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African healthtech shows resilience with mere 2% decline in funding while broader tech ecosystem plunges in 2023, report
Healthcare consulting firm Salient Advisory has launched its latest Intelligence Report, presenting findings on funding activity, covering grant, equity, and debt investments for African healthtech startups in 2023
IFC, Proparco and MIGA back Kasada to support Kenya’s hospitality sector
The financing package includes an $11 million loan from IFC and an $11 million parallel loan from Proparco. In addition, MIGA will provide $27.5 million in political risk insurance to the project.
Digital commerce in Africa to expand 25% per year by 2026, report
Africa has emerged as a frontier for the new online consumer class, representing an estimated 10 million new consumers in 2024 and trailing only Asia as a region. This is according to the new annual Beyond Borders digital payments and commerce report by EBANX
Plexus Africa Finance collaborates with Altair Consultancy on housing and infrastructure projects in West Africa
The collaboration may also extend to include other nations on the African continent, based on project requirements.
Vodacom, Safaricom hit 200 million subscribers
Vodacom Group’s subscriber base including Safaricom has now surpassed 200 million for the first time, having previously achieved 100 million customers in 2018.
15% of companies in the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa region do not train employees on IT
According to Kaspersky’s Business Digitization survey, only 29% of companies surveyed in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region organised training on cybersecurity for their employees.
[South Africa] Ninety percent of CEOs are waiting for GenAI to move past the hype, report
Seventy-one percent of global executives surveyed say they plan to increase tech investments in 2024—an 11-point jump from 2023—and even more (85%) plan to increase their spending on AI and GenAI.
23% of companies in the META region suffered from malicious actions by staff, report
A Kaspersky study found that in the past two years, 78% of companies surveyed in the META region have faced cyber incidents in different forms, 23% of which were caused by deliberate malicious behaviour by employees
Shelter Afrique Development Bank launches affordable housing credit guarantee programme in Nigeria
The innovative financing structure has begun with the first pilot transaction of ₦aira three billion (₦3 Billion) debt financing guarantee for Modern Shelter Systems and Services Limited under a comprehensive affordable housing program.
47% of companies in the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa region plan to outsource cybersecurity, report
Company bosses are boosting their cybersecurity following an alarming increase in cyberattacks, a new study commissioned by Kaspersky has found.
Generative AI skills gap slowing down AI adoption EMEA region, report
Organisations in the EMEA region plan to embrace AI solutions but are slowed by a generative AI skills gap. This is according to a new report released by hybrid multi-cloud computing provider Nutanix.
IFC announces support for UNEP-GlobalABC buildings breakthrough target
IFC will become the first private sector-focused development financial institution globally to endorse the Buildings Breakthrough Target via its two climate innovations:
Retailers are struggling to deal with ransomware attacks, Sophos report
After surveying 3,000 IT/cybersecurity leaders in organizations with between 100 and 5,000 employees (including 355 from the retail sector), across 14 countries in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific Sophos found that only 26% of retail organizations this past year were able to disrupt a ransomware attack.
75% of healthcare organisations lose data to ransomware attacks, Sophos report
Cybercriminals successfully encrypted data in nearly 75% of ransomware attacks on healthcare organisations. This is according to the The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2023 report released by cybersecurity firm Sophos.
Kenyan consumers remain optimistic, but financial worries weigh heavy, report
According to TransUnion’s Consumer Pulse Study, one of the significant factors contributing to the decrease in household income was job loss, with 30% of consumers reporting that someone in their household lost their job over the past month.
Kenya among top countries receiving most DDOS attacks amid ongoing geopolitical unrest
Kenya has been listed among the top five countries hit by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the first half of 2023. Other countries include France, Germany, Italy, and Saudi Arabia
[South Africa] Companies acknowledge inadequate budgets to address the root cause of breaches, J2 Software survey
A recent survey revealed that 58% of organisations believe their budgets allocated to manage insider risks are insufficient to effectively mitigate the increasing costs and frequency of security incidents instigated by individuals within the organisation.
80% of SMEs in South Africa project similar or increased revenue in 2023, Mastercard report
From surviving to thriving in the post-COVID world, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa are projecting similar or increased revenues in 2023.
Mobile threats in the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa region rise in Q2 2023
The number of mobile threat detections particularly in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa region increased by 5% in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022.
SODIC expands in Egypt with the addition of two luxury hotels
Underpinned by SODIC's extensive expertise and reputation, Nobu's introduction into Egypt will anchor two of SODIC's developments – Cairo in the New Zayed area and a coastal development on the North Coast.
43% of employees in META region afraid of losing job due to lack of digital skills, report
Among those who think they are most likely to lose their job because of the lack of digital skills within the next 5 years are department heads (29%) and top managers (15%).
[South Africa] Financial Sector surpasses the National Average as Data Breach Costs Reach R73.1 Million
The average data breach cost for South African organizations reached R49.45 million in 2023 – an all-time high according to the IBM Security annual Cost of a Data Breach Report.
Nigeria trails South Africa and Kenya in Africa’s B2B payment revolution
Nigeria trails South Africa and Kenya in the development of key B2B payment processes across Africa, including the adoption of electronic bank transfers, speed of processing invoices and payment automation.
Kenya experiences 82% increase in cyber-attacks, Liquid C2 Cybersecurity Report
Cyber-attacks on Kenyan businesses increased by 82 percent according to a cybersecurity report released by Liquid C2, a business unit of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
CPS and African School of Economics join forces to establish University and Research Labs in Fumba Town
CPS to announce its partnership with the African School of Economics (ASE), spearheaded by Prof Leonard Wantchekon, the esteemed President and Founder.
Kenya lost Ksh 3.6 billion to cyber criminals in 2022, report
Kenya’s losses to cyber criminals reached Ksh 3.6 billion (USD 36 million) in 2022, compared to Nigeria and South Africa where they are nearly tenfold at Ksh 50 billion (USD 500 million) and Ksh 57 billion (USD 570 million) respectively.
Baron & Cabot Launches a portal to support the expansion of local real estate agencies in Africa
Baron and Cabot, a UK-based international real estate firm has launched a game-changing concept – a UK property portal that is offering a strategic expansion plan for real estate agencies in Africa.
[ChatGPT Biography] Samih Sawiris, Founder of Orascom Development
Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm. As an experiment, Africa Business Communities is publishing a series of 100 biographies of the most successful entrepreneurs in Africa. We only ask the questions and let ChatGPT write.
[ChatGPT Biography] Manu Chandaria, Founder of Comcraft Group
Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm. As an experiment, Africa Business Communities is publishing a series of 100 biographies of the most successful entrepreneurs in Africa. We only ask the questions and let ChatGPT write
[ChatGPT Biography] Ashish Thakkar, Founder Mara Group
Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm. As an experiment, Africa Business Communities is publishing a series of 100 biographies of the most successful entrepreneurs in Africa. We only ask the questions and let ChatGPT write.
[Column] Natasha Koli-Muhire: Housing financiers have vital role in promoting housing recovery post disaster
Many countries have constitutions that recognize the right to accessible and adequate housing and to reasonable standards of sanitation under their Bill of Rights. This right to adequate housing is critical more so within the context of disasters.
[Interview] Dr. Mohamed El Sahili, CEO, Medland Hospital, Zambia
Dr. Mohamed El Sahili is the Chief Executive Officer of Medland Hospital, Zambia. As a medical doctor and entrepreneur, Dr. Sahili also serves on the board of key economic international organizations like the African Business Roundtable, the American Chamber of Commerce, Zambia, Olympic Youth Development Center and the Africa CEO Forum.
[Interview] Dr. Mohamed El Sahili, PDG, Hôpital Medland, Zambie
Le Dr Mohamed El Sahili est le directeur général de l'hôpital Medland, en Zambie. En tant que médecin et entrepreneur, le Dr Sahili siège également au conseil d'administration d'organisations économiques internationales clés, telles que l'African Business Roundtable et l'American Chamber of Commerce.
[East Africa Business Week] Bob Koigi: Bolstering integration with Tripartite Business Council
In a historic move for the integration process, The East African Business Council, COMESA and SADC Business Council recently launched and formed the African Tripartite Business Council.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Banks rally behind women-led SMEs
The NNPC has an approximated value of 50 trillion naira. With oil and gas infrastructure in Nigeria constantly plagued by mischief and vandalism, an ECOWAS expert has profferred a very interesting solution to this persisting problem
[Column] Muhammad Gambo: The Russia – Ukraine conflict and its impact on the built environment industry in Africa
The imminent food crisis resulting from the war is the topic du jour. However, there are other sectors to consider; one of them is the Built Environment.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Digitization set to penetrate capital market, investment
Given the economic situation spreading across the globe in the last couple of years, it is with some optimism we can take the modest increase in Nigeria’s GDP.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Telcos break new ground, digital loans gain momentum
Instant loans, sometimes called digital loans, are gaining speed in the country and the telecom sector took some giant steps forward this week.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Persistent shortages and inflation call for new measures
Africa has in the past decade positioned itself as a knowledge economy, with one of the most robust startup ecosystems in the world.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Crude industry facts underlining the Nigerian economy
The Nigerian stock market indicators have shown lately a typical pattern in stock markets – investors stay loyal to the resilient stocks.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Experts point toward startup management for local productivity
Nigeria’s crown jewel, oil and gas, has been in a state of mild disrepair for several months now. There’s an ongoing fuel scarcity situation that is intensifying by the day and causing a ripple effect in every aspect of daily life.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Domestic savings, capital formation meet infrastructure demands
The Federal Government is taking huge strides to strengthen the infrastructure and agriculture industries in Nigeria.
[Column] Rene McGregor: How to find the story in a business’s data and then action it
It's broadly understood that a data literate person can read, understand, communicate, argue and apply insights from data.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Economic conditions returning to pre-pandemic levels
The startup movement has picked up pace in Nigeria over the last decade, with the government and responsible agencies ramping up efforts in motivating the burgeoning industry.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: 5G becomes national security policy, industries seek sustainability in technology
The one thing the current global pandemic has unilaterally effected in all nations is a rearrangement of priorities, both for people and for governments. Survival elements – food and healthcare – have taken lead position.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Nigeria sets course to unify industry benefits, lead Africa's 5G
Following a turbulent year of stock market fluctuations, restrictions related to an ongoing pandemic and varying economic instabilities, predictions on Nigeria’s performance last year ranged from inferior to mediocre to excellent.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Industries unanimously look toward renewable, sustainable practices
The Covid-19 crisis has been cause for numerous economic slumps round the world; companies were shut down, production halted, industries crippled and prices skyrocketed the world over.
[Column] Roger Long: Divergent trends in property values across Africa
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic not only affected people and communities, but also impacted commercial property values across the world. This report looks at the effect of the pandemic on property values in Africa.
[Column] Babatunde Oyateru: Africa should rethink business models for impact and sustainability
Is the corporate goal of an organisation solely to return a profit to its shareholders, or should it be purpose-driven and respond to wider societal needs at the expense of robust profits?
[Interview] Stephan Eyeson, fondateur et PDG, Survey54
L'entrepreneur Britanique-Ghanéen, Stephan Eyeson, est actuellement PDG et fondateur de la société panafricaine de collecte de renseignements sur les consommateurs, Survey54.
[Interview] Victoria Nannozi, CEO, The Association of Real Estate Agents, Uganda
The Association of Real Estate Agents, AREA-Uganda, is an umbrella institution of real estate agency/brokerage companies, consultancy real estate firms, and real estate agency /brokerage professionals in Uganda that have key interests in real estate agency/brokerage.
[Interview] Stephan Eyeson, Founder & CEO, Survey54
British-Ghanaian entrepreneur, Stephan Eyeson, is current CEO and Founder of pan-African consumer intelligence gathering firm, Survey54.
Rystad Energy analysis shows Africa’s renewable energy capacity is set for consecutive years of growth
Africa’s installed capacity of renewable energy, which stood at 12.6 gigawatt (GW) in 2019, is set for consecutive years of growth, a Rystad Energy analysis shows.
[Africa Business Panel] 6 percent of African Business Professionals expect their companies not to survive the Covid-19 Crisis
About 2/3 of the African companies (62%) say they are struggling but will survive. Almost a third of companies (29%) say they are doing well and the near future is looking good
[Survey] Threats and Opportunities for African Business in 2020 and beyond
As a valued member of Africa Business Communities, we invite you to participate in this a survey to better understand the impact of COVID19 on the current economy in general and within specific industries, but also look at the near future
New analysis shows onshore wind potential across Africa enough to power the entire continent many times over
Developing Africa’s huge onshore wind energy potential can boost its transition to affordable and reliable clean energy. For the first time ever, wind and solar made up the majority of the world’s new power generation in 2019.
Finance for renewables in developing countries on the rise, IRENA highlights
Global finance to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy reached $21.3 billion in 2017, which almost doubles the level from 2010 when international financial flows were at $10 billion.
[Column] Victor Oladokun: Africa's lockdown nightmare
Across Africa, affordable housing is in acute short supply. It is one of the reasons why lockdowns and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic are unimaginable and unsustainable.
[Startup Interview] Oluwatosin Dada, CEO, Dadus Properties, Nigeria
Oluwatosin Dada is the CEO of Dadus Properties, a Nigerian real estate startup of property development and management consultants.
[Column] Olagoke Aluko: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) regulations lead the way in reshaping consumer behaviour and industry in Kenya
Kenya has paid a heavy price in lives lost for its slow uptake of LPG as a cooking fuel.
[Interview] Anne Wambui Gaitha, CEO, Regal Africa, Kenya
Anne Wambui Gaitha is an investment and financial services professional. She founded Regal Africa in 2015. Located at Top Plaza, 4th floor, Kindaruma Road, Kilimani, Nairobi, the company provides diverse financial services in East Africa.
[Column] Samuel Kariuki: East African real estate investors discover the working class
The last 20 years of real estate boom in East Africa has changed our building landscape and inventory, as it quite rightly should have done.
[Kenya Business Week] No to robots in banks
Even as Kenya continues to record impressive penetration of technology, a section of citizens still prefer the brick and mortar services and are still apprehensive about embracing new innovations among them machine intelligence.
[Kenya Business Week] US key investment target in Africa
US has reiterating its commitment to strong partnerships with key countries in Africa, specifically naming Kenya as a target for future US aid and investment.
[Column] Sachen Gudka: Tracking Kenya Big Four Agenda’s performance
By deliberately centering Manufacturing in the Big 4 Agenda, Kenya made an expedient decision to steer itself back on the fast track towards realizing Vision 2030.
[Nigeria Business Week] Industries partner to reach common goals
The sectors are revving up to keep up momentum as the 2019 opens new doors for Nigeria’s stride toward economic balance.
[Kenya Business Week] Leveraging the blue economy wave to boost national purse
Kenya has this week successfully hosted the first global conference on blue economy that brought together over 16,000 delegates.
[Kenya Business Week] Cementing bilateral relations with South Africa, China
As Kenya continues to cement its position as East Africa’s economic powerhouse, it has been on a charm offensive targeting African and global public and private players.
[Nigeria Business Week] Towards sensible investments, capital pours in from the outside
For a country as populous as Nigeria, the wheels can and should not stop rotating. Supply rarely ever exceeds demand, investors are always welcome and jobs are never surplus.
Your complimentary report: Lessons learned from Africa's massive data breach
Cybercrime has dominated South Africa’s news headlines throughout the course of 2018, as one high-profile attack follows another on an almost monthly basis
[SA Business Week] Key sectors appointments and a busy air route
October is already proving to be a great month for the South African business and economy, maybe even greater. With only a week into the month, three South Africans have been appointed for senior positions in the ICT, aviation and engineering sectors.
[Kenya Business Week] Fertilizer shortage and the ripple effects
Mergers, expansions, partnerships, taxation controversy and delays at major installations have dominated Kenya’s headlines this week.
[South Africa] Pink tax causes financial pain
Basic toiletries, grooming products, medical screenings and haircuts are some of the items that see women spending hundreds to thousands of rands more than their male counterparts.
[Kenya Business Week] Towards affordable housing
As Kenya aims for mid- level economic status it has set targets it hopes will propel it to this dream.
[Kenya Business Week] Tackling illicit financial flows
In one of the most historic developments in the country, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Swiss counterpart Alain Berset have overseen the signing of a key agreement that clears the way for the recovery of assets acquired through corruption and crime in Kenya
[Kenya Business Week] Gauging regional growth through Kenya’s prism
As one of East Africa’s big brothers in economic growth and development, Kenya has this week continued to attract praise and investment with its landmark investments delivering impressive payoffs.
[Interview] Reuben Kimani, CEO, Username Investment, Kenya
Reuben Kimani is an engineer, ICT professional and currently the CEO of Kenyan Real Estate company, Username Investment.
[Nigeria Business Week] With Construction, Agribusiness, Oil and Gas and startup hubs, Nigeria leaves no sector behind
Two years ago Nigeria was as good as drowning in debts, unemployment, reduced investment and general widespread discontent. Today, though still a work in progress, the country has exited recession and is fast regaining its momentum.
[Startup Interview] Renaldo Bothma, Managing Director, HomeFixer, South Africa
Renaldo Bothma is a professional rugby player and founder of a new app, Homefixer, an app to help fix any household related issue at the push of a button.
[Column] Gilbert Saggia: Data - the fertilizer that will feed Africa's agricultural transformation
Everywhere we look, technology is being touted as the enabler of a new era of African agricultural prosperity. The exciting world of possibilities offered by blockchain, IoT and machine learning has made companies, governments and policy-makers sit up.
[Column] Benjamin Coetzer: Combating cloud’s biggest security risk - the user
Cloud is coming into its own. Forrester says that public cloud platforms, business services, and applications will reach $236B by 2020.
[Interview] Peter Tole, Co-Founder and Director, Land LayBy Real Estate, Kenya
The real estate firm, Land LayBy was founded by Dr. Peter Tole, a Kenyan medical doctor resident in Australia, in 2014. Land LayBy is a unique combination of assistance to Africans in diaspora and accelerating economic growth on the continent.
Nigerians seek next level shopping experience - Nielsen findings
Despite Nigeria’s retail sector being dominated by independent formats like Open Markets and Kiosks in terms of absolute store numbers, modern trade formats like Supermarkets and Hypermarkets are stepping up to fulfil the needs of consumers.
[Startup Interview] Oladunmade Otitoola, Founder, RentYourHall, Nigeria
Oladunmade Otitoola, an entrepreneur and beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program in 2016, is founder of RentYourHall, Nigeria. Africa Business Communities poses him some questions on development of the startup.
Reshaping the future of real estate for African cities
Researchers predict that in 2030, Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa will each have to cater for over 20 million people, while Luanda, Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg will have crossed the 10 million mark.
[Column] Frances Okosi: The rise of renewable energy across Africa
The extent of the power deficit across Africa is well documented and increasing electricity generation across the continent is the focus of a number of initiatives at both national and supra-national level.
Roads & Corridors East Africa 2017 | 20-21 June Nairobi, Kenya
Governments across East Africa are set to change transportation and trade development by investing in the expansion and rehabilitation of existing roads, the creation of new road links between key cities and cross-border connections
Africa presents a mixed foreign direct investment picture - EY Africa Attractiveness report
According to EY’s latest Africa Attractiveness report, heightened geopolitical uncertainty and “multispeed” growth across Africa present a mixed FDI picture for the continent.
[Interview] Jonathan Bloch, CEO, Africa Financial & Economic Data
In response to the ever growing need for information and market analyses, Jonathan Bloch founded the Africa Financial & Economic Data, providing a library of intelligence on African economic markets.
Powering Africa's Transformation - Tony Elumelu, Aliko Dangote, Carlos Lopes
Africa has a bright future ahead of it. Productivity and growth will improve as African economies continue to place more emphasis on services and manufacturing, pursue commodity production, and achieve quick gains in agriculture and light industry.
Casablanca and Nairobi rank leading destinations for Fortune 500 companies establishing international headquarters
The Middle East Africa (MEA) region has become increasingly important for the majority of global Fortune 500 companies, according to a new report released by Infomineo, a global business research company specialising in Africa and the Middle East.
[Column] Brett Parker: Between East & West, Africa's economic transformation will create a third centre of global power
What a difference a century makes. If we stepped back in time to a hundred years ago we'd find a primitive China; a Middle East that had yet to discover the riches of oil and most of Southeast Asia consisted of countries that were barely distinguishable from medieval societies.
Economic growth in East Africa remains strong despite drought - Report
East Africa's economy has continued to grow despite the adverse effects of drought being felt across the region according to ICAEW's (the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) latest report.
[Column] Jaco Lotz: Growth in middle class drives private education boom in Africa
Private universities and schools are mushrooming across Africa, as parents increasingly seek a quality education for their children outside of the state offering - a move which is largely attributable to the rapid growth of the middle class on the continent.
The Global Gig Economy and its Implications for African Digital Workers - Professor Mark Graham
Oxford professor Mark Graham, addressing the 4th UNI Africa Conference in Dakar, Senegal, warned of the danger of ‘parasitic capitalism’ where digital companies give little back to the places where they are embedded and platform workers are left to fend for themselves.
[Column] Mariam Abdullahi: Africa’s mobile revolution: strategic focus areas for telcos in 2017
Despite on-going economic challenges and some tricky regulatory issues, Africa is fast approaching the 1bn mobile subscriptions landmark. The continued rollout of 3G and 4G networks, as well as an influx of low-cost smartphone
[Column] Jens Ischebeck: Edtech - A growth area for Africa
EdTech is the use of digital education technology to facilitate teaching and learning. It’s a rapidly expanding sector with enormous potential. Providers around the world are now incorporating education technology into their delivery strategies.
Samsung emerges Africa’s most admired brand
African Business magazine in partnership with Brand Africa, Brand Finance, GeoPoll and Kantar TNS has released the results of the Top 100 brands in Africa.
[Interview] Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, CEO Jack Hammer, South Africa
CEO of South African executive search firm Jack Hammer, Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, discusses the growing shift from expat hire to local executive leadership in African organizations.
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COLUMNS.
[Column] Louis Avenant: Trends for African telcos in 2024
Africa’s vibrant telco sector is set for a bumper year in 2024 as it expands operations and broadens service offerings ...read full column here
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[Column] Virodh Sunderlall: What to expect from South Africa’s cybersecurity landscape in 2024
As widely reported last year, South Africa received the most cybersecurity threats on the continent by far ...read full column here
[Column] Stephen Bottger: The power of data analytics to revolutionise public safety
The use of applications, technology and data analytics can play a significant role in public safety globally ...read full column here
INTERVIEWS.
[Interview] Chester Wisniewski, Director of Global Field CTO, Sophos
Chester Wisniewski, the Director of Global Field CTO at Sophos, emphasizes several key trends and predictions for the cybersecurity realm in the coming year … read full interview here
[Interview]: Daniel Otu, Koa’s Production and Operations Director & the factory project lead
Daniel Otu, Koa’s Production and Operations Director & the factory project lead, touched on the challenges faced, the importance of sustainability, the role of local culture, and the lessons that shaped Koa’s future vision … read full interview here
[Interview] Oluwole Eweje, CEO-WATT Renewables Corporation
We provide sustainability for communities, especially communities that have very few businesses … read full interview here