Author: NLM Editor

Creatives, or content creators, need support for their work. And Patreon, a crowdfunding membership platform, does just that, through providing business tools for creators worldwide to run a subscription-based content service. Through Patreon, members are able to build relationships with the creatives and receive exclusive experiences on their work. It is not a new phenomenon; it draws its existence from the idea of ‘patronage’. Artists of yore like William Shakespeare, Mozart, Leonardo Da Vinci had aristocrats who supported their work; their quid pro quo was the satisfaction derived from the masterpieces produced. That arrangement also afforded them bragging rights to…

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BY Antony Mutunga Job layoffs, business closures, and an unfavourable business environment have worsened an already bad unemployment crisis in Africa. Lacking opportunities in the formal sector and needing to survive as well as provide for their families, many have been left with no choice but to enter the informal sector whereby they earn a living through activities such as hawking, domestic working, and welding. To many, the sector is actually the true economic reality of an economy. Often associated with low wages and where one enters out of economic necessity with no other means of livelihood, it is nevertheless…

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The world’s first Financial Prosperity Barometer investigated the concept of prosperity across multiple markets and global regions. The report focused on the relationship between financial services and prosperity in high-growth markets and discovered myriad views on what defines prosperity and financial inclusion. The report targeted Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to gather insights from these high-growth African markets and to establish the limitations of financial inclusion, the value of financial services, and the key characteristics that define prosperity. Surprisingly, Kenya (88 percent), Nigeria (94 percent) and South Africa (70 percent) had an overwhelmingly positive view on how their household situation…

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The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2020) being organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union and the government of Rwanda from September 1-7, 2020 will offer a platform to conclude numerous high-value intra-African trade and investment contracts by showcasing African goods, services and investment opportunities. IATF2020 is expected to see the conclusion of contracts for African trade and investment deals exceeding US$40 billion. IATF2020 follows the outstanding success of the inaugural Intra-African Trade Fair held in Cairo in December 2018 which resulted in trade deals valued at US$32 billion. According to Afreximbank, the second Intra-African Trade Fair has…

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One unintended outcome of the “sub-Saharan Africa” classification of African countries is that North Africa is typically excluded from conversations about Africa’s tech start-up landscape. This often means we’re sharing an incomplete picture of progress being made in tech ecosystems on the continent especially given landmark events recorded in North Africa in recent years. Bus-hailing firm Swvl raised $42 million in the largest funding round for an Egyptian start-up while Careem, the Dubai-headquartered ride-hailing start-up with vast operations in North Africa was acquired by Uber for $3.1 billion. MaxAB, an Egyptian e-commerce marketplace raised $6.2 million in what’s regarded as…

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BY NJ Ayuk I f you follow news about Africa, it’s easy to find disheartening headlines about the continent’s struggles. But those stories do not paint a complete picture. Every day, I read encouraging news about African entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact. Exciting things are taking place in Africa. When I wrote Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, my goal was to help readers envision a new future for Africa, a future they could help shape. I want people to see that Africa doesn’t have to be subject to a…

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NLM Writer The ICA’s Infrastructure Financing Trends in Africa 2018 report shows that financing of infrastructure in Africa reached a new high of $100.8 billion in 2018, a jump of about a quarter on 2017 and 38 percent up on the 2015-2017 average. Over the years the Infrastructure Financing Trends in Africa report has become an important document for presenting, in a consistent manner, how funding is being mobilised to develop the continent’s infrastructure. “The report’s publication during the Africa Investment Forum is extremely timely. While the increase in financial commitments in 2018 is very welcome, the report also serves to highlight…

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By RYAN TROST A s the 2020 budget meetings come and go, teams are forced to assess their current defenses by analysing their historical attacks in order to anticipate/predict future attack trends. It is a difficult but worthwhile exercise for security leadership as they attempt to assess the adversaries’ trajectory and work to remain several moves ahead. More often than not, adversaries stay true to their methods but only make slight variations to their attacks – why change what historically works?! Which leads me to my first 2020 premonition. A sharper concentration of cloud attacks. Companies continue to flock to…

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On November 5, 2019, Kenya’s National Assembly passed an amendment to the Finance Bill, removing a cap on commercial lending rates that has been in place since September 2016. The removal of the rate cap will no longer constrain bank lending, a credit positive. Because banks are able to better price their risks without a rate cap, Moody’s Financial Services projects the country can expect higher overall loan growth over the next 12-18 months and increased lending to segments of the economy that have had subdued growth and access to credit, primarily small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) in sectors like…

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By Yomi Kazeem A new data protection law in Kenya is setting a high standard for the rest of the continent. As the country looks to engender more safeguards in the collection, handling and sharing of data, Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta has approved legislation which complies with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. The new law outlines restrictions on data handling and sharing by government and corporations. Any infringements of the new law will be investigated by an independent office with violators facing two-year prison sentences or fines of up to $29,000. Stringent data protection rules could also be a boon for…

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