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• At least three Australian firms have signed a handful of agreements including Evolution Energy Mineral Limited, EcoGraf Limited, and Peak Rare Earth Limited.
• This is the second mineral exploration and processing deal that Tanzania has signed in as many months and the government says there are more in the pipeline.
• Global markets are experiencing a rising demand for rare earth minerals, critical elements that are used in the manufacture of a vast array of electronic devices, and electric vehicles.

Australia, a vast country that hugely powers its economy through a vibrant mining industry, is bringing its expertise to Tanzania, East Africa for the exploration and processing of energy-rich graphite and other rare earth deposits.

At least three joint venture companies have been formed each having Tanzania accrue 16 percent of the shares, a rare deal in an industry that has for years left the East African country earning little because …

• Lender AfDB is looking to harness global equity funds to finance climate change mitigation in Africa.
• AfDB statistics show that only 14 percent of $29.5 billion that was invested in climate finance for Africa in 2020 was from the private sector.
• AfDB is set to hold climate change financing meeting in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, this May.

An increasing number of people across Africa are grappling with unpredictable but definite cycles of failed rains, flash floods or severe drought as climate change-induced weather patterns become the norm in the continent that is one of the least polluters globally.

“Africa, the continent that pollutes the planet the least, is today one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate risks,” admits the African Development Bank.

In many countries in Africa today, it is nearly impossible for farmers to practice rain-fed agriculture, which is the primary option for 99 percent of agricultural production …

• Tanzanite is so rare that it is only found in one place in the entire world, Tanzania and hence its name, tanzanite
• For years, Tanzania has complained bitterly over how India has been benefitting from the sale of tanzanite, a rare gem
• The mineral’s value chain extends far beyond its borders across the seas in India’s city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan state.

After decades of smuggling allegations, conspiracies of misappropriation and outright accusations of value theft, Tanzania and India have finally come to common ground on mineral research.

For a long time, Tanzania has lamented how India has been benefitting from the sale of tanzanite, a rare gem. In fact, tanzanite is so rare that it is only found in one place in the entire world, Tanzania and hence its name, tanzanite.

However, Tanzania has, for years now, been exporting raw tanzanite while other countries such as neighbouring …

• Project Management Institute’s recent Talent Gap report shows 2.3 million people will be needed each year to fill all project management-oriented (PMO) positions that are expected to open by 2030.
• To remain competitive, companies will need to hire problem solvers and relationship builders who can help drive change and deliver strategic value.
• During this decade, sub-Saharan Africa will witness a 40 percent growth in PMO employment opportunities.

African economies could be headed to a severe shortage of skilled project managers to implement critical infrastructure investments across the continent.

According to Project Management Institute’s most recent Talent Gap report, 2.3 million people will be needed each year to fill all project management-oriented (PMO) positions expected to open by 2030.

To remain competitive, companies will need to hire problem solvers and relationship builders who can help drive change and deliver strategic value.

During this decade, sub-Saharan Africa will witness a 40 percent …

• Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has launched the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanisms (AFFM) to boost purchase of the critical farm input across the continent.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that Africa is spending less on agriculture development than the rest of the world.
• AFFM has already secured $10.15 million in new funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

Shortage of fertilizer in Africa continues as the war between its main suppliers Russia and Ukraine enters the second year. To increase food productivity and security, African countries need increased access to fertilizer, nut until this dilemma is resolved, food security is off the table.

Access to fertilizer in Africa is very limited, where available, this basic agro-input for increased production is simply too expensive for effective use.

Such shortcomings were meant to be addressed by progressive initiatives such as the Maputo Agreement that was signed in Mozambique in …

• South Africa’s major banks have increased their provisions for bad debt, signaling the challenging effects of higher interest rates on consumers and the start of a terrible phase of the credit cycle.
• The repo rate has risen by a cumulative 425 basis points, making it more expensive for consumers to finance their debt, particularly those with long-term loans such as mortgages and vehicle loans.
• This ongoing burden of debt is a significant source of stress for families, with 51 percent of South African parents experiencing financial strain affecting their family life.

South Africa’s major banks increased their provisions for bad debt, underscoring the challenging effects of higher interest rates on consumers and the start of a more difficult phase of the credit cycle.

Despite the banks’ profitable lending activities and the impact of higher interest rates, consumers have been struggling to cope with the cumulative repo rate hikes since November …

• Price point remains a key magnet for fakes across East Africa. Counterfeit products are often cheaper than their genuine counterparts, making them easy picks for people shopping for a bargain.
• Some of the most counterfeited products in the region include pharmaceuticals, pesticides, electronics, cosmetics, alcohol, and cigarettes.
• According to the East African Business Council, counterfeit products, primarily fast-moving consumer goods, are costing East African states between US$500 million and US$1 billion per year.

Counterfeiting sticks like a sore thump or a bad hangover causing a big headache for governments and policymakers across East Africa as rising number of products including pesticides, cigarettes, and alcohol become deeply affected by the menace.

Some of the most counterfeited products in the region include pharmaceuticals, electronics, cosmetics, liquor, and cigarettes. Other products that are often counterfeited are clothing, shoes, and accessories, as well as automobile parts such as batteries.

The illegal trade of …

• The war between Russia and Ukraine and the impact it has on global grain exports—which feed billions each day—highlight the urgent need for mobilizing private funding to ensure food security. 
• Citi Research shows that Ukrainian grain harvests and exports this year could be down as much as 50 percent on pre-war levels. Africa is highly dependent on grains from Ukraine.
• Meanwhile, the April 2023 edition of the Agricultural Market Information System Market Monitor shows the gradual decline over the past 10 months of global grain and oilseed prices to levels prior to the war in Ukraine.

The devastating war pitting Russia against next door neighbour Ukraine and its stifling of global grain exports underscores the urgent need for mobilising private funding to provide food for the hungry in Africa, which has been depending on Kiev to feed her people.

This is the call-to-action from deVere Group’s CEO Nigel Green, and …

• South Africa has adopted a number of measures aimed at boosting the country’s critical mineral industry.
• In January 2023, mining production experienced its twelfth consecutive month-to-month decline, recording a decrease of 1.9 per cent.
• According to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, the industry needs to advance a commitment to working together as stakeholders on the reconstruction and recovery of the mining industry. 

  South Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals present a huge opportunity for the country to accelerate economic growth and boost employment creation, while ensuring the energy transition is just and inclusive.

  Statistics South Africa recently released its key findings for the fourth quarter of 2022, wherein the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 1.3 per cent. According to the report, the mining and quarrying industry decreased by 3.2 per cent and thus contributed -0.1 per cent to the GDP growth.

  Key to

• An increasing number of investors across the globe are angling for a pie of Africa’s $1 trillion hydrogen supply potential.
• By 2050, analysts project that green hydrogen could increase the GDP of six African countries including Egypt, Namibia, Mauritania, Morocco, and South Africa by $126 billion.
• In 2021, the government of Namibia announced the rollout of a green hydrogen project worth an estimated $9.4 billion.

Africa has experienced several energy transitions throughout the past few decades, from coal-powered energy to the massive adoption of electricity that still powers many industries today.

But as the continent enters a new age of renewable energy, Africa’s steady adoption of green hydrogen, a new offering in renewable energy mix has the potential to accelerate the continent’s move into energy independence.

Currently, Africa’s hydrogen supply is estimated at $1 trillion industry and an increasing number of organizations have flooded the market, trying to gain a …