Seeds, at the heart of food systems, support a $3,000 billion value chain. In the face of the challenges posed by climate change, this sector has become crucial to guaranteeing food security. Against this backdrop, Africa, faced with the need to strengthen its agricultural resilience and food self-sufficiency, is seeking its place in a constantly evolving global seed market. To achieve this,...

Under pressure to meet African governments' funding needs, banks are increasingly turning to public debt. This trend, known as the "crowding-out effect," limits credit access for the private sector and raises concerns about growing risks for the banking system. African banks have increasingly prioritized government debt over loans to businesses over the past decade, according to the "Finance in...

The deployment of submarine cables enhances high-speed connectivity. This infrastructure is pivotal for the development of smart cities, digital governance, and expanding tech ecosystems across the continent, driving economic growth and innovation. Telecom Egypt has announced the addition of a new fibre optic submarine system to its inventory of high-speed telecoms infrastructures....

Tunisia’s government is planning a state budget of over $25 billion for 2025, with an economic growth target of 3.2%. The forecast relies on an estimated Brent crude oil price of $77.4 per barrel to support this growth. Prime Minister Kamel Maddouri shared last week that the government expects a 5.7% increase in budget revenues for 2025. He spoke before the Assembly of the People’s...

In September 2024, a stronger food supply, especially in coastal countries, helped slow down rising food prices. Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Togo were among the WAEMU nations that saw inflation ease. The inflation rate across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) fell to 3.6% in September 2024, down from 4.4% in August, according to the monthly report released by the Central Bank...

The World Bank warns that without new climate adaptation measures, Senegal could experience annual GDP losses of up to 9.4% by 2050 due to climate-related disasters. Senegal could see a 2% boost in GDP by 2030 through targeted investments in climate adaptation, according to the World Bank’s latest Climate and Development Report for the country. The report estimates that investments in...

MTN is the largest telecom operator in Rwanda’s mobile phone market, where it competes with Airtel. In the first nine months of 2023, the company generated revenue of RWF 188.4 billion. Mobile phone company MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) reported revenues of RWF 192.88 billion ($141.8 million) for the first nine months of 2024, up 2.4% from last year. This growth was primarily fueled by...

With over 90% of businesses in Africa’s food sector being micro, small, or medium enterprises (MSMEs), the report highlights the need to promote economies of scale and shared production tools. This approach could help lower operating costs and meet African consumers' buying preferences better. About 70% of consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa prefer local food brands over international ones due to...

West Africa is the leading region for powdered milk imports in Africa. While demand for dairy products is growing in the area, developing local dairy industries remains a significant challenge. In West Africa, calls to ban imports of whole milk powder could harm local dairy processors supplying urban consumers, according to Christian Corniaux, Deputy Director of the Selmet Research Unit at...

Nigeria is facing economic challenges driven by inflation and the devaluation of its currency, the naira. Economic growth has struggled to keep up with a fast-growing population, which has deepened poverty across the country, reports the World Bank. A recent World Bank report reveals that 47% of Nigeria’s population now lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day. This...