First Independent Mena Newspaper
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) is celebrating a significant achievement in 2024, setting a new export record with 131,485 vehicles shipped, marking a 21% increase over the previous record of 108,422 vehicles in 2019. This milestone highlights the company’s strengthened global presence, with its plant in Kariega, South Africa, being the sole exporter of Polo models […]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo said it will stop exporting cobalt for four months amid an oversupply in the global market. Since the beginning of the year, cobalt oversupply sent prices down by approximately 11.32%. DRC is the world’s largest cobalt producer with some two thirds of global reserves. Cobalt is a rare metal […]
French Senate speaker Gérard Larcher called for the development of a partnership with Morocco geared towards Africa and voiced appreciation of France’s historical stance on Sahara, as expresseed by President Emmanuel Macron last year. Speaking at a joint news conference following talks, on Monday in Rabat, with Morocco’s Upper House Speaker Mohamed Ould Errachid, Larcher […]
Morocco has maintained its position at the 50th rank in the 2025 edition of the “Global Soft Power Index,” published by Brand Finance. The country ranks highly among African nations, coming in third in the continent, behind Egypt (38th) and South Africa (41st). Morocco rounds out Africa’s top three, securing the 50th position globally with […]
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has partnered with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to enhance efforts in fighting financial crime and corruption across Africa. The two organizations signed a Letter of Intent last week to strengthen their collaboration in tackling illicit financial flows, cybercrime, and money laundering. This partnership is the first for a […]
Atlantique Finance, a subsidiary of Morocco’s pan-African Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) group, has emerged as the leading investment and brokerage firm in West Africa’s economic and monetary union, achieving a remarkable 25% market share and transaction volume of 235 billion CFA francs (approximately $358 million) in 2024. The firm’s ascent to market leadership among 36 […]
President Kais Saied urged lawmakers to end the independence of the monetary policy in the country by adopting a law that would allow the treasury to borrow directly from the central bank. The move is the latest in a series of moves to concentrate all powers in his firm grip, after he sapped the democratic […]
The World Bank has highlighted Morocco’s efforts to transform the agrifood system into a more climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable model that produces safe and healthy food. The Kingdom “is implementing a multi-faceted program to promote sustainable agriculture, boost irrigation in drought-prone areas, and make agriculture an attractive proposition for young people,” the Washington-based institution pointed […]
French President Emmanuel Macron and head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch opened on Saturday the Paris International Agricultural Fair which laid out the red carpet for Morocco as its first guest of honor. “We are very happy and proud to host Morocco as a guest of honor at the SIA, where it is represented […]
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) marks its fifth anniversary amid growing concerns about its implementation pace and effectiveness. Despite ambitious goals to create a unified market of 1.3 billion people and generate $450 billion in additional revenue by 2035, the agreement faces substantial obstacles in translating vision into reality. Infrastructure deficiencies pose a […]