First Independent Mena Newspaper
Botswana, the world’s second-largest diamond producer, has won its bid to host the permanent secretariat of the Kimberley Process (KP), the grouping that certifies that diamonds are not used to fund rebel groups. The KP, a coalition of governments, the diamond industry and civil society representatives, said in a statement on Monday (7 November) it […]
King Mohammed VI welcomed the achievements of a development model launched in 2015 to upgrade infrastructure as well as social services in the southern provinces. In seven years, the 77-billion dirham development program ($8 billion) is 80% complete with landmark projects such as the Tiznit-Dakhla highway in its final stages, the King said in a […]
China is using new hybrid logistics links or multimodal rail-sea lines to bypass cargo chokepoints in an effort to speed up trade with Africa, where it is the largest trading partner. New rail-sea hybrid transport options stretching from western China as far as Europe, which are speeding up goods movement to Africa, imply the belt […]
Agricultural automation can boost global food production and be a boon for small-scale farmers in developing countries, a new United Nations report has found. “The State of Food and Agriculture 2022“ report, just released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), says automation is rapidly changing the face of agriculture. New technologies, the authors […]
The economies of East Africa face rather bleak prospects for growth this year because of the increasing risk of debt distress, widening fiscal and current deficits and limited economic diversification plans, according to the latest forecast by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AfDB forecasts the region’s GDP at 4% this year, before recovering to […]
As the Southern African Railway Association (SARA) announced it is pushing ahead with the drafting of a regional railway master plan, Namibia State-owned freight utility TransNamib is engaging with the Development Bank of Southern Africa on the viability of the plan. During the SARA Rail Conference hosted last week, CEO and SARA Vice President Johny […]
Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can only be successful if there is seamless movement of people, goods and services and a reinforced nexus with the continent’s industrialization so as to effectively realize Africa’s critical development aspirations. AfCFTA can only be successful if there is seamless movement of people, goods and services, according to Dr. […]
The effects from the COVID-19 pandemic aftershocks and the Ukrainian crisis have led to rising commodity prices, surging inflation, and shifts in the global financial situation that have transformed African trade and production capabilities, according to the latest figures published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After over-performing in its post-pandemic recovery in 2021, Africa’s […]
The 5th edition of the YouthConnekt Africa summit that ended in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday (15 October) was attended by thousands of young innovators and leaders from all across the world who discussed different ways to promote growth and advancement for the youth of the African continent. This year’s summit — on the theme “Accelerating […]
Zambia is hosting a two-day business summit in Lusaka this week to try to attract American investors to the country, in effort to diversify the economy and decrease dependence on extractive industries such as copper, according to Zambian officials. Moving away from dependence on extractive industries, which account for most of the country’s exports, is […]