First Independent Mena Newspaper
In a landmark trade policy shift, China has announced the complete removal of customs duties on imports from 53 African countries, including Morocco. The zero-tariff regime, set to take effect on May 1,2026, aims to deepen economic cooperation and open one of the world’s largest consumer markets to African exporters. The announcement was made by […]
Italy announced a plan to allow African countries to suspend debt repayments after extreme climate events, a proposal unveiled by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the second Italy–Africa Summit held on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) meeting in Addis Ababa. The initiative forms part of Italy’s broader Mattei Plan, which allocates €5.5 billion […]
African tech venture funding rebounded sharply in 2025 after nearly two years of slowdown, with startups raising $4.1 billion, their best performance since 2022. The findings, published in Partech’s Africa Tech Venture Capital Report 2025, highlight a renewed investor appetite despite persistent global financial constraints. But the recovery reflects more than a cyclical upswing, marking […]
Foreign investment in Africa remains under strain despite a rebound in global capital flows, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said last week, warning that weak project finance, high borrowing costs and geopolitical uncertainty continue to deter long-term investment on the continent. In its Global Investment Trends Monitor, published in January, UNCTAD […]
Morocco’s economic capital city is hosting the 2026 “World Advanced Manufacturing & Future Mobility” (WAM Morocco), Africa’s largest exhibition focused on advanced manufacturing, future mobility, green energy and future mobility. The three-day event, which opened doors on Tuesday, aims to position Morocco as a regional hub connecting Africa and Europe for industrial innovation and investment. […]
France’s economic diplomacy in Africa, historically a cornerstone of Paris’s international influence, confronts profound crisis as market share erodes and competitors gain ground. Fifteen years ago, France still considered itself a major banking and commercial power across the continent, with key sectors from finance to infrastructure making Paris an indispensable partner for Francophone and Anglophone […]
Morocco’s potential role in establishing a future center of excellence dedicated to sustainability in the minerals sector was highlighted during an online panel held last week, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh this January 13-15. The discussion examined critical issues surrounding strategic minerals essential to global energy transition and economic growth. Participants […]
Africa is set to remain one of the biggest beneficiaries of FIFA’s $5 billion global development program, FIFA officials said. FIFA said nearly a quarter of all Forward funding mobilized since 2016 has gone to Africa, placing the continent on equal footing with Asia and Latin America as a priority region. Officials said the allocation […]
The revival of the Lobito Corridor, a 1,300 km railway linking Zambia’s copper belt to Angola’s Atlantic coast, captures a profound change in Europe’s approach to Africa from development aid to transnationalism. Once a colonial-era route for mineral extraction, the line is now the centerpiece of the EU’s 2 billion euro investment under its Global […]
Sweden and Norway have taken sharply different paths on aid to Africa, with Stockholm cutting aid while Oslo increases allocations for humanitarian support. On Dec. 8, Sweden announced it will phase out bilateral development assistance to five countries, including four in Africa: Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique and Liberia. The goal was to free up about 10 […]