The Bell Stands Ready to Launch the First Securities Market in Ethiopia
The new stock market is part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts — interrupted by a ghastly two-year civil war that killed at least 600,000 people before ending in late 2022 — to open up the economy of Africa’s second-most populous nation. The most important reform, investors and lenders say, has been the liberalisation of […]
Nigeria and China have Renewed their Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement
The deal renewal will allow Nigerian banks to access yuan through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), enabling businesses to open Letters of Credit in yuan for Chinese imports. As China’s global trade influence continues to expand, the yuan has become increasingly recognized as a reserve currency. In 2016, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) included […]
Africa’s Stock Markets are Becoming a Big Part of the Continent’s Growth Story
What used to be seen as small and underdeveloped is now grabbing attention as a hotspot for investments and business growth. Ghana’s benchmark stock index, which led the continent as the top performer last year, is a prime example. With investor confidence soaring in President John Mahama’s incoming government and its promises to restore economic […]
Congolese Analysts Weigh in on the Lobito Corridor
The project is “pharaonic”, Dady Saleh, a Congolese economic analyst, told Al Jazeera. Though he recognises its overall economic potential, he said he regrets that the countries where this infrastructure project will take place will only benefit from “crumbs” – pointing to potential dangers ahead specifically for the DRC. Saleh said the DRC is the […]
Addis and Nairobi both Embrace Renewables for their Electricity Production
The Ethiopia-Kenya Electricity Highway follows the model of other interconnectors in Africa, including one between Zambia and Namibia, which has run since 2010 and cost $300 million to construct, and a 1,000-mile interconnector between two regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, running since 1982 and costing over $800 million. The Ethiopia-Kenya Electricity Highway, also […]
10 African Countries are Grappling with Mounting Debts to the International Monetary Fund
These debts reflect a dependence on external financing to address fiscal challenges, particularly during economic crises. IMF loans offer financial relief but often have strict conditions, including subsidy cuts, currency adjustments, and austerity measures. While intended to stabilize economies, critics argue these policies strain public investments in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, raising concerns about long-term […]
Africa Improved Foods Looks for New Investors to Boost its Mission to Provide Healthy Foods at a Lower Cost
Ramesh Moochikal, CEO of Africa Improved Foods, says that the company is seeking hundreds of millions in investment to enable it to expand to other parts of the continent as it targets a shift to commercial food production. Currently, it operates in Rwanda as a subsidiary company called AIF Rwanda, 7% of which is held […]
Damage done to the Continent’s Burgeoning Tech Startup Ecosystem by the Global Capital Shortage
Startup Graveyard is documenting the number of African tech ventures that have shut up shop since the global crisis hit. And the list includes some serious names – in various shapes or forms, Sendy, Copia, MarketForce, and WhereIsMyTransport. We are also starting to see successful African founders give back by making investments in the space. […]
Thousands of Traders Face Ruin after Blaze Razes Two-thirds of Accra’s Kantamanto
According to the Or Foundation, which campaigns against textile waste in Ghana, 15m secondhand garments from countries in the global north such as the UK, the US and China arrive at the market every week. The Kantamanto community is responsible for recirculating 25m pieces of secondhand clothing every month through resale, reuse, repair and remanufacturing. […]
Coffee Farmers Feel the Trading System between Kenya and Europe has been Stacked against them for Many Years
A coffee tree is a huge investment for cash-strapped farmers, as it can take four years for the fruits to mature. The price of a single cup of coffee in a chic European café, typically $4, highlights a stark disparity when compared to the earnings of many Kenyan coffee labourers, who make at most $2.30 […]
