As announced at the beginning of October 2018, during the launch of Africa Pulse, World Bank has just published the new Human Capital Index in Bali (Indonesia), in the framework of the yearly assembly of Bretton Woods institutions. The Index measures the loss of productivity sustained by countries that invest less in their human assets. The bank explains that the index compares the future...

Hexabyte, the Tunisian company specialized in the supply of internet via ADSL, announces the opening of its capital to a local operator whose name is still kept secret. In a release published October 9, 2018, on the website of Tunisia’s stock exchange, the Internet Services Provider indicated that it was still negotiating and the procedures for this operation have already been initiated so as...

Attijari Bank controlled by Andalu Carthage Holding, a fully owned subsidiary of Attijariwafa Bank, received a subordinated loan of €40 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). This credit line repayable within 7 years will help the Tunisian institution boost its equity and its support to SMEs operating in the renewable energy and waste management sectors. Apart from...

Egypt plans to issue up to $20 billion of bonds denominated in foreign currency by 2022, a high-ranking official declared to the Egyptian website Entreprise, on October 9, 2018, under the condition of anonymity. However, the source refused to detail the country’s plan or explain its vision for this important issuance. On the other hand, the source indicated that Egypt is planning the...

Representatives of Senegal's government and managers of ICT companies are meeting in Dakar, Senegal for consultations to adopt a national strategy of IT-enabled business process outsourcing. The meetings that started October 9, 2018, are to end today October 10, 2018, and is being organized by the International Trade Corporation (ITC) that sees potential in Senegal.   Thanks to...

Silicon Industries Corporation (SICO), manufacturer of the first Egyptian smartphones, announces its expansion in Africa. Mahmoud Ali, the company sales manager, revealed that this expansion should be done by the end of 2018 or early 2019. In its expansion plan, the company targets Kenya, Morocco, DR Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Ghana. Mahmoud Ali explains that this expansion...

Sub-Saharan bond issuers raised a record $30.8 billion during Q3, 2018, Ecofin Agency found out from concordant documents. This segment of the financial markets involving the subregion was particularly animated by governments that are primary issuers notably because of liquidity needs to finance budget deficits in a context marked by ever decreasing revenues. Financial institutions ($5.7...

The consortiums Vinci-Meridiam Infrastructure, IHI Corporation Acciona and Sotrabag AG are the three contractors retained for the construction of a bridge in Kenya. The $200 million bridge is a public-private partnership agreement for the construction of the second bridge of Nyali. The six-way bridge’s objective is to fluidify the traffic between Mombassa and the island near it. Kenya...

Côte d’Ivoire wishes Canadian private investors increase their investments in different sectors in the country. This is what Emmanuel Essis Esmel, the prime minister’s secretary of state, indicated on October 8, 2018, during an economic mission of  Canadian businessmen in Côte d’Ivoire. “The volume of Canadian private investments in our country, notably in priority sectors of...

Angola could reduce its budget deficit to 1% by the end of this year, José de Lima Massano (photo), governor of the country’s central bank indicated last Monday. According to the official’s statements reported by Reuters, this performance that represents an improvement compared to the 7% budget deficit registered in 2017 should be stimulated by the macroeconomic stabilization plan initiated...