December 2011
61 posts
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African Prints More Sophisticated, Subtle In 2011... →
As you heard earlier in the program, TELL ME MORE and the rest of NPR are taking a look back at the people, movements and ideas that have had a good year. We wanted to tell you more about a trend in the fashion world that you may have noticed. More and more designers are being inspired by Africa and that inspiration is showing up on runways around the world with major names like Michael Kors,...
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African press review 30 December 2011 - RFI →
But it’s not all bad news, the Observer records. Ping notes that Africa is performing “very well” in the field of economics.
The average rate of growth in Africa is between 5.5 and six per cent, with the economies of more than 10 countries growing at between seven and 11 per cent.
“One will never have a sustainable peace without development or sustainable development without...
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Ghana To Host Africa Investment Forum →
Ghana will host the 10th Africa Investment Forum from March 28 to 29, 2012, to address business and investment opportunities across the continent, with a particular focus on West Africa.
The two-day Forum is being organised by the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) in partnership with the Government of Ghana and the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in Ghana.
Themed:...
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Sino-Africa Relation; the Sierra Leone... →
It should be noted, that there are more than 6,000 branches of Chinese related companies across Africa with some 2,000 investments in the continent. In Malawi for instance, China’s first investment program in that country following the signing of diplomatic ties years back is through the Malawi Cotton project, with funding from the China-Africa Development Fund. This is believed to be the largest...
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Investors find profit in East Africa’s equities... →
thenigerianme asked: I'm curious as to what you think about this. I was reading one of your post about how China is important for the economic growth of Nigeria since they keep buying stuff. I was happy that China was taking an interest in Nigeria but was then saddened when someone else put it this way: "China will soon own Nigeria". It startled me, honestly. What do you think about that?
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What are Africa's "Killer Apps"? | Endless... →
The “Killer Apps” framework is an interesting way to consider Africa’s future growth prospects, mostly because modern Africa has never experienced anything close to the wealth, stability and innovation of the West. As Ferguson suggests in his latest work – Civilization: The West and the Rest – the West’s phenomenal economic growth and political stability over the past several centuries has been...
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Analysis Of The Ghana 2012 Budget →
SOME STATISTICS The economy grew at 4% in 2009, 7.7% in 2010 and 13.6% in 2011 in real GDP terms. These growth rates are symptomatic of those achieved by the Asian Tigers decades ago. The trend is upward and exponential. If this trend continues, in no time our GDP will double and we can move up the rankings.
Budget deficit in 2008 was 8.5% but it was reduced to 2% in 2011. Having such a...
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The Ten Markets in Sub-Sahara Africa That Will...
MasterCard Worldwide is keenly aware of this new dynamism in Sub-Sahara Africa and has selected 10 markets in Sub-Sahara Africa for in-depth analyses and monitoring as they represent almost half of the Sub-Sahara population and two-thirds of its GDP.
This ”Africa 10” is an extremely diverse group in terms of population size, resource endowment, levels of development and income; and...
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Global investors prefer Nigeria to SA - Business... →
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Africa: A year in review - Deepest, Darkest,... →
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China plays crucial role in Sub-Saharan Africa's... →
China has a critical role as a lender and trade partner to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as well as an indirect role through its demand for raw materials that drives up commodity prices. SSA is probably more exposed to a slowdown in China than to a recession in the eurozone.
Chinese direct investment and bi-lateral lending is funding much of the region’s infrastructure development. We estimate...
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Private sector to drive Sub-Saharan Africa says... →
To illustrate some of these points, the rating agency examines Nigeria and Kenya, two countries where the private sector’s dominant position as the countries’ growth engine is leading to institutional reforms.
Institutional strength is a key factor in Moody’s assessment of sovereign risk, providing insight into a country’s economic resilience. Rapid economic growth has...
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“Contrary to the impression you might have had of African nations, here is one...”
– BBC News - Today - Cape Verde: African good news story
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Africa's burgeoning middle class brings hope to a... →
Overview touching upon most of the points that this blog has covered over the past one year. ~ Ed
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BBC News - DIY solar panel maker heads to Africa... →
Ed’s note: How to kill business opportunities in Africa? Give things away to Africans for free. Feel good. Nobody bothers to start a business or if they have an existing one around solar panels for charging mobiles - Kenya is the largest market for solar - then they’ll shut up shop and stop trying to sell the stuff for money because all these people are coming and giving it all away...
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Renewable Energy Investment in Africa Hits N4... →
She said the investment shot up largely due to strong performance from Egypt and Kenya which are in the Northern and Eastern parts of the continent.
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“IBM Wednesday announced the signing of five strategic agreements in the Kenyan...”
– IBM announces tech deals with five African banks - Computerworld
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“The shops are stacked six feet high with goods, the streets outside are jammed...”
– African economies flower | The Chronicle Herald
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Turkey Steps Up Presence in Africa →
This week representatives of all member states of the African Union were in Istanbul to attend the Ministerial Review Conference of the Africa-Turkey Partnership, a project which is aimed at deepening ties between Turkey and Africa.
The goals are ambitious. The Turkish government is aiming to increase trade with Africa by 20% over the next year, while 21 new embassies will be opened across the...
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Top African Business deals of the year 2011 →
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Building up skills, Building up economies – The... →
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The Rise of Global African Entrepreneurs |... →
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Ten Biggest Positive Africa Stories of 2011 : The... →
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IMF Survey: Africa Enjoying Newfound Optimism →
A new optimism is permeating much of Africa. The past 10 years of unprecedented growth in sub-Saharan Africa has helped fuel this positive attitude even when most of the rest of the world faces global economic crisis.
As more Africans move out of poverty and become middle-class consumers, they are increasingly in a position to drive investment, support entrepreneurship, and improve education.
In...
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Airtel launches mobile banking service in Ghana |... →
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As Ghana pours oil for one year – an overview :... →
The wheel tap was turned, the country was elated and the first oil was pumped officially by His Excellency the President Professor John Evans Atta Mills on December 15, 2010.
The turning of the tap on the FPSO was a significant moment because that ushered Ghana into the group of oil-producing countries. It was on live television. Everyone was excited – politicians, farmers, teachers, traditional...
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Africa - Bridging the Atlantic: Brazil and Africa →
Sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil are natural partners for trade, investment and knowledge exchange, according to a new report from the World Bank and the Brazilian Institute for Applied Economic Research.
(Download full report)
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Africa now a more attractive investment... →
We have also observed an increase in Africa-focused funds as interest in Africa’s growth story increases. It is worth noting that according to a recent study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), about 10 years ago, just one African country held opportunities for private equity investors.
However, today the continent of more than 1 billion consumers and home to some of the world’s...
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Africa’s Solar Energy Moment | Resource Investing... →
Home to some of the best geographical conditions on earth for solar power production, solar energy developers are finding fertile ground in Africa’s sunbelts. Contrasted against its abundant sunshine, however, is a dramatic scarcity of energy production which has left some 587 million people across the continent without access to electricity, according to the International Energy Association.
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10 thought-provoking quotes on doing business in... →
We feature 10 inspiring quotes from leading business people, entrepreneurs and thinkers.
On building sustainable businesses
“It doesn’t make sense to want to try and keep all of the gains for yourself. You have a much more viable business system when you have partners along the value chain who have a vested interest in the long-term survival of your business because they derive a living from...
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Why Siemens sees a business opportunity in... →
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Gateway to West Africa|Senegal |chinadaily.com.cn →
Since taking office in April 2000, the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, has overseen the implementation of a broad range of pro-business measures aimed at attracting large numbers of foreign investors to this corner of the continent. These initiatives include the privatization of public companies involved in the delivery of vital utilities such as water, energy and transport, as well as...
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“Paris listed L’Oreal has opened a subsidiary in Kenya, targeting the East...”
– L’Oreal subsidiary signals turf war in personal care market - Corporate News |businessdailyafrica.com
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South African Firm to Invest N62 Billion in... →
“Nigeria is our major market. All our investments in Nigeria are targeted at companies with local ownership and requiring $50,000 to $1.5 million intervention and can help grow the economy”
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Air traffic signals world wide slowdown except for... →
The latest International Air Transport Association’s assessment of premium and economy travel, prepared by IATA’s Economics unit and based on September data, shows Africa to be the only region where air traffic is growing strongly.
Released only last week, the report warns of declining business confidence and stagnant economic conditions, except for Africa. IATA says its Air Traffic Assessment is...
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Unlocking Africa's Energy Potential - WSJ.com →
African countries have a huge opportunity to turn their energy infrastructure deficits into an advantage, both for the continent itself and potentially for the rest of the world. Renewable technologies that use wind and solar are the gateway to this opportunity, but much work still needs to be done. Africa is in many ways a blank canvas for renewables.
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TNT Express expands network in Western Africa |... →
TNT Express said countries in the region have experienced economic growth averaging 4.6% between 2000 and 2009, according to World Bank figures. Much of the international trade from the region is with Europe, although Asia and particularly China are also important. The company said express delivery services to and from the area are well used by industries including the oil and gas sector,...
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“Yesterday evening, a new 24-hour English language comedy channel reaching...”
– Comedy Central Berths | P.M. NEWS Nigeria
Now “Who killed Kenny?” will be on everyone’s lips across the continent ;p
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Ghana is second-best in sub-Sahara Africa on 2011... →
Ghana is second-best performer in sub-Sahara Africa on the World Justice Project’s (WJP) 2011 Rule of Law Index released November 30, 2011 in Washington DC. Ghana followed South Africa who topped the region among the nine countries the report covered.
Ghana beat Senegal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Liberia from the 3rd to 8th respectively. According to the Washington-based...