Since 2020, South Sudanese authorities, who are well aware that there could be no sustainable digital economy without access to quality and affordable internet, are taking action to consolidate the country’s data capabilities.  South Sudan and Djibouti announced Monday (September 19), a memorandum of understanding for fiber optic interconnection. Under the agreement, the ultra-high-speed...

With barely two months to go before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, Africa and other developing parts of the world that bear the severest brunt of climate change are warning against turning it into a mere talking shop of promises. African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and speakers at the 2nd ministerial meeting on climate and development held on the...

The African Domestic Bond Fund (ADBF), an exchange-traded fund, has been listed in the local Pula currency on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The listing, on 15 September 2022, follows the Fund’s primary US dollar listing on the Mauritius Stock Exchange in 2018. The Pula-denominated listing will offer investors an innovative tool to gain exposure to African local currency fixed income. ADBF...

The situation baffled economic agents because the central bank data is reassuring as far as the country’s foreign exchange reserves are concerned. Nevertheless, supply is down year-on-year and market participants anticipate a rise in demand.  In Morocco, the bid-ask spreads practiced by banks are rising, according to local media outlets. Media 24 reveals that the prices offered in the...

On the sidelines of the 2022 edition of Africa Climate Week, a session titled Limiting Loss and Damage through Enhanced Adaptation Action in Africa featured vibrant and timely discussion of an aspect of climate change that typically receives little attention: capturing and assessing the costs and damages associated with climate change.    The African Development Bank and Germany’s...

Africa, which is more than ever seen as a land of opportunities, has attracted a growing number of investors over the recent years with rising commitments to startups active on the continent. According to a report, only a minority of the startups that capture those investments are led by Africans.  In August 2022, business intelligence consultancy Songhai Advisory and EchoVC published a...

In May 2022, the IMF approved an EFC arrangement for Mozambique. Last week, a team from the institution visited the country for the first review under that arrangement.  Mozambique has reached a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the disbursement of a new tranche of the US$456 million financing obtained under an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) agreement....

Since 2020, digital transformation in Africa, which was once neglected, has proven that ultra-broadband adoption is growing faster than forecasted.  In sub-Saharan Africa, 5G adoption is growing rapidly, since 2018. Data compiled by Ecofin Agency show that as of September 15, 2022, twelve telecom operators in ten markets are already marketing mobile services backed by ultra-high-speed...

Bolloré Railways, through its two subsidiaries Sitarail and Camrail, will be taking part in the InnoTrans trade fair from 20 to 23 September 2022 at the Berlin exhibition centre. The company will use this opportunity to meet with global players in the railway industry and move its plans forward to modernise the railway lines it operates. Sitarail, a bi-national company operating between Côte...

5G adoption is steadily rising in Africa. The new technology is expected to not only provide ultra-fast connection speeds but also accelerate digital transformation on the continent. Mobile operator MTN Nigeria officially launched commercial fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology in Nigeria on Sunday, September 18. To achieve this technological leap, the company enlisted the technological...