Browsing: Poverty in Africa

• In 2020, sub-Saharan Africa plunged into its first recession in more than 25 years, erasing at least five years of progress in fighting poverty.
• Economists forecast that lost ground will not be recovered until 2024, when they expect per capita output to return to pre-pandemic levels.
• The persistent impact of the pandemic on incomes means the poverty rate would translate into almost 25 million more people living in poverty, compared with pre-Covid estimates.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an estimated 30 million people in sub-Saharan Africa into extreme poverty, wiping out more than five years of progress.

This is according to a report released at the ongoing Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore which finds that whilst some ground will be made up as economies across the continent recover, this will still not be enough to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 – a …

In 2021, it is estimated that 39 million Africans could fall into extreme poverty while in 2020 about 30 million Africans were pushed into extreme poverty as a result of the pandemic, African Development Bank said in its report.

In its African Economic Outlook 2021 report, African Development Bank said that the most affected people are those with lower levels of education, working in informal jobs and those with fewer assets.

According to the report, in order to lift the newly extreme poor to the $1.90 per day poverty line, the monetary cost is estimated at $4.5 billion in 2021 which is about $90.7 million on average per country.

The report noted that women and households headed by females could represent a large proportion of the newly poor. It also said that inequality will increase to the vulnerable groups such as women, youths and low skilled informal workers as they …

There has never been a generation that has benefitted from simplified access to and disseminating information than the currtient one.  Statistically, there are over three billion smartphone users worldwide. With the digital landscape connually growing, developing countries are not left behind. Although a significant number of people on the African continent have no access to internet connectivity, there is steady growth, and it is anticipated that at least 475 million users will be able to access the internet via their mobile phones by 2025.

What is big data?

Big data is a term used to describe significant volumes of data, either in structured or unstructured forms, which are relayed daily. In business, big data is useful for analysis and leads to strategic decision-making and planning.

Big data and technology

Technological devices run on data. They collect data and use it to perform different functions, processing it and assisting …

The African continent is wealthy with vast mineral resources, which are 30% of the world’s total mineral reserves. Ninety percent of the world’s platinum and chromium reserves are found in Africa.

Sixty percent of the world’s arable land is located in Africa, which spells much potential for agriculture. Africa also boasts of many tourist attractions, including the majestic Victoria Falls, World Heritage Sites such as the Egyptian pyramids, as well as the numerous game reserves, to mention a few. This is in addition to the rich African culture as well as the diverse ethnic groups with over 1500 languages. It is the world’s second-largest and second most-populous continent. 

Despite lying on a rich bed of resources, both natural and human, the narrative about Africa remains that of the poorest of the poor. 

Changing the narrative

For a long time, the narrative of Africa as an impoverished continent has …

The New Year 2021 has begun on a high note with the reality of the coronavirus vaccine shining across the globe. The year 2020 will certainly be etched in the minds of many people across the world for the wrong reasons. It is the year that the coronavirus caused death, illness and economic despair across the world.  

In Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has hugely torpedoed the continent’s war against poverty. According to the IMF, developed economies will shrink by around 6% in 2020 while emerging markets and developing ones will shrink by 1%. With more people living close to the international poverty line in developing nations, it is imperative to note that low and middle income countries will suffer the greatest repercussions in terms of extreme poverty.  

Also Read:BUSARA CENTER AIMS AT POVERTY ALLEVIATION  

The definition of poverty entails more than just the lack of income and productive resources …

In the affairs of conducting business – whether it is a single, family-owned venture or a large multinational conglomerate – capital is at the crux of the undertaking. 

In this edition, The Exchange brings to you Part 2 of a two-part series on Patient Capital and how Africa can reap the tremendous value of philanthropy in business. 

Patient Capital: An Instrument for Financing Development 

Over the last decade, a new breed of investors focused on financial returns with a strong social and environmental value proposition have emerged in Africa. These “impact investors” seek to consolidate financial returns with social impact by utilizing the apparatus of venture capital to make principal investments in private, high-growth companies/organizations that have the potential to deliver some quantifiable social or environmental benefits. 

Patient capital is an emerging investment instrument that generally falls under a broad category of vehicles for financing social change and economic …

At least seven million people in Uganda will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030, according to a study by Brookings Institute.

The study contained in the Foresight Africa 2020 reveals that Uganda will not able to achieve the number one Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) which seeks to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.

The study highlights priorities for Africa in 2020 to 2030. Dr Brahima Coulibaly, the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution senior fellow and director, said by 2030, Africa will have 397.9 million people living in extreme poverty, out of which 7.6 million will be in Uganda.

Also Read: Will events in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, bring financial and political freedom this decade?

He said that by 2030, all Sub Saharan Africa countries, are expected to make some progress towards SDGs. However, by 2030, 18 countries out of 44 will get less than halfway to the …