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Finland signs funding deal with TradeMark Africa to enhance trade in Africa
The funding will support projects aligned with TMA’s third strategic plan (2023 – 2030) which will advance inclusive, clean, and digital trade in Africa.
[Free Webinar] Strategic Business Growth in Africa: FX and Payment Barriers for Expansion
Join this webinar as the upper management experts from VertoFX and Moet Hennessy delve into the vast potential and unique challenges of expanding businesses in Africa, focusing on mastering international pitches, understanding cultural nuances, and crafting pitches that highlight unique value propositions.
IATA launches advanced analytics solution to optimize airline fuel consumption
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of IATA FuelIS, an advanced analytics solution to optimize airline fuel consumption, using aggregated and anonymized flight and fuel data.
Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce partners with TradeMark Africa to catalyze economic growth for women traders
This support will focus on product certification, raising awareness of trading opportunities and regulations, and promoting the adoption of digital technologies for trading, which are essential for catalyzing their economic growth.
Engineering firm Pini Group expands operations into Africa
Pini Group has had a longstanding interest in Africa and has recently participated in several significant projects in Senegal, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Africa Business Communities seeks columnists in Egypt and Dubai
We are keen on contributors with originality, creativity, versatility and an eye for interesting trends across the sectors that we cover including banking and finance, tech, energy, agribusiness and trade.
Africa Business Communities launches operations in the Middle East
The company supports doing business in Africa through marketing and communication services, custom media productions and market research and has the largest LinkedIn community in Africa with over 1.2 million followers.
Kotler Impact presents the Essentials of Modern Marketing, Nigeria Edition 2024
This is the world's first marketing book around market-specific stories from Nigeria, to be published in November 2024 on Amazon and launched in Lagos.
L'Oréal is the world’s most valuable cosmetics brand, report
The iconic French brand continues to outshine its competitors, boasting a brand value approximately 80% higher than its closest rival.
Corporate communications agency LCH Consultancy appoints Evelyne Wangui as Director of media relations
As Director of Content and Media Relations, she will be pivotal in strengthening strategic services across the African region.
Pan-African legal firm Centurion Law Group rebrands as CLG
The rebrand aligns closely with the firm’s mission to consolidate its position as the leading legal practice and business advisor in an ever-evolving energy environment.
MENA region leads global growth in luxury travel, report
The appetite for new experiences in unexplored destinations, micro-trips and ‘bleisure’ will likely drive the growth of the global luxury travel market
African Union and Google Africa launch campaign to celebrate the creative economy
In celebration of Africa Month,YouTube creators across Africa are invited to share short videos capturing their unique perspectives using the #DiscoverMyAfrica hashtag.
EIB’s Water Sector Fund invests €10 million to support innovative businesses in Africa and Asia
W2AF is a “water-focused” blended finance impact fund targeting sustainable and scalable solutions that improve access to safe, affordable drinking water for underserved populations, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia.
[Zoom Event, April 11 2024] Global Strategies for Success in Africa: Overcoming FX and Payment Hurdles
This event explores the vast potential and unique challenges of expanding businesses in Africa, focusing on mastering international pitches, understanding cultural nuances, and crafting pitches that highlight unique value propositions.
Mastercard and Women Choice expand partnership to invest in women entrepreneurs
Women Choice - an international organization dedicated to advancing women's personal and professional development - launched the pilot cohort in 2023.The next cohorts will be participating in the new programs this year and will aim to impact 50,000 women.
Unilever accelerates Growth Action Plan by launching productivity programme
Unilever has announced steps to accelerate its Growth Action Plan (GAP) through the separation of Ice Cream and the launch of a major productivity programme.
Nissan Africa announces regional appointments
Jordi Vila, currently Nissan Divisional Vice President Marketing and Sales Europe has been appointed as President Nissan Africa, as DVP.
Mark-Anthony Johnson: Is Africa splitting in two?
Mark-Anthony Johnson: Is Africa splitting in two?
Africa’s vibrant and sustainable creations
In many African communities, creativity knows no bounds. A unique and fascinating trend has emerged, where individuals repurpose flip-flops into remarkable crafts.
Nissan Navara to fly the flag up through Africa in daring expedition
Dubbed Nissan Daring Africa 2024, the expedition will visit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya before ending in Egypt.
[Webinar] Complimentary expert session for Telecom leaders and Startups in Africa, March 21
Designed for telecom leaders and startups, thia event offers invaluable strategies for expanding services, managing FX risks, enhancing cross-border payments, and establishing credibility in the international arena.
Xsolla unveils new payment methods for gamers in Africa
This move addresses the unique financial landscape of Africa, where a significant portion of the population, particularly in regions like Ghana and Uganda, remains unbanked.
Southern African tourism stakeholders to get new regional disaster risk management and crisis communication plan
The SADC Business Council Tourism Alliance has concluded the successful completion of a pilot project on tourism disaster risk management and crisis communication for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
IATA announces first signatories to Air Cargo Digitalization Leadership Charter
The Digitalization Leadership Charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalization journey by committing to five key guiding principles.
Village Capital unveils programme targeting African startups focused on greentech
The programme is designed to advance innovative and sustainable solutions, actively contributing towards building resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change across Africa.
AFC Joins Ecobank and Soto Gallery to Host +234Art International Art Exhibition to empower African artists
AFC has joined forces with Ecobank Nigeria and Soto Gallery to host the +234Art Fair, a 10-day international exhibition intended as a springboard to promote Africa’s art and its artists.
[Column] Farai Bayai Ncube: Bridging gender gaps in Africa’s creative sectors
The Creative DNA programme, initially successful in Kenya with three completed cohorts, has expanded to Ethiopia, Senegal, and Uganda, and plans to launch in more sub-Saharan African countries.
IATA partners with Smart Freight Centre on carbon emission calculations
The two organizations will focus efforts on developing the cargo component of IATA’s CO2 Connect offering, which successfully launched its passenger version in 2022.
DP World launches global freight forwarding network
In response to increasing disruptions to global trade – from climate change, geopolitics and macroeconomic challenges – DP World has embarked on a bold initiative to bolster its commitment to its customers.
IBM commits $45 million towards resilient cities
IBM also announced that it would increase investment in the pro-bono social impact program by 50%.
GE Vernova commits to support sustainable energy transition in Nigeria
Nigeria, one of Africa's economic powerhouses, faces a dynamic energy landscape characterized by a growing population, industrialization, and a rising demand for electricity.
Global HR company Deel to acquire African payroll firm PaySpace
Global HR company Deel has announced that it is acquiring African-based payroll and HR solution company PaySpace for an undisclosed amount. It is one of Deel’s largest acquisitions to date.
Aviation experts push for a Model Bilateral Air Services Agreement
Aviation officials from the Eastern Africa-Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region are making steady progress in reviewing and having a model Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) that conforms with the provisions of the Yamoussoukro Decision of 1999.
IATA and The Weather Company to provide enhanced turbulence-related weather data to airlines
With this enhancement, participating airlines will soon be able to access Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) turbulence data directly through Fusion and Pilotbrief tools by The Weather Company.
Lilium Group and Didier Drogba Foundation are now co-owners of Team Drogba in the E1 World Championship
Lilium Group, the parent company of Vista Group the African financial services group, and the Didier Drogba Foundation announce that they are co-owners of Team Drogba in the E1 World Championship.
DFC reaffirms commitment to scaling investment in African infrastructure and critical minerals
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) Nisha Biswal traveled to South Africa and Zambia as part of the largest U.S. government delegation to Mining Indaba and the first Lobito Corridor Investors Forum and to deepen DFC’s investments on the continent.
TradeMark Africa partners with global organizations to boost international trade
With TMA funding of $4 million, IOTA developed TLIP, a system built on the distributed ledger technology providing a transparent and secure electronic exchange of trade information in international supply chains.
Uber is the world's most valuable mobility brand, study
Uber remains the world's most valuable mobility brand, with a 28% increase in brand value to $29.7 billion, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the global brand valuation consultancy.
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
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
TradeMark Africa receives $63 million from Netherlands to advance sustainable trade
This strategic investment will fuel TradeMark Africa’s Strategy 3, covering the period till 2030, aimed at driving green, sustainable economic growth, fostering innovative trade practices, and promoting inclusive trade across Africa.
Toyota to open a vehicle manufacturing plant in Kenya
The agreement will see Toyota set up a vehicle manufacturing plant in the country. The company has committed an initial investment of Kshs 800 million in the Kenya Thika vehicle manufacturers.
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.
Critical infrastructure sees most cyber incidents due to lack of budget, report
18% of companies in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region have experienced cyber incidents due to insufficient cybersecurity investment in the last two years, according to a recent study by Kaspersky.
Aramco expands global venture capital programme with $4 billion funds injection
It will take Aramco's overall venture capital allocation to $7.5bn, which also includes the $500 million venture capital fund Wa'ed Ventures that focuses on the start-up ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
[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
Arab Coordination Group allocates $10 billion to support energy transition
This funding is meant to drive a comprehensive and affordable transition to renewable energy in developing countries.
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.
Arab Coordination Group pledges $50 billion for African development
The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) has announced that it aims to allocate up to US$50 billion to help build resilient infrastructure and inclusive societies in the African continent.
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.
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.
Most consumers in Kenya likely to miss common fraud warning signs, Visa study
Despite being scam-savvy, a new study by Visa has revealed that most consumers in Kenya are likely to be at risk of becoming victims of fraud.
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.
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%).
JOGMEC Signed an agreement with 5 African countries to secure critical minerals
Japan has signed agreements with five African countries to explore and extract critical minerals used in high-tech industries.
IFC invests $11.5 billion for Africa’s green transition and job creation
IFC made $11.5 billion in investments between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, across 40 countries, the largest ever annual commitment for the continent.
ACWA Power signs deal with NREA for 10 gigawatts wind project in Egypt
ACWA Power, a Saudi-listed company and the world's largest private water desalination company, the first mover into green hydrogen, and a player in energy transition, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) to allocate land for a 10 GW wind project in Egypt.
[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.
[Column] Wayne Glossop: Gas power solutions for South Africa
While to date our society has been heavily reliant on coal, it's not able to keep pace with the energy and environmental aspirations of the nation currently.
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.
Africa had more than 270 million mobile apps users as of December 2022, report
As of December 2022, the total number of monthly active users of mobile apps in Africa exceeded 270 million, a 14% increase compared to the beginning of the year.
CMSWire Connect Conference | Austin, Texas | May 10-12
CMSWire CONNECT is the premier event for professionals in digital customer experience, content management, and enterprise collaboration. This dynamic conference features top-notch speakers such as Ice-T, Scott Galloway, Sean Albertson and others.
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.
Kenya and Rwanda sign agreement on 10 areas of cooperation
Kenya and Rwanda Tuesday signed an agreement in 10 areas of cooperation to enhance relations. The Memorandum of Understanding will establish mechanisms for effective cooperation in Education, ICT, Gender and Child Development, Youth and Capacity Development for the Public Service.
[Interview] Awe Oludayo, Managing Partner, OS Concepts, Nigeria
Awe Oludayo is a business analyst with specialties in business process improvement, business process improvement and business process management. He's the managing partner of OS Concepts, headquartered in Nigeria.
Volvo delivers the first heavy electric truck to Africa
Deployment of heavy electric trucks is now spreading across the world. With Europe and the US among the leaders, the shift to more sustainable transport is kicking off also in other parts of the world. In Africa, the first heavy electric truck is now being delivered in the city of Rabat in Morocco.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Investors bet on fintechs, startups
The past couple of weeks have seen a flurry of activities in several sectors of the Nigerian economy. Startups are receiving increasing financial backing from VCs for the growith of SMEs.
[ChatGPT Biography] Strive Masiyiwa: Founder of Econet Wireless
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.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Digitization on all fronts, tech takes the lead
There is an obvious, increasing amount of technology awareness, and appeals for more extensive technology trainings in Nigeria.
[Interview] Chris Okoro, CEO, Eunisell Interlinked, Nigeria
Chris Okoro is an entrepreneur and business strategist skilled in the Financial Services and Engineering sector. He's currently the Managing Director and CEO of Eunisell Interlinked Plc., Nigeria.
Enquête de la BEI sur le climat en Côte d’Ivoire
91 % de la population ivoirienne interrogée estiment que les changements climatiques ont déjà des répercussions sur leur quotidien.
[East Africa Business Week] Bob Koigi: Accelerating sustainable and clean transport solutions
A bulk of East African countries’ electricity comes from renewables. Yet the region’s transport sector relies entirely on imported petroleum fuels.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Local fintech spreads to East Africa, oil and gas find major milestone
Nigeria, like other countries of the world, is going through some economically turbulent times. Inflation is on the rise (recently pegged at 21.9%) and local startups are directly impacted by financial crises on the other side of the world.
[Column] NJ Ayuk: How Africa can capitalize on its mineral wealth to develop an electric vehicle value chain
As the entire global transportation marketplace marches toward an increasingly electrified and battery-powered future, many countries across the African continent stand at the threshold of profound economic opportunity.
[Column] Mike Smollan: South African retail trends for 2022 and beyond
Globally, overwhelmed supply chains, supply-demand imbalances and commodity-driven cost pressures as Russia invaded Ukraine, pushed inflation up and put further pressure on businesses and consumers alike.
[Interview] Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, Chairman, AfricaGlobal Schaffer
Dr. Mima Nedelcovych is the Founder and Chairman of AfricaGlobal Schaffer, a strategic consulting firm focused on project development, project finance, trade facilitation, and public-private partnerships in developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa.
[Interview] Dr. Mima Nedelcovych, Président, AfricaGlobal Schaffer
Mima Nedelcovych est fondateur et président d'AfricaGlobal Schaffer, une société de conseil stratégique spécialisée dans le développement de projets, le financement de projets, la facilitation du commerce et les partenariats public-privé dans les pays en développement, et plus particulièrement en Afrique.
[Column] Tobias Alando: Driving the business community’s participation in skills training
The ever-evolving trends in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, automation and climate change are changing the world of work, and together with it, the skills required to adapt and maintain a competitive edge.
[Column] Tobias Alando: Securing our future: the path to net-zero
Accelerating the transition to energy efficiency and conservation is one of the surest ways of securing the future of our planet for generations to come. This is because, energy is at the heart of climate change.
[East Africa Business Week] Bob Koigi: Region bets on bioeconomy to bolster growth
Among the key interventions proposed in the strategy is the creation of new forms of sustainable bioenergy, and the conversion of waste materials to useful products.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Gas price triggers ripple effect across industries
Nigeria’s inflation as of the month of May stood at 17.71%, but economists are now predicting just a month later a new figure we can expect at the end of this year.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Nigeria scores big in budget transparency
The infrastructure of Nigeria is such that for meaningful progress to be made, there must be give-and-take on the parts of the government and the people.
[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
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Telecoms slide into banking, Central Bank ups interest rates
The last few days have shown us developments and setbacks, statistics that show growth on the one hand and room for improvement on the other.
[Nigeria Business Week] Andrea Ayemoba: Clean energy gets funding amid inflation and trade deficits
Oil and Gas has been a pillar supporting the Nigerian economy for a very long time. Rich in this natural resource, Nigeria may be guilty of neglecting other promising sectors, like Agriculture and even Insurance.
[East Africa Business Week] Bob Koigi: DR Congo’s factor in the integration agenda
The recent entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the East African Community has heralded a new economic dispensation expanding the regional market.
[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.
[Column] Phyllis Wakiaga: Innovation in training key to economic growth
Skills are integral to the continuity of any business, more so in the global economy. Specifically, competitive skills are key to industrializing our nation. T
[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: 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: A call for exports diversification for higher market gains
Agriculturists and entrepreneurs are working harder than ever to address food sufficiency, but energy rests firmly on the government’s shoulders.
[East Africa Business Week] Bob Koigi: Investing in women-led businesses to deepen integration
East African member states, private sector players and development partners have stepped up their investment in women-led businesses and SMEs in a move likely to impact cross-border trade and boost integration in the region.
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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