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Africa

Spotify, Orange Middle East & Africa Partner to Promote African Talents

by Kwabe Ben November 22, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

From today, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Mali, and very soon in Guinea, millions of mobile users will enjoy music for free on the Spotify platform when subscribing to an Orange mobile offer. The new partnership between Orange Middle East & Africa (www.Orange.com) and Spotify will bring a new music journey to mobile users, thanks to a vast music catalog and a user-friendly interface.

Orange, operating in 18 countries across Africa and the Middle East, has recently partnered with Spotify, the world’s leading music streaming platform, to offer all mobile customers an exciting music experience. By offering complimentary data bonuses to access to Spotify’s service, Orange strengthens its position as an all-in-one entertainment service provider.

With a worldwide community of over 551 million monthly active listeners, including 220 million subscribers, Spotify provides a wide range of African and international artists with a library including over 82 million tracks. Orange customers can now enjoy this personalized and enriching musical experience by creating for instance their own playlists.

We are aware that data costs continue to be a hindrance for people who would like to stream music, that’s why we are actively working at Spotify SSA on partnerships like this one

According to Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is awareness that data costs continue to be a hindrance for people who would like to stream music, that’s why we are actively working at Spotify SSA on partnerships like this one.

“We are excited to partner with Orange Middle East & Africa to offer data bonuses to our customers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, and Mali, allowing them to enjoy our vast music library of over 100 million songs, without worrying about data,” said Jocelyne.

Orange Middle East and Africa and Spotify join hands to promote African talents and offer a wide mobile music experience to Orange customers

Brelotte Ba, Deputy CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, shared how the deployment of this service in the countries where we are present will greatly facilitate access to an incomparable musical experience for all communities and thus contribute to the acceleration of digital inclusion on the continent.

“We are pleased to partner with Spotify to bring a new experience to our customers in Africa and the Middle East. As a multi-service operator on the continent, we want to provide our customers with easier access to the rich musical culture in Africa and to the promotion of local talents,” said Brelotte.

Music stands as the primary source of entertainment across the African continent. The vast community of Orange mobile users in several countries will enable Spotify to promote local talents and introduce them to a larger audience. This strategic partnership will constitute for

Orange has a substantial progression towards enhancing the musical experience across the African landscape, fostering a deeper connection to cultural and entertainment elements. Orange is exploring opportunities to expand the offer in other countries.

November 22, 2023 0 comment

Africa Business

Leaders Attending Market Days Call for Bold, Innovative Initiatives for Africa

by Kwabe Ben November 9, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

The Market Days, an initiative of the African Development Bank and seven other co-founding partners is taking place in Marrakech, Morocco over the next three days.

The platform of Market Days this year themed Unlocking Africa’s value chains advances projects to bankability, raises capital, and accelerates deals toward financial closure. The 2023 Market Days run from 8 to 10 November. Previous iterations of Market Days have drawn more than 16,500 participants and generated cumulative investment interest of nearly $143 billion.

The theme of the 2023 Market Days is Unlocking Africa’s value chains. The forum helps connect investors with bankable deals in several sectors including renewable energy, agribusiness, and the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in his opening speech at the 2023 Africa Investment Forum Market Days on Wednesday called for Africans to work together to attract the levels of private investment needed to drive the continent’s inclusive development.

“Africa needs now more than ever bold, innovative initiatives to encourage private entrepreneurship and unleash the full potential of our continent,” King Mohammed VI said in a keynote speech read on his behalf by his advisor Omar Kabbaj, a President Emeritus of the African Development Bank.

The King said Morocco could serve as a model for other African countries’ efforts to overcome their infrastructure gaps. “Over the past two decades, Morocco has made infrastructure development a priority in all economic sectors,” he said. He also informed the gathering that the country was pushing toward deriving over 52% of its national electricity mix from renewable energy by 2030.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco

The King also stressed that African countries should enhance “coordination and cooperation mechanisms to drive regional integration.” As an example of the country’s push to partner with neighbors, he cited the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline Project. The project will “enable all countries along the pipeline route to have access to reliable energy supplies and to be more resilient to exogenous energy price shocks.”

Several heads of state and over 1000 participants including CEOs, heads of multilateral and regional financial institutions, business leaders and project developers, and government ministers are attending the 2023 Market Days. Heads of state and government took the opportunity to make the case for investment in their countries by participating in deal-focused boardrooms and thematic plenaries.

They include Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of Comoros and current chairperson of the African Union, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, Rwanda’s Prime Minister Eduardo Girente and the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley.

A platform for smooth investments into Africa

In his keynote address, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, highlighted Africa’s prospects as a prime investment destination. He remarks that the continent is not as risky as perceived and is growing and showing resilience despite global challenges, as he offers reasons for global investors to pursue high-risk-adjusted returns in Africa. “As investors, put your monies where the future is—The future is Africa,” he said.

As investors, put your monies where the future is—The future is Africa

The President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, pointed out that manufactured African exports account for just 1% of world exports. H.E Azali seized the opportunity to reveal that we export them to developed countries and these countries re-export them to us process and sell them back to us at ten times the price. Despite the obstacles, there are enormous opportunities for developing value chains in Africa.

According to President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, technological and aviation connectivity is a problem in Africa a matter she urged for more investments in to power the continent’s connectivity. She shared her surprise about having had to travel via Paris from her country in East Africa to her destination in Dakar, West Africa.

President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone said, “Obstacles are opportunities and how we turn obstacles into opportunities is the most important thing. Our economies are not sufficiently diversified and as soon as there is a shock, we suffer the consequences. And we are at the mercy of fluctuations in commodities like oil.”

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley thanked the government of Morocco and the African Development Bank for inviting her, allowing Africans and Caribbeans to reclaim our Atlantic destiny. “We are finding more and more that opportunities for synergies and solidarities are clear,” she said. Mottley has been a forceful voice on behalf of the global south. In 2022, ahead of COP27, she announced the Bridgetown Initiative, an agenda for the reform of global financial architecture and development finance in the context of three intersecting global crises: debt, climate, and inflation.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley

“Don’t ask us to choose people over planet or planet over people,” Mottley said, recommending a unified approach to the creation of a level playing field. She said there was scope for African and Caribbean people to partner in a range of spheres including pharmaceutical development and tourism, particularly the cruise ship industry.

Rwanda’s Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente commended the Africa Investment Forum for its focus on discussing action rather than potential talks emphasizing the need for action now. He further urged for the removal of barriers to the free movement of people.

Adesina, the chairperson of the Africa Investment Forum, also praised the platform. He said, that what makes the Africa Investment Forum unique and remarkable is that it is highly innovative and 100% transactional. “We develop and curate projects, reduce transaction costs and risks, and accelerate the closure of deals,” Adesina said. “Our goal is simple: make investments to land in Africa smoothly.”

He urged attendees to seize opportunities presented during the Market Days: “Let us be concrete, bold, and decisive. The boardrooms have been well prepared. The clock is ticking. The project developers are here. The investors are here. The heads of state and governments are here. And the financial institutions are here. So, let the deals begin.”

Adesina also conveyed the solidarity of Africa Investment Forum partners for Morocco following the devastating earthquake that struck the country in early September. The African Development Bank will commit €782 million to help finance various projects in Morocco in 2023.

The Africa Investment Forum’s eight founding partners are the African Development Bank Group, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Afreximbank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Trade and Development Bank.

November 9, 2023 0 comment

Africa Agribusiness

African Development Bank, Argentina to Partner in Advancing Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals

by Kwabe Ben September 18, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

On a visit to the African Development Bank, Argentina’s Under-Secretary for Foreign Policy Claudio Rozencwaig has expressed keen interest in deepening the existing partnership and exploring opportunities that benefit Argentinean and African businesses, notably in agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

Argentina became a member of the African Development Fund in 1979 and the African Development Bank in 1985. The country pledged $15 million to the African Development Fund’s 12^th replenishment.

The Under-Secretary while visiting the Bank’s Abidjan headquarters on 12 September, held meetings with the Bank’s Executive Director for Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, Takaaki Nomoto, as well as senior Bank executives. The discussions delved deeper into ways of optimizing the potential of collaboration and partnership between the continent and Argentina. He was accompanied by Argentina’s ambassador to Nigeria, Alejandro Herrero.

According to Rozencwaig Argentina has much to offer in the agriculture sector, particularly in livestock production, machinery, and techniques for minimizing post-harvest losses. He said his country also had capability in satellite imaging for research and transport, as well as animal pharmaceuticals. These are the spaces in the African continent that face various challenges from climate change to financing issues.

“The government had experience participating in “triangular cooperation” agreements with donors, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Islamic Development Bank. Under these arrangements, Argentina provided technical assistance and expertise,” he said. Rozencwaig also expressed an interest in learning more about the Bank’s procurement processes.

Another avenue for partnership and engagement that came up in the conversation is the Bank’s South-south Cooperation Trust fund, which was established under Brazil to support African countries in mobilizing and taking advantage of development solutions and technical expertise available in the South.

Quaynor noted that Argentina’s agricultural expertise was of particular interest to the Bank. He stressed the importance of the agriculture sector to the African Development Bank’s strategic plans, including its Feed Africa High-5 priority (https://apo-opa.info/3OiFCJL).

“Synergies between the Bank’s regional member countries and the South American country extended beyond trade. For example, post-harvest losses were as much as 40% in some African countries, Quaynor said, an issue the Bank was working to overcome. He also cited Botswana as an African country that might welcome partnerships with Argentinean beef producers.

Quaynor said the Africa Investment Forum (www.AfricaInvestmentForum.com/) Market Days, scheduled for 8-10 November, represented a great entry point for Argentinean companies looking to invest in Africa.

Argentina became a member of the African Development Fund in 1979 and the African Development Bank in 1985

Damian Ihedioha, Division Manager for Agribusiness, said the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts produced during the Dakar Food Summit (https://apo-opa.info/3pcmbZA) were another potential entry point for Argentinean businesses. Ihedioha said the compacts would attract investment in raising agricultural productivity and building out climate-smart agricultural systems along the food value chain. He named aquaculture and the blue economy as another area of convergence.

African Development Bank Acting Director for Agricultural Finance Richard Ofori-Mante said the Bank was working to support the development of Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones and that these needs would require agricultural machinery. He said satellite technology offered a way to assess the quality of soil to boost productivity.

Eduardo Rolim de Pontes Vieira, Senior Advisor to Executive Director Nomoto, said although the fund had been established in partnership with Brazil, it was being reconstituted as a multi-stakeholder trust fund, a move that would enable Argentina to become a donor.

Discussions also covered attracting more Argentinean professionals to the African Development Bank, potentially through its Young Professionals program, with Mubiru suggesting a recruitment seminar in the country.

Other topics discussed included the Bank’s Business Opportunity Seminars, held twice each year, as a means to learn more about African Development Bank procurement processes. The next seminar is scheduled for October 2023.

African Development Bank Vice President for Technology and Corporate Services Simon Mizrahi, welcomed the visitors urging for more exchanges amongst the partners to advance the agriculture and pharmaceuticals spaces. Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialisation, Solomon Quaynor and Alex Mubiru, Director General in the Office of Bank head Dr. Akinwumi Adesina also participated in the meeting, as did several managers from across the Bank’s complexes.

The visit took place as Argentina is seeking to expand its footprint across Africa. The country has opened embassies in Mozambique and Angola in recent years and is mulling re-opening an embassy in Côte d’Ivoire.

September 18, 2023 0 comment

Africa Business World

Five things African countries can do to optimize AfCFTA

by Kwabe Ben August 17, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

Until the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) plays its role of aggregating and integrating small and medium enterprises, it will remain a mere ‘Podium to the Streets’ talk, experts have warned.

The call was made on Wednesday, August 16, during the official opening of the Golden Business Forum in Kigali.

The forum under the theme Creating African Wealth under the African Continental Free Trade Area, is bringing together over 1000 delegates to among others identify and facilitate business opportunities across Africa, as well as promote engagement between developers, investors, and financiers.

The AfCFTA, being the world’s largest trade bloc, experts said, is crucial in setting the stage for increased integration, competitiveness, economic diversification, and investment in African economies.

However, there is a mountain to climb, but according to Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the African Union Commission (AUC) Deputy Chairperson, Africa has the unique opportunity today to shape “African Wealth” under the AfCFTA and turn current challenges into real business opportunities to unlock the potential of the immensely rich and diverse continent.

Here are five things that should be done:

1) Private sector should stand up to the task

The AfCFTA is an important key to unlocking Africa’s immense opportunities, being the world’s largest trading zone in terms of the number of participating countries (55) but it is also more relevant when viewed against the backdrop of the current global supply chain disruptions, which are bringing in train, inflation, and threats of economic recessions.

However, the private sector not Government is central to the full realization of the AfCFTA.

If statistics are anything to go by, the private sector in Africa accounts for over 80 percent of total production, two-thirds of total investment, and three-fourths of lending within the economy.

The sector also provides jobs for about 90 percent of the employed working-age population.

2) Women, startups should not be left behind

Although Africa is home to plenty of endowments, most of which remain untapped in some places and a curse in others, experts argued that the Wealth of Africa under the AfCFTA resides in the millions of micro, small and medium enterprises, the majority of whom are women-owned and youth startups and still operate in the informal sector.

“Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the African private sector accounting for over 90 percent of businesses and 63 percent of employment in low-income countries while contributing over 50 percent of the Gross Domestic Product,” Nsanzabaganwa said, quoting the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

For instance, she said, economic powerhouse companies of this world have this in common,

“They mastered to integrate their small and medium enterprises into their value chains. As a result, they harnessed innovations, inverted in R&D (Research and Development), and produced a diverse range of products, better quality at lower cost, thereby enhancing their global competitiveness.”

“My message to the Business community today is, for you to own the AfCFTA market you must integrate small and medium enterprises in your value chains. Failure to do will undermine Africa’s capacity to produce and consume Made in Africa, thereby creating wealth for others, outside the Continent.”

Panelists during the official opening of the Golden Business Forum in Kigali on Wednesday, August 16. Courtesy

3) Reversing the order of things

Creating wealth under the AfCFTA implies reversing the order of things and taking ‘From the Streets to the Podium’ instead.

“That is why I commend the PSF for taking a pragmatic step to approach tapping the AfCFTA from the ground up,” she added, “For, the AfCFTA will be implemented by Private Sector, not Government. So, how will the “from the Streets to the Podium” approach work?”

4) Boost growth

For the AfCFTA to be truly the engine of African wealth, it is imperative that we boost growth to above 7 percent (doubling from 4 percent projected for 2023) and double investments to 40 percent of GDP.

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB) recently published its economic outlook for the continent, projections indicate that the continent is expected to outperform the global GDP growth rate of 3.4 percent, with moderate growth of 4.1 percent in 2023-2024.

Eastern Africa is projected to lead this growth, expanding by 5.1 percent in 2023 and 5.8 percent in 2024, outpacing regional and global partners.

Five African countries, namely Ivory Coast, Benin, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda are among the top 10 fastest-growing economies in 2023.

“For the AfCFTA to be truly the engine of African wealth, we need a deliberate public-private joint effort to harmonize policies, standards, and regulations; connect people and products to markets through physical and digital infrastructure and logistics; de-risk small and medium enterprises to access finance; develop regional value chains and change mindset to start believing in Made in Africa products.”

5) Seeking opportunities for trade and investment

To create wealth under the AfCFTA, Africans ought to seek out the opportunities available for trade and investment between respective countries.

Africa currently imports over $300 billion worth of goods from outside the continent, with just over $50 billion as food imports, including maize, wheat, rice, and soybeans take up nearly 75 percent of these agricultural imports.

“Herein lies the opportunity for our continent, for our business persons, and for our communities. Why must Africa, with 60 percent of the global arable land, still import vast quantities of food?”

Investment opportunities abound in agricultural commercial farming on the continent.

Value addition and agro-processing is a key pillars of the AfCFTA private sector strategy precisely because of the potential that Africa has to feed itself and the rest of the world.

Equally important are cross-border investments that can help add value to the mineral beneficiation process, transforming the abundant natural resources innate to the African continent.

At the same time, manufacturing for key industries like textile, leather, and other light industries can spearhead Africa’s structural transformation and lead to achieving the real potential of this immense continent.

“However, this is a gradual process that requires maximum effort from all parties involved but the end goal is shared success which we all greatly benefit from.”

Source: The New Times Rwanda

August 17, 2023 0 comment

Africa Finance & Banking

Octagon Africa Approved for Tier II Pension Contributions Custodial

by Brian Yatich May 16, 2023

written by Brian Yatich

Octagon Africa has obtained official approval from the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) to oversee Tier II contributions.

The approval will see employers who choose not to participate in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), opt for the Octagon Umbrella Retirement Benefits Scheme.

This regulatory endorsement aligns with the NSSF Act of 2013, which was recently validated and deemed constitutional by the Kenyan Court of Appeal in February 2023.

Section 21 of the Act provides an opt-out alternative for occupational retirement benefits schemes, umbrella retirement benefits schemes, and individual retirement benefits schemes that have been duly approved and registered by the RBA for receiving Tier II Contributions.

Fred Waswa, the CEO of Octagon Africa Group, emphasized the prudence of placing Tier II contributions within a privately managed pension scheme like the Octagon Umbrella Retirement Benefits Scheme. Such a scheme grants employers influence over its governance through the Committees established under the RBA Regulations.

“We are thrilled to receive regulatory approval from the RBA to administer Tier II pension contributions. Our scheme is impeccably managed and administered, ensuring superior returns for our clients. Furthermore, our processes are highly automated,” stated Mr. Waswa.

This significant approval arrives as the Kenyan government endeavors to enhance and diversify the nation’s pension industry, providing Kenyan workers with more retirement savings options.

The pension contribution is fixed at 12% of the pensionable wages, comprising equal portions of 6% from both the employee and the employer, subject to a total upper limit of Kshs 2,160 for employees earning above Kshs 18,000 during the initial year of implementation.

Having been delivering pension fund administration and consultancy services since 2007, Octagon Africa boasts a proven track record and currently manages over Kshs. 100 billion in assets for more than 200,000 customers. The company specializes in Employee Benefits Administration and Consultancy services.

“Our expertise in pension administration, coupled with our innovative solutions, enables us to offer our clients a unique value proposition in the Tier II pension market,” commented Florence Muchiri, Octagon Africa’s Commercial Director.

Octagon Africa remains committed to ensuring that its clients receive the finest financial advice and investment solutions at favorable and competitive rates, and this approval marks a step in the right direction.

May 16, 2023 0 comment

Africa News Tech Technology

Mastercard, Kamala Harris Join Forces to Bridge Africa’s Digital Divide

by Brian Yatich April 6, 2023

written by Brian Yatich

Mastercard participated in a roundtable discussion with US Vice President Kamala Harris in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, where Harris called on public and private sector leaders to invest in national financial inclusion strategies to bridge the digital divide across Africa.

The lack of internet usage among African populations is estimated to be 33%, while only 55% of Sub-Saharan Africa can provide official proof of identity, highlighting the need for investment in digital inclusion.

Mastercard is advocating for a reconsideration of current approaches to Africa’s digital divide and emphasizing the importance of partnerships in its Africa strategy.

It believes that technology and innovation are powerful tools for connecting individuals to the digital economy, promoting service delivery across various sectors, and driving economic growth.

Mastercard has pledged to connect 1 billion people to the digital economy globally by 2025, and is expanding beyond its core business of payments to create new businesses that enable not only financial inclusion, but also digital inclusion.

Mark Elliott, Mastercard’s Division President of Sub-Saharan Africa, cited the example of Community Pass, a digital platform designed to address infrastructure challenges in digitizing rural communities, including unreliable connectivity, low smartphone ownership, and inconsistent identification.

The platform aims to register 30 million people by 2027, with a focus on registering 15 million people across Africa, including women in underserved and remote communities.

Community Pass provides individuals with a functional digital ID and digitizes their transactions, making them visible to multiple service providers. Smallholder farmers can use the platform to access more buyers, quality inputs, and credit to grow their businesses.

Across Africa, public and private sector organizations use Community Pass to get farmers paid more quickly and efficiently. To date, Mastercard has enabled 2.4 million individuals in Africa, primarily smallholder farmers, to participate in the digital economy.

April 6, 2023 0 comment

Africa News Technology

Bboxx, Jibu Join Forces To Provide Clean Water Using IoT Technology In Africa

by Brian Yatich March 24, 2023

written by Brian Yatich

Bboxx and Jibu share a vision of ensuring sustainable development in Africa and promoting entrepreneurship following their partnership back in 2017. The duo seeks to further unlock the economic potential of developing nations, more particularly Africa.

Both Bboxx and Jibu have scaled operations which rely upon reliable last-mile logistics and seamless supply chains, requiring close data monitoring and the utilisation of powerful technology.

Bboxx provides Jibu with monitoring IoT devices powered on Bboxx Pulse©, its fully integrated operating system. This enables Jibu to monitor remotely and in real-time the production of clean water in each of the 400+ franchises across eight markets.

This IoT-powered water service has helped to significantly drive down operational costs, as without this, Jibu would need additional staff in each market to manually collect the data on a daily basis.

This in turn would raise the end cost for franchise owners and customers, undermining Jibu’s mission to supply life-changing resources that are affordable. Since the partnership was established, 167 million litres of safe drinking water have been produced and delivered to customers.

Bboxx Pulse® harnesses the power of data to create commercial value and predict consumer trends. For example, over 1 billion data points are collected daily. The role of data is key to the successful operations of businesses like Bboxx and Jibu, enabling them to hear the voices of their customers more clearly, as well as meet their needs cost-effectively.

In the sustainable development sector, collaboration is particularly important, and Bboxx looks forward to continuing its partnership with Jibu far into the future, as well as expanding the application of its IoT technology to create tech solutions in a wide array of sectors.

March 24, 2023 0 comment

Africa Aviation

Kenya Airways CEO Calls for Airline consolidation

by Kwabe Ben March 14, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

In a new episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos visits the continent’s first Aerospace Forum in Casablanca, Morocco, meeting some of the aviation leaders who are making intra-African air connectivity a reality.

Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenya Airways elaborated more about the role that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement could play in boosting passenger and freight traffic on the continent.

“There’s not enough traffic moving from south to north and north to south, and not enough goods being traded between Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa. But I believe this is about to change because of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which now, first of all, will give access to goods, and also allow for more freedom of movement for people from both sides,” said Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenya Airways.

According to the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association, Abderahmane Berthe, in many parts of Africa, the aviation sector is still in its infancy, with poor infrastructure and a fragmented network of routes.

Further stating that even getting to the Aerospace African Forum posed a challenge for many as it’s evident as a factor.

“I live in Nairobi, in Kenya. I had to fly Nairobi via Addis to go to Bamako in Mali, and then to connect on another airline from Bamako to Casablanca,” said Berthe who is part of the group working to liberalize air transport in Africa in areas such as traffic rights, market access, and airline capacity.

Albeit Kilavuka and other aviation leaders are arguing for the liberalization of the market in Africa, the CEO of Kenya’s national air carrier expresses the conviction that this could be done in stages to help with the enormity of the task.

“What we have said is, even when it comes to the liberalization of aviation, we could start with pockets, East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, and see how that works. And then before we blow it out, because I know it’s big, we have 55 countries, a very large continent, 1.2 million people, so it’s a large thing, it’s a large project to implement all at once. So, if you implement it in pockets and then roll it out, then that makes much more sense,” added Mr. Kilavuka.

Using the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the continent is aiming to increase economic integration, promote social integration, and boost intra-African trade and tourism. SAATM was launched in 2018, but so far only 35 of the 55 African countries have signed up for its membership.

Kilavuka argues that African airlines must consolidate if the continent is to improve its aviation prospects expressing concern about the rise in the number of airlines whereas the workload continuously becoming minimal at every juncture.

“The African aviation market is very fragmented. I mean, 55 countries, we have so many airlines on the continent. Most of them are not viable, that truth be told. The solution to that is to consolidate. Just like that has happened in Europe, it happened in the US, it happened in Asia. We need to consolidate so that you create bigger entities that are more economical from a scale perspective and can respond to high costs. They can together talk to suppliers and get more bargains when it comes to purchases, so bring down the unit cost of operation,” argued the CEO of Kenya Airways.

Giokos also speaks to Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, about the country’s plans for a new $2 billion airport in Kigali, with ambitions for it to become a major hub for travel and trade on the continent.

March 14, 2023 0 comment

Africa

Jill Biden Renewing diplomatic ties in Africa

by Kwabe Ben February 27, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

US First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Kenya on Friday, kicking off a visit aimed at focusing attention on the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in decades.

Five straight seasons of poor rainfall have killed millions of livestock, destroyed crops, and left some 22 million people at risk of hunger in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, with a sixth season, also forecast to fail.

Biden traveled to Kenya from Namibia, part of a two-nation tour aimed at deepening ties with the continent, which has become a renewed diplomatic battleground following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

The first senior White House official to travel to the region since her husband President Joe Biden came to power, the 71-year-old community college professor’s visit will also focus on the empowerment of women and youth.

The tour aims to build on the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington late last year where President Biden said his country was “all in” on the hotly courted continent.

During her visit to Namibia, Biden said the United States was committed to helping African nations get a louder voice at the UN and other international bodies.

“We’re committed to making sure that African countries not only have a voice in organizations like the UN Security Council and G20 but that those voices are valued as equal partners,” Biden said at a luncheon in Windhoek on Thursday.

This is Biden’s first trip to Africa as the first lady of the United States.

February 27, 2023 0 comment

Africa Leadership

United States Supports AU’s Peace and Security Council Communique

by Kwabe Ben February 23, 2023

written by Kwabe Ben

The United States welcomes the February 17 Communiqué of the 1140th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The United States informed of joining the PSC in expressing concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, condemning the human rights abuses committed by armed groups, particularly the M23, ISIS-DRC, CODECO, and FDLR, and demanding that all armed groups cease hostilities and unconditionally withdraw from the eastern DRC. We appreciate the leadership of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the PSC.

The United States will continue to support and advance African diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC

We are encouraged that the PSC underscored the importance of implementing the outcomes of the February 17 EAC mini-summit communiqué, the Luanda and Nairobi processes, and the November 23 Luanda Communiqué; supporting the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism and the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO); and addressing the issue of ex-combatants and the voluntary return of internally displaced persons and refugees.

We also take note of the PSC’s decision to use the African Union Peace Fund to support the deployment of the Eastern African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

We urge the swift implementation of the outcomes of the February 17 EAC Mini-Summit, the Luanda and Nairobi processes, especially the Communiqué of the Mini-Summit of Luanda of November 23, 2022.

The path to peace is clear: we expect the leadership shown during these sessions in Addis Ababa to translate commitments into action. We reiterate our call on Rwanda to cease support for the M23 armed group and to withdraw its troops from the DRC to facilitate the implementation of these commitments in accordance with the timeline endorsed at the February 17 EAC mini-summit. We also reiterate our call on all parties to condemn hate speech and urgently work to prevent ethnic violence.

On the margins of the African Union Summit February 18-19, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee met with João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola; Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the DRC; Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda; William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; and Jeje Odongo, Foreign Minister of Uganda. In each meeting, Assistant Secretary Phee discussed with regional leaders our shared commitment to achieving peace and stability in eastern DRC and the urgent need for revitalization of the peace processes. The United States will continue to support and advance African diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC.

February 23, 2023 0 comment

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