The Zambian telecom operator -Zamtel- says it will strengthen security measures to prevent SIM card fraud and boost security. The company launched a program to collect facial biometric data from its subscribers.According to Reuben Kamanga, Zamtel’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, the new measure consists of an update of existing data, against the backdrop of growing online...

Egypt and Switzerland signed yesterday three memoranda of understanding aimed at strengthening investment, improving higher education and developing the textile sector. The deals were inked during the Egyptian-Swiss Investment Forum in Cairo. With this new step, Egypt is seeking to boost support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), develop training programs for youth and create more...

The World Food Program has approved the 2020-24 Country Strategic Plan in Niger, the institution’s Country Director, Sory Ouane, announced February 3, during the signing of a financial and technical deal in Niamey. Valued at $1 billion (CFA626.6 billion), the Plan is the fruit of a collaboration between WFP, the government of Niger and development partners. It was designed to help the...

US rating agency Moody’s says issuance of green, social and sustainability bonds will top to a record $400 billion this year, making a 24% increase compared to 2019 when the figure was $323 billion. Of the $400 billion, green bonds are seen at $300 billion while social and sustainability bonds are expected at $25 billion and $75 billion, respectively. The good...

Designed by the Presidential Council for Africa and makesense Africa, the city_lab programme starts in Senegal in partnership with Eiffage Senegal. Launched in Abidjan in December 2019 on the sidelines of President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit, the city_lab programme is being launched in Dakar in partnership with Eiffage Senegal. Designed by the Presidential Council for Africa (CPA) and...

Egypt collected $25.49 billion in non-oil export revenues last year, up from $25.14 billion the previous year. According to the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), the improvement was spurred by good performances in the food and construction sectors during the last month of the year. Ismail Gaber (pictured) - GOEIC Chairman - said food exports increased...

The Belgian chocolate maker Belvas announced plans to build a fair trade chocolate plant in Côte d’Ivoire, by September 2020. The project is valued at €1.05 million and the company has already raised €250,000 through the investment platform Lita.co. The remaining amount will be provided by the Ivorian cooperative Ecookim, King Baudouin Foundation, and the Belgian cooperation....

Momentum Metropolitan Holdings, a financial services group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and on the Namibian Stock Exchange, has obtained the green light from regulatory authorities for the acquisition of Alexander Forbes’ short-term Insurance business. The deal was announced in July 2019 and concluded for R1.9 billion ($130.1 million). According to Momentum, the transaction...

GoDaddy, a publicly-traded internet domain registrar and web hosting company, has reached a deal for an undisclosed amount to buy the South African social media content startup Over. According to Matt Winn - CEO and Co-Founder of Over- under this deal, his company will continue to develop its app, while also expanding its capability to serve entrepreneurs everywhere with impactful creative tools...

In Malawi, the Constitutional Court has just annulled the results of the presidential elections held since May 2019. Yesterday Feb 3, the institution announced it found out that the voting was not transparent and indeed masked various irregularities long denounced by the opposition. “We hold that the first respondent was not duly elected as president of Malawi. As a result, we hereby order...