquid Telkom.

Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana says the aim of the challenge is to catalyze the growth of startups, so as to amplify and consolidate the gains of the country’s digital innovative ecosystem.

Also Read: Innovation Africa: Defining technological change on the continent

“Youths must grasp the opportunities available at their disposal, and utilize them to enhance their skills to become entrepreneurs, employable and problem solvers in …

So…..one of the longest bull markets in history; the Covid-19 pandemic; two trillion dollars invested in a digital pyramid scheme (Bitcoin et al); government borrowing on an unprecedented level to deal with the pandemic; real trade tensions between China and the West; post-quantitative easing unemployment set to rocket; the stock markets being manipulated by large groups of retail investors; a new market dynamic caused by digitalisation; markets back to pre-Covid-19 levels……..what is an investor to do?! 

The only thing that is certain is that, in the words of Chinua Achebe, “Things Fall Apart”. It is not a matter of “if” but “when”. Most commentators would suggest that the “when” will be within a maximum of 24 months and many think much earlier.  

So if there is a global recession/depression on its way and if markets are going to undergo a substantial correction it makes sense to diversify …