'The Global System Operators' Association (GSMA) estimates that telecom operators will invest $45.2 billion in the mobile network in sub-Saharan Africa by 2025. Mobile penetration over the period is expected to increase from 46% currently to 50% and the number of subscribers will go from 495 million to 615 million as a result of growing demand for telecom services. In its “The Mobile...

The International Finance Corporation ranks Côte d'Ivoire among the top 10 African countries with high economic potential in leasing markets. The Ivorian government signed a deal with the institution to tap into this potential to improve access to finance for SMEs. Côte d'Ivoire has just signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to improve financing for SMEs. The...

The King of Morocco Mohammed VI named a new government and presented the new development guidelines for the next 5 years. The 3-axis roadmap was unveiled on the sidelines of the 11th legislature’s parliamentary session. The first point concerns the country’s sovereignty and is aimed at consolidating its position as a regional engine of growth. While talking about the security of strategic...

The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a loan of $86.72 million to co-finance the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The multi-phase project will provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydroelectricity for Lesotho. The project entails harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho highlands by...

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund approved on Wednesday in Abidjan, a grant of US $ 10.7 million to São Tomé and Príncipe for the implementation of the first phase of the Zuntámon Initiative, within the framework of the Lusophone Compact. The project aims to improve the business environment by removing specific bottlenecks that hinder private sector-led growth. The...

The African Development Bank has welcomed $150 million investment in its Desert to Power G5 Financing Facility from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The GCF approved the amount at its 30th Board meeting this week. Desert-to-Power is a flagship renewable energy and economic development initiative led by the African Development Bank. Its objective is to light up and power the Sahel region by...

The  Africa Investment Forum held a roundtable event to preview two agribusiness deals worth nearly $400 million as part of the lead-in to its upcoming 2021 Market Days. The investment opportunities, drawn from the Africa Investment Forum’s pipeline, will be presented in full during the Market Days, to be held from December 1-3 in Abidjan. The virtual roundtable, organized by the...

The Egyptian government signed last week, through the National Company for Telecommunications Services (NCTS), a service agreement with the high-speed satellite internet service provider Hughes Network Systems. The deal will give NCTS access to various solutions, including two Hughes Jupiter System gateways, a network management system, to provide connectivity in rural areas via the Tiba-1...

The value of all financial assets in the world increased by almost 10% in 2020 to €200 trillion. This amount takes into account all bank deposits, as well as the total value of financial securities and assets held in financial accounts and pension funds. The estimates are made by insurance company Allianz. This increase occurred in a year marked by one of the deadliest pandemics in recent...

Global debt could soon reach 260% of GDP, but low-interest rates make it bearable. This was the comment made today October 7 by Vera Chaplin, MD of S&P, during the Asia Briefing Live forum co-hosted by Bloomberg and Asia Society Australia. This optimism seems to fade away when it comes to Africa, which is labeled an “over-indebted” continent. A debt crisis is looming but with interest rates...