Led by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the central African region is stirring economically and more effectively leveraging vast extractive resources to fuel economic growth, according to a report. A momentous economic transformation is unfolding in the Central African region as countries harness their abundant raw material reservoirs to ignite economic growth. In 2022, the region not only surpassed the Africa-wide average growth rate of 3.8% but also rebounded impressively, as highlighted in the “Central African Economic Outlook 2023” by the African Development Bank. The report notes that the region achieved a real GDP growth of 5.0%, a significant improvement…
Author: Bird Agency
Kenya leads other countries in ending visa requirements, as Ghana, Benin and Egypt revamp archaeological and memorial sites to attract more tourists. By Conrad Onyango Africa’s tourism is having a moment, two years after the sector was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries are pushing for an end to intra-Africa visas, while others are revamping memorials, putting up new archeological sites and introducing longer visa tenures to prop up tourism numbers. By end of the first quarter of 2023, international arrivals across Africa had hit 88% of pre-pandemic levels, with North Africa surpassing 2019 levels by 4% in the same period, according…
Samson Opaleye and Bolakale Mallick have developed a mobile app called Applatch, which locks addictive apps, provides points for every completed locked session and helps fund child education. By Gabriella Opara When law student James Olusola had difficulty studying for his exams because social media and streaming apps were a constant distraction, he came across an infographic that suggested he needed help. He was directed to an app that he now credits with getting through his exams. It was a much-needed reprieve, because “everything about me is tied to my devices, and I needed help,” he said. Bolakale Mallick recalls…
New dollar-millionaire hubs like Rwanda, Zambia, and Uganda are now the go-to spaces for Africa’s angel networks as they actively seek out wealthy investors to revive startup activity in high-value sectors. By Conrad Onyango One of Africa’s biggest business angel networks is building specialised hubs for millionaires and creating small, themed networks of investors as it works to expose wealthy business people to the potential rewards of funding startups. The Africa Angel Academy, which has over 400 “angels” (high net worth investors) spread across 17 countries, is set to train 100 new investors from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Zambia…
Africa’s marine biodiversity is getting a reprieve as oceanic protected areas, known as “no-take zones, replenish reef fish biomass along the continent’s coastal waters. By Seth Onyango Strict fishing and extraction prohibitions in no-take zones are fuelling Africa’s marine biodiversity recovery and boosting coastal cities and towns’ tourist-centred economies. Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa, which have cordoned off massive swathes of their coastal waters into these zones, are now witnessing thriving marine ecosystems. According to South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas (SARVA), before 2019, South Africa had only 26 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which accounted for the protection of 0.4%…
The digital transformation wave in Africa is reshaping communications, marketing and public relations, with solutions led by young people poised to drive change, according to a groundbreaking Nigerian report. By Bonface Orucho Public relations in Africa is undergoing a transformation, driven by shifting dynamics in technology, as highlighted in a groundbreaking report by BHM Research Intelligence, a Nigeria-based PR and communications firm. According to the report, digital communications have become the key channels for reaching target audiences with public relations and communications messages. Over 3000 communicators and business executives participated in the study, which used group discussions, interviews, essay contributions,…
At one level, Vodacom’s announcement of space-based coverage in Kenya raises the spectre of competition for Elon Musk’s Starlink. On another level, it heralds a new age of universal mobile coverage for the continent – an Africa where no one gets left behind. By Conrad Onyango A statement by Vodacom Group that it placed a space-based network under formal trial with its Kenyan subsidiary Safaricom has ignited a frenzy of speculation that the company is to compete with Starlink’s satellite services in Africa directly. “After successful completion of the trial, AST SpaceMobile will scale up their satellite deployments in partnership…
Somalia is turning to its diaspora to bolster its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows By Seth Onyango Mogadishu is ramping up efforts to increase remittance inflows to shore up its forex reserves, fuel consumption and ensure macroeconomic stability. With diaspora remittances already reaching an estimated US$1.6 billion annually, the government hopes its outreach program, launched last year, will boost these figures. In early July, the Horn of Africa nation held its second annual diaspora conference, seeking to tap investment opportunities from its citizens abroad, feed its exchange reserves, and help the Central Bank shield the shilling from excessive volatility. Ministers,…
A move to privatise some of Africa’s biggest ports is underway as South Africa’s largest port announces a privatisation partner. By Conrad Onyango South Africa’s state-run Transnet has picked Philippines-based multinational port operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) as an equity partner to run and expand Durban Container Terminal Pier 2. The move is the biggest signal yet of a trend that is transforming Africa’s port terminals. “The partnership with ICTSI will help reposition the terminal for best practice performance, ensuring growth in volume throughput, and will support the terminal in providing operational and commercial support to access global shipping…
Africa’s tuition payment market is the next fintech frontier for tech firms looking to bolster their balance sheets. By Seth Onyango Technology companies aiming to lead Africa’s fintech industry are now looking towards the continent’s growing market for tuition payment solutions. Last week, Nigeria’s Flutterwave became the latest tech firm to make a foray into Africa’s relatively untapped multibillion-dollar tuition payments solutions industry. The unicorn unveiled Tuition, a payment channel to allow African users to conveniently pay various fees to educational institutions within the continent and overseas using their local currencies. Flutterwave tips this feature to help eliminate the often-arduous…
