BUSINESS

Ethiopia seems to be attracting the attention of economists interested in Africa, and for good reason. Except for Rwanda, Ethiopia is the only African country whose economic growth has been consistently high for more than a decade without relying on a natural resource boom. Between 2004 and 2014, per capita growth in Ethiopia was 8% per year. This was the …

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced its acceptance of a US$150 million 15 year loan facility from German development bank KfW. The loan agreement was signed on 22 June in London by Andrew Alli, CEO of AFC, and Jan Martin Witte, Head of Division for Infrastructure at KfW. The funds will be used to refinance projects across the corporation’s current …

Ghana is very serious about attracting foreign investment, says Mawuena Adzo Trebarh, chief executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). During an exclusive interview with our correspondent Francis Sackitey in Accra recently, she talked about the incentives offered by her country, the preferred sectors for investment and the advantages of doing business in Ghana, among other issues. Why should …

Two companies have recently commenced groupage container service to Nigeria from Germany. Groupage means the consolidation of several small shipments into a single container. Eze Shipping Service in Hanover and Vin Kem Shipping in Frankfurt/Main said they introduced the service in response to demand from their customers who would like to regularly send small consignment of goods to Nigeria. It …

The Western media’s picture of Africa is characterised by two extremes: usually depicted are either the very poor masses who cannot feed themselves and who are all allegedly knocking on the door of Fortress Europe or the very rich who make their money at the expense of those poor people. The middle segment of society, however, is ignored in foreign …

In an exclusive interview with The African Courier, Sebastian Kester talks about his company, which is the only African-owned aviation company in Europe, and the opportunities and challenges in African aviation, among other issues.

In 2010, almost 600 million Africans or 57 per cent of the population had no access to any form of electricity. Africa is experiencing rapid economic growth, with estimates showing growth figures for the continent rising from 4.7 per cent in 2013 to 5.2 per cent in 2014. However, if this growth is to be sustained, renewable energy must have …

The recent inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo in Lagos has been hailed as a great success by the event patrons, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, according to organisers Clarion Events. The event, launched in response to the federal government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify, welcomed more than 2,600 manufacturing experts over three days in March. The top manufacturing …

Do what you are good at, says Ha-Joon Chang “Countries can decide their development path. Countries become good at things because they want to excel at making those particular things,” renowned development economist Ha-Joon Chang told an audience on 3 April at the second Annual Adebayo Adedeji Lecture, part of activities marking the 2016 Africa Development Week, which took place …

Cameroon-born visionary entrepreneur introduces innovative immigration security system Bridge Corporation is a Berlin-based leading biometric technology company that has evolved from a traditional visa application-processing company to implementing finger print scanning technology, to employing biometric technology and finally providing consultancy services on security issues related to immigration. In an exclusive interview with The African Courier, the Cameroon-born entrepreneur and the CEO …

The Africa 2016 Forum, which took place in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el Sheikh on 20-21 February, has called on African countries to create greater trust and co-operation between governments and the private sector. The Forum, the first international business and investment forum of its kind and that was aimed at strengthening business ties within Africa, also charged …

Zambian Minister:  “The only sector that assuredly alleviates poverty is agriculture. Our focus is to grow this industry that is the future of this country.” Zambia’s premier agricultural trade fair Agritech Expo takes place on14-16 April at the Gart Research Centre, Chisamba. In the run-up to the important event, Spintelligent interviewed the Zambian Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, the Honourable …

To boost its export sales, South African wine makers are promoting higher-priced products in European markets. Wine exports fell to 422.7 million litres last year from 525.6 million litres in 2013, according to the Wines of South Africa, the association representing all producers of wine who export their products.  Exports in 2015 are predicted to be on a par with …

Political and business leaders from Germany and Africa will converge on Hamburg on 25-26 April for the 10th German-African Energy Forum. The annual event offers a platform for players in the energy sector for interaction and networking. The Forum features discussions on current topics, projects and opportunities for markets for renewable and conventional energy in Africa. Ministers from nine African …

The 4th World Coffee Conference will take place in Addis Ababa on 6-11 March 2016. The event, organised by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade in collaboration with the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), will bring together more than 1,200 participants drawn from the member countries of the global body. The conference will also host the 116th annual conference of the international coffee …

International equipment manufacturers meet Nigerian companies The new government of President Muhammadu Buhari has announced as one of its key policy agendas the promotion of manufacturing in Africa’s most populous country. The major instrument the administration is employing to achieve its professed aim is the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), which is facilitating investment and growth within the sector.  In …