Africa’s pharmaceutical market is one of the fastest growing in the world and is predicted to reach $60 billion by 2020. Local production therefore has immense potential to foster industrial and economic growth on the continent, while simultaneously enabling a localised and sustainable response to Africa’s health needs. The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, African Union...

During a meeting with the media on June 3, 2019, in Abuja, Sunday Dare (photo), the executive commissioner of the Nigerian Communications commission, revealed the latest projects being implemented by the institution. The commissioner indicated that Nigeria was ready for the 5G. To elaborate on a launching plan, the organisation of a forum is being considered. The NCC also launched new...

In its recent evaluation of online public services, the Moroccan court of auditors estimated that Maroc Telecom’s monopoly over the ADSL was greatly affecting the development of online services.   Due to a lack of competition, this market segment grew by 20% only within 18 years. From 1999 to 2017, the number of subscribers to fixed internet rose from 1.5 million to 1.8 million...

Heat Exchange, whose major stakeholder is greek Eos Capital, has taken an important step for the acquisition of Valco Pipes, a Namibian firm specialised in the production of water pipes. Heat Exchange explains that its initiative is aimed at creating a Namibian company with full water engineering services offering it a large portfolio of products and solutions. With heat Exchange being one of...

Casablanca Stock Exchange recorded MAD8.89 billion ($920 million) of transactions in the first quarter of this year. Year on year, this represents a 23% decrease. Between January 1 and March 31, 2019, the equities exchanged in the central market dropped from MAD9.10 billion in Q1, 2018 to MAD5.06 billion in the quarter under review. Exchanges in the central market were thus 57% of the overall...

Namibia’s GDP should contract further this year due to low rainfall and a decrease in diamond production, the IMF indicated on May 5, 2019, without key figures. The institution, however, explained that the country’s economy would resume with growth in 2020. According to Geremia Palomba, head of a mission of experts sent by the IMF in Windhoek, in the long-term, Namibia’s economy will...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) announces the creation of a green bond fund targeting “real economy” issuers in emerging markets. Created in collaboration with HSBC Global Asset Management, the fund will also help increase those markets’ access to climate finance and promote green bonds’ markets. Named Real Economy Green Investment Opportunity (REGIO) Fund, it will have a...

An international pledging conference to finance the reconstruction of parts of cyclone-hit Mozambique took place in the city of Beira on 31 May and 1 June. Multi-lateral development agencies, international organizations, government representatives, the private sector and civil society gathered at the conference, aimed at soliciting financial support for the effort. The combined impact of...

Chinese group Huajian Group signed an agreement with Ethiopian authorities on May 30, 2019, for the management of  Jimma industrial park. In the framework of that agreement, the Chinese group will invest $100 million in the construction of shoe manufacturing and coffee processing plants. It will also help attract other Chinese groups in this 75-hectare park. Lelise Neme, managing...

The world 200 largest firms by market capitalisation in the world could lose $1,000 billion to climate change in the coming five years. This is one the results of 2018 report on climate change published by CDP formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project. For this report, the study was based on the 215 largest firms by market capitalisation in the world. The combined market...