tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89134647030781204252023-11-16T07:53:05.336+01:00HELP AFRICA FRIENDSSHOWCASING DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA THROUGH SUBSTANTIAL REALITIES .Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.comBlogger302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-43395537195410729872017-05-06T21:15:00.003+02:002017-05-06T21:15:28.781+02:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Is Tanzania's Magufuli Tying His Legacy to Infrastructure?</h1>
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While launching the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro railway line project, on the day Tanzanians remembered the passing of its former prime minister, Edward Moringe Sokoine who perished in a road accident in 1984, President John Magufuli left no doubt, once again as to where his vision of the future of the country lies writes<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Erick Mwakibete</strong> for <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Citizen</strong>.</em></div>
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While launching the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro SGR line project, on the day Tanzanians remembered the passing of its former prime ministers, Edward Moringe Sokoine who perished in a road accident in 1984, President John Magufuli left no doubt, once again as to where his vision of the future of the country lies.</div>
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Sokoine lived and worked in the times of Mwalimu when the country saw its future accomplished through the policies of Ujamaa, inspired by the East especially China, which failed to deliver the economic miracles to propel us out of humiliating poverty but delivered a country with principles and values; a country where the sense of accomplishment was more than economic gains.</div>
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Mwalimu managed to instill in us a sense of nationhood; something which eluded his peers in other countries leading to bloodbaths in post-colonial Africa.</div>
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President Ali Hassan Mwinyi lived in the shadow of Mwalimu throughout his decade in office and sought to achieve the economic success which had eluded his successor. Mwinyi opened up the country and sought to allow conversation about political pluralism and the nature of the Union. While political pluralism was achieved the conversation on the nature and future of the Union failed, as did economic success even though under his watch there was an economic boom in some sections of the society. </div>
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Read on;</div>
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<a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201704160072.html" target="_blank">http://allafrica.com/stories/201704160072.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-71147836567396997842015-10-21T01:00:00.002+02:002015-10-21T01:00:30.831+02:00Dahabshiil-An African money-transfer firm with big ambitions from Somalia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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WHEN Abdirashid Duale, the chief executive of Dahabshiil, Africa’s largest money-transfer business, visits Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a breakaway province of Somalia, he cannot walk down the street easily. It is not that his security is under threat. It is that with every step, another businessman stops to greet him. Strolling from the new offices of Dahabshiil’s bank to the headquarters of its money-transfer operation, a distance of perhaps a couple of hundred metres, takes the best part of half an hour.</div>
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On arrival, it becomes clear why. In Hargeisa, Dahabshiil, which means “gold smelter” in Somali, is the local economy’s nerve centre. In its money-transfer hub, huge amounts trade over the counter; at one point, your correspondent is handed $200,000 in cash to hold.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 2.3rem;">Out of this bustling business, Mr Duale’s family have built an operation that operates throughout Somalia, and well beyond. Dahabshiil’s money-transfer business now stretches across 126 countries; as well as the one in Hargeisa, the firm has offices in Dubai, Djibouti and London. It transfers money from places such as Rwanda and South Sudan.</span>In its new bank, every floor is air-conditioned—this in a state where electricity is generated by diesel and costs roughly ten times what it does in the West. Every street trader proudly displays his Dahab account number—the mobile-money arm of the firm’s telecoms network. At least half of Somaliland’s annual income flows through the firm, reckons Mr Duale.</div>
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The company can also count on the support of powerful politicians, including David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister—who spoke up for the firm when Barclays closed its bank account in 2013. Its success in moving money has helped to rebuild shattered parts of Somalia. It is now trying to become something bigger: a bank.</div>
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Dahabshiil was founded by Mr Duale’s father, who was a trader, importing goods into Somalia from Yemen. To acquire foreign currency, access to which was then strictly controlled by Somalia’s nationalised banking system, he turned to Somali migrant workers in the Gulf who needed to repatriate their earnings. Their money paid for imports in Yemen; in turn, out of his revenues from sales in Somalia, the senior Mr Duale was able to pay money to their relatives.</div>
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In the late 1980s, when Siad Barre, Somalia’s military dictator, began bombing Hargeisa, the business, like the city, was all but destroyed. “We lost everything. We went back to a nomadic way of life,” says the junior Mr Duale. The family ended up in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. But adversity provided an opportunity. Stuck in camps, penniless refugees needed a way to get help from relatives abroad. And so business restarted.</div>
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After 1991, when the fighting died down, Dahabshiil began expanding back into Somalia. The business was crude—transactions were communicated with high-frequency radio sets and the firm relied entirely on its staff’s knowledge to ensure money reached the right people. But it quickly expanded. Satellite links were added, then mobile phones took off. Now, it is possible for someone in London to send money to a relative in Somalia with just a name and a mobile-phone number.</div>
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At one point this informality could have killed the business. After the September 11th attacks in New York, regulators in Western countries began to worry about how money-transfer systems were spiriting vast sums around the world anonymously—including to terrorists. Strict new rules about identifying senders and recipients were drawn up. Firms operating in Somalia, a lawless country, were particularly threatened. But instead of failing, Dahabshiil found a way to comply with the rules.</div>
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Since most Somalis do not own passports (which are in any case far from secure as proofs of identity), Dahabshiil relies on the strength of the clan network. In a country where men can recite their ancestors’ names back fifteen generations, references are an effective way to prove that new customers are who they say they are. After that, their biometric information and fingerprints are stored in a Dahabshiil database, so that later transactions can be verified. Many financial transactions are filmed, in case records are needed later.</div>
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This system has fended off bureaucrats determined to believe the worst about the firm and about Somalia, says Mr Duale. But it has not completely warded off controversy. Barclays closed Dahabshiil’s London account in 2013 largely because of worries about its reputation. The British bank did not want to risk being associated with car bombs and warfare in Somalia. After an outcry, and a court case, the two firms reached a settlement—but Barclays did not reopen the account. Mr Duale is now coy about how the firm banks in the West, refusing to reveal the identity of his partners.</div>
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<a href="http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21674798-african-money-transfer-firm-big-ambitions-transfer-window" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21674798-african-money-transfer-firm-big-ambitions-transfer-window</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-79735381544286519212015-10-21T00:44:00.000+02:002015-10-21T00:44:06.544+02:00LADOL-The Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base Free Trade Zone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) is a 100-hectare free zone and logistics hub for multinational industrial and offshore enterprises. It is located at the entrance to Lagos Harbour and accommodates a range of foreign and local companies such as Shell, Total, Samsung Heavy Industries, Dorman Long and Fortune Global. </em><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Construction on the base started in 2001 and development is still ongoing.</em></div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How we made it in Africa</strong> talks to Dr Amy Jadesimi, LADOL’s managing director, about setting up the hub in Nigeria and the potential for similar free zones in West Africa. Below is the edited extract of the interview.</em></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tell us about LADOL and its development.</strong></div>
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The free zones in Nigeria are quite similar to those in Dubai 15 years ago. Dubai started its free zones with bare land and had different zones to focus on different sectors. Similarly LADOL has been built from scratch. It is a 100% private development, and we focus on high-value industrial projects, where the inputs or outputs – or the process – is expensive. These are generally projects that value at hundreds of millions of dollars and, because the projects are either so valuable or so difficult to do, they typically haven’t been done in Africa before. We focus on that end of the market because we know that if we can create an environment where those projects can be done in Nigeria, it will have a huge multiplier effect.</div>
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An example of one such development is our shipyard. We built a US$300m shipyard, and that is the largest vessel integration yard in West Africa. Right now we are involved in a project where we are building a $3.8bn offshore oil and gas vessel, and that is going to enable, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a vessel of this kind to be birthed onshore in Nigeria. This means that instead of the entire project being centred around an offshore location – either in America or more recently in South Korea – all of the work can now be done in Nigeria.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the impact of this?</strong></div>
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In real terms this means that if you’re fabricating something that needs to go onto this vessel, before LADOL built this facility you would have had to put whatever it was you are fabricating – and these are massive structures, weighing like a 1,000 tonnes – on a ship and send it to South Korea to be made part of something else. And clearly the economics of that don’t make sense. So because it was so difficult and so expensive, people didn’t fabricate in <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/nigeria/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Nigeria</a>. It just wasn’t worth it. Now, because we have this facility at LADOL, we have created a space where you can do this fabrication in country and it is economically viable because you don’t have to ship the fabricated pieces to the other side of the world – everything stays in country. So the local demand for fabrication is going up four times and we are creating 50,000 jobs directly and indirectly because there is a 10x multiplier effect.</div>
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By building this all-in-one industrial village, we are able to give people the sort of specialised <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/sectors/infrastructure/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">infrastructure</a>, equipment and trained personnel they need, all in one location. And we are able to do these massive projects in Nigeria instead of doing them outside of the country, which obviously has tremendous benefits for Nigeria.</div>
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But clearly building this kind of infrastructure and setting up this kind of operation takes a long time… We’ve been building the facility now for almost 15 years. We have invested $500m and the investment is still continuing.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Other than skilled labour and manufacturing facilities, what are some of the infrastructural and operational benefits of LADOL’s industrial village?</strong></div>
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The town has been built with infrastructure which is tailored towards heavy industrial activity. So the roads can carry a much heavier load, and the equipment, buildings, and everything is built with a very high level of structural integrity. We have very heavy cranes, which aren’t available elsewhere in the country. And because we focused exclusively on this high-value industrial end of the market, throughout the whole village the health and safety standards, as well as the security standards, are also very high. So if you’re a foreign company coming into this environment, you will literally be able to land and just focus on doing your business. You won’t have to make any further investment nor worry about safety and security considerations.</div>
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On top of this, the village is also a free zone which means it comes with another set of benefits such as duty free importation, zero corporate taxes, and ease of bureaucracy. In a free zone, all of your visas, customs, tariffs, and so on, are all done in the same place. This all adds to its efficiency, coupled with the fact that we have specifically designed it to operate 24/7 and have all the government agencies in the free zone. This enables companies to have a very predictable manufacturing or fabrication schedule, which is important for these industrial projects.</div>
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So someone sitting in Houston or London can predict how much they are going to spend, when they are going to spend it, and what the timelines are. Because of the environment we have created, when they do their planning for their project, they will find that they will be able to do their project in Nigeria as cheaply (or even more cheaply) than in South Korea or in other places in Europe.</div>
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Read on:</div>
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<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/running-a-free-zone-in-nigeria-qa-with-ladols-managing-director/52302/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowWeMadeItInAfrica+%28How+We+Made+It+In+Africa%29" target="_blank">http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/running-a-free-zone-in-nigeria-qa-with-ladols-managing-director/52302/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowWeMadeItInAfrica+%28How+We+Made+It+In+Africa%29</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-29387221923043535982015-10-09T23:30:00.001+02:002015-10-09T23:30:19.579+02:00HELP AFRICA FRIENDS: Cameroon Investment Forum 2015<a href="http://helpafricafriends.blogspot.com/2015/10/cameroon-investment-forum-2015.html?spref=bl">HELP AFRICA FRIENDS: Cameroon Investment Forum 2015</a>: Why participate? The Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) adopted by the Cameroon Government in 2010 has as its ceterpi...<br />
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<span class="fullpost"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-71103428827192196412015-10-09T23:25:00.001+02:002015-10-09T23:25:54.048+02:00Cameroon Investment Forum 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) adopted by the Cameroon Government in 2010 has as its ceterpiece a development vision by the year 2035 aimed at making “Cameroon an emerging and democratic country united in diversity”. The realisation of this vision is anchored on reaching four main objectives namely:</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;">Reducing poverty to a socially acceptable level,</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;">Becoming a meduim income country,</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;">Becoming a Newly industrialised country and</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">Reinforcing national unity and consolidating the democratic process.</li>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">“Emerging Cameroon”</span> will be a country embarked on a journey to sustainable economic and social development with a strong, diversified and competitive economy. The economy will be characterised by a dominant industrial sector in general and manufacturing sector in particular, with effective intergration into the global economy. Poverty will be minimal and income per head will be such that the country will be classified as a medium-income country.</div>
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In order to become a newly industrialised country, growth must be sustained on a good number of products with proper intergration of the various branches of activity by way of value chains. It will specifically be a question of significantly increasing the share of products from the manufacturing industry in the GDP and exports.</div>
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This vision consecrates a pride of place to FDIs as one of the significant components that can contribute to its realisation taking into cognizance its impact on host economies which include amongst other; job creation, the transfer of technology and human resource development.</div>
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According to the latest statistic of WIR 2014, Cameroon attracted 0.01% of F.D.I. during this period, 80% of which was concentrated in the oil sector.</div>
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It therefore becomes imperative that if Cameroon has to realise objectives stated in 2035 vision especially as to what concerns the attraction of FDI into the country, a more proactive strategy towards attracting FDI has to be engaged.</div>
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Equally serious emphasis has been laid on improving the business climate which is a condition sine-qua-non for attracting FDI coupled with the improvement of business infrastructure and the promotion of industrial load and enough energy to potential investors.</div>
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Furthermore, a more comprehensive and coordinated marketing and communication strategy has to be adopted to promote and sell the country’s economic potentials not only to foreign investors but equally to local investors in search of investment opportunities.</div>
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It is within this backdrop that the Investment Promotion Agency in collaboration with the Ministry incharge of the Economy, the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development and UNIDO are organizing the first ever Investment Promotion Forum in Cameroon under the distinguish partronage of His Excellency, President Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-32705412501469504732015-09-09T01:12:00.003+02:002015-09-09T01:12:50.091+02:00Africa Business Communities Networking Event | Hamburg - 21 September 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Monday 21 September 2015</h1>
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<strong style="border: none; outline: none;">4:00 - 8:00 PM </strong><br style="border: none; outline: none;" />Bourbon Street Bar<br style="border: none; outline: none;" /><strong style="border: none; outline: none;">Grand Elysée Hotel | Hamburg | Germany</strong></h3>
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<strong style="border: none; outline: none;"><a href="https://www.grand-elysee.com/en/" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;">www.grand-elysee.com/en/</a></strong></div>
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The Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg, located close to the business district and the Alster, is the perfect location to meet with top business professionals operating in Africa. </div>
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Are you interested in joining? Please send an e-mail to Trang Nguyen, Business Development Manager, <strong style="border: none; outline: none;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3986978&trk=my_groups-tile-flipgrp" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;">Africa Business Communities Germany</a> </strong>-<a href="mailto:trang@africabusinesscommunities.com" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;"><strong style="border: none; font-family: inherit; outline: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;">t</strong></a><strong style="border: none; outline: none;"><a href="mailto:trang@africabusinesscommunities.com" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;">rang@africabusinesscommunities.com</a></strong></div>
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<span style="border: none; outline: none;"><br style="border: none; outline: none;" /><strong style="border: none; outline: none;">Please note</strong>: This is an open, non-sponsored, informal networking event. There will be no presentations and you will be responsible for your own entertainment, drinks. Attending the networking event is free but we will need you to register. </span></div>
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<span style="border: none; outline: none;">You will find the participants list of our recent networking event in Amsterdam <a href="http://africabusinesscommunities.com/features/africa-business-communities-networking-event-amsterdam-23-june-2015.html" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank"><strong style="border: none; font-family: inherit; outline: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;">here</strong></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="border: none; outline: none;">You will find a </span><strong style="border: none; outline: none;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Africa-Business-Communities/africa-business-communities-general-072014" style="border: none; color: #2950b6; font-family: inherit; outline: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">company presentation of Africa Business Communities here<br style="border: none; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;" /><br style="border: none; font-family: inherit; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out;" /><img alt="" height="372" src="http://africabusinesscommunities.com/HotelGrandElyseeHamburg-2.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.3s ease, border 0.3s ease, color 0.3s ease, opacity 0.3s ease-in-out; vertical-align: middle;" width="540" /></a></strong></div>
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Do you want to stay at the Grand Elysée Hotel?Read on:</div>
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<a href="http://africabusinesscommunities.com/features/africa-business-communities-networking-event-hamburg-21-september-2015.html" style="line-height: 20.8px;" target="_blank">http://africabusinesscommunities.com/features/africa-business-communities-networking-event-hamburg-21-september-2015.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-64464282498139777032015-09-08T21:39:00.002+02:002015-09-08T21:39:42.331+02:00Cameroon: Turkish Ambassador Hails Development Ties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon Omer Faruk Dogan is upbeat about the future of the relations and partnership between Turkey and Cameroon in the urban development and housing domain.</div>
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He made the remarks last September 2, 2015 while paying a farewell visit to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Jean Claude Mbwentchou after his three-year mission in Cameroon. The Turkish Diplomat came to pledge the Turkish government's wish to continue the bilateral relationship with the government of Cameroon in terms of mass housing development.</div>
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He reiterated that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is important for an emerging Cameroon through the construction of low-cost houses. While noting that Turkey has one of the most important constructors in the world in terms of capacity, the Turkish diplomat believed that they can greatly contribute to realising the huge projects in Cameroon.</div>
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<a href="https://www.cameroon-tribune.cm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92031:cameroon-turkeyambassador-hails-devt-ties&catid=1:politique&Itemid=3" target="_blank">https://www.cameroon-tribune.cm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92031:cameroon-turkeyambassador-hails-devt-ties&catid=1:politique&Itemid=3</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-51360674796044306422015-09-08T21:28:00.003+02:002015-09-08T21:28:46.464+02:00Veteran City investor hopes to power up Africa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/elizabeth-anderson/" rel="author" style="color: #234b7b; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Elizabeth Anderson">Elizabeth Anderson</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">5:47PM BST 06 Sep 2015</span></div>
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Veteran investor Jerome Booth, who has long extolled the virtues of emerging markets, is to launch a new investment fund that will focus on renewable and conventional energy projects in Africa.</div>
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New Sparta Asset Management plans to invest in at least three power stations, each of which will need at least £50m of equity. The group, which has a number of economists on its board, including <i>Sunday Telegraph</i>columnist <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/liamhalligan/" style="color: #234b7b; font-weight: bold; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Liam Halligan</a>, is about to launch a fundraising round for investors.</div>
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"There is a huge amount of untapped opportunity in emerging markets, particularly with companies in the private, pre-IPO stage,” said Dr Booth. “Our strategy is not only to bring the funds, but also find areas where we can add value by using our expertise to help companies, and nations, grow rapidly but sustainably.”</div>
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Only a small percentage of sub-Saharan Africa has access to energy, while South Africa, one of the major economies in Africa, regularly suffers from electricity blackouts.</div>
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Many foreign investors have recently taken an interest in the continent, following years of underinvestment into Africa’s power infrastructure. Last month, Dubai-based investment firm Abraaj Group raised $375m for a fund focusing on North Africa.</div>
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/privateequity/11847631/Veteran-City-investor-hopes-to-power-up-Africa.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/privateequity/11847631/Veteran-City-investor-hopes-to-power-up-Africa.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-35382449865405690632015-09-08T20:43:00.002+02:002015-09-08T20:43:26.604+02:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">4 September 2015</em><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">A South African initiative, Project Solaris, received the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification this week for producing a crop that can be used as feedstock for bio jet fuel.</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">The energy-rich tobacco crop has been named "Solaris" and it is grown in South Africa's Limpopo province. It is a nicotine-free and GMO-free plant that yields significant amounts of sustainable oil, which could be converted into bio jet fuel.</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">"Project Solaris has demonstrated that it can deliver sustainability on the ground in line with the RSBs global standard," said RSB's executive director, Rolf Hogan.</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">"This is the result of a serious commitment to working with local stakeholders, rural development and reducing greenhouse gases while safeguarding the Limpopo's unique natural environment."</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">Project Solaris got RSB involved from the start to make sure the correct standards were applied from the beginning. The programme was developed and patented by Sunchem Holding, a research and development company based in Italy.</span><div>
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Benefits</h4>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">Project Solaris has brought economic and rural development to Limpopo.</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">"Developing a biofuel crop in South Africa's 'breadbasket' province has, of course, drawn us into the centre of the food vs fuel debate," said Joost van Lier, the managing director of Sunchem South Africa.</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">"Having to undergo a systematic process of evaluating the social and environmental ramifications of this development as prescribed by the RSB has allowed us to feel confident in promoting Solaris, not only as a financially viable crop for farmers in the region, but also one that will not affect food security or lead to environmental degradation."</span><div style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">Sergio Tommasini, the chief executive of Sunchem Holding, added: "Thanks to all partner efforts, we earned this important certificate. RSB believed in our technology and gave us the right advice to improve it during our scale up programme."</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Read more: <a href="http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/rsb-certification-040915.htm#.Ve8q_hF_Oko#ixzz3lAr6DG00" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #003399; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;">http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/rsb-certification-040915.htm#.Ve8q_hF_Oko#ixzz3lAr6DG00</a></span><span class="fullpost">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-10281826881970263532015-09-08T20:24:00.000+02:002015-09-08T20:24:40.210+02:00Governments in Africa: Let’s support angel investors, key drivers of entrepreneurship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong style="background: rgb(243, 243, 244); border: 0px; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 16px;">By </span><a href="https://vc4africa.biz/members/carolmusyoka/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #55b003; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Carol Musyoka">Carol Musyoka</a><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 16px;"> on September 7, 2015</span></strong></div>
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<strong style="background: rgb(243, 243, 244); border: 0px; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', proxima-nova, proxima-nova-1, proxima-nova-2, 'Proxima Nova', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Management Consultant Carol Musyoka examines the Regulation on Angel Investment in Turkey. Could African governments support angel investors in the same way?</strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyokpXLWX8w/Ve8nRt9VL0I/AAAAAAAAAso/kuomRwjAt68/s1600/Angel-Investors-ABAN-VC4Africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IyokpXLWX8w/Ve8nRt9VL0I/AAAAAAAAAso/kuomRwjAt68/s320/Angel-Investors-ABAN-VC4Africa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In June I attended the G-20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, which held a workshop on Financing Entrepreneurship Innovative Solutions in Izmir, Turkey. Turkey currently holds the G20 Presidency and therefore its government played a pivotal role in the organization of the successful workshop. One of the panelists was a well-known Turkish entrepreneur, angel investor and author – Baybars Altuntaş – who impressed the audience with his vocalization of tax incentives that the Turkish Government provides to angel investors. I pulled Baybars to the side during a coffee break and asked for more details.</div>
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Once a person has registered as an angel investor in Turkey, they are allowed to net off up to 75% of their investments in start up companies against their income tax payable in the year. In other words, a tax holiday of up to 75% of your investment! Baybars added that angel investors tend to get together and pool their funds to reduce the risks as the success rate for their investments was only typically 10%.</div>
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“Why would one invest money in start ups if only 1 in 10 initiatives succeed?” I quizzed. Baybars smiled the smug smile of the wealthy and responded: “Because the returns from that 10% will make you more money than the losses on the 90%!” I walked away, scratching my head and realizing why my risk aversion would leave me a pauper for the rest of my life.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Angel investment support in Turkey</strong></div>
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Angel investment is the provision of financial capital to newly established or growing companies which have novel business models or technologies with high potential for growth and profit but are unable to find eligible financing resources to realize their investments.</div>
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Recognizing the inherent benefits that angel investors would provide through entrepreneurial seed capital support as well as stimulating economic growth through job and value creation, the Turkish parliament passed the “Regulation on Angel Investment” law in June 2012 and the Treasury promulgated the enabling legislation in February 2013. The rationale behind the law is to promote the financing of small enterprises and entrepreneurs by providing tax incentives to angel investors.</div>
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According to a PwC Turkey Asset Management Bulletin, in order to benefit from the tax reliefs provided in the law business angels first have to obtain a license from the Treasury. The business angel cannot directly or indirectly be a controlling shareholder of the qualifying company that it wishes to invest in, neither can the qualifying company belong to his relatives. A qualifying company should, amongst other criteria, be a registered company in accordance to Turkish company law with a maximum of 50 employees and net assets of not more than TRY 10 million (Kshs 354 million).</div>
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If the business angels participate in qualifying companies whose projects are related to research, development and innovations then the applicable tax incentive is 100% instead of 75%. This is where it gets interesting. In order to get 100% tax relief those activities have to have been supported in the last five years by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization and the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology.</div>
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The tax reliefs are applicable until the 31st of December 2017 making it a 5-year program, but the Cabinet can authorize the extension of the date by another five years. Shares acquired by the angel investor have to be held for at least two years and the minimum investment is TRY 20,000 (approximately Kes 700,000) and a maximum of TRY 1,000,000 (Kes 35 million) annually.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Angel investment support in Kenya?</strong></div>
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So let’s bring this concept home. Imagine if the Kenyan government picked four key economic areas that they wanted to drive with the help of the private sector. Let’s say agriculture, health, technology and education. Then the government wakes up to the fact that they can’t be all things to all people, and that they need to leave the business of business to the best people suited to do it: businesspeople.</div>
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They then assume that it’s far better to allow a business person to take a risk on an entrepreneur, as the business person has 1) a much better nose for sniffing out and recognizing good opportunities, 2) years of experience in making and losing money, therefore an appreciation for and recognition of risk, 3) business experience – the kind of which they don’t teach in business school – leading to mentorship, and 4) his/her very own money, which defines their skin in the game.</div>
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Read on:</div>
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<a href="https://vc4africa.biz/blog/2015/09/07/governments-in-africa-lets-support-angel-investors-key-drivers-of-entrepreneurship/?utm_source=VC4Africa+Business+Journal&utm_campaign=a48112f640-Weekly_Update_September_7th_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d95eac276c-a48112f640-286480917" target="_blank">https://vc4africa.biz/blog/2015/09/07/governments-in-africa-lets-support-angel-investors-key-drivers-of-entrepreneurship/?utm_source=VC4Africa+Business+Journal&utm_campaign=a48112f640-Weekly_Update_September_7th_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d95eac276c-a48112f640-286480917</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-84872370317451846542015-08-11T01:08:00.001+02:002015-08-11T01:08:17.770+02:00Cameroon: Despite oil and security crisis, Treasury Department rakes in 1.2 trillion in earnings in the first half of 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333320617676px;">(Business in Cameroon) - The downturn in global oil prices on the international market and the security challenges at the borders with the Central African Republic and Nigeria, which are slowing the performance of the tax and customs administrations, did not seem to affect the Treasury Department. Indeed, in the first six months of 2015, the government was able to raise 1.2 trillion FCFA in revenue, surpassing initial forecasts by 100 billion FCFA, according to Ministry of Finance statistics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.3333320617676px;">“Cameroon has the advantage of being a country with a diversified economy. Although oil is a part of our budget, it represents around 20% of our revenue. This allows us to say that, with 80% of revenue from domestic taxes, Cameroon is able to face external issues,” </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.3333320617676px;">explained the Cameroonian Finance Minister, Alamine Ousmane Mey (photo), in the margins of the last board meeting of Banque des Etats de l’Afrique centrale (BEAC).</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-4023386978463119102015-08-11T00:44:00.000+02:002015-08-11T00:44:07.105+02:00Ivorian group Atlantique to build a cocoa processing factory in Cameroon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face="Arial, serif" style="font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span size="3"><span lang="en-GB">(Business in Cameroon) - Kone Dossongui, Ivorian head of Atlantique (Atlantic Télécom, Atlantic Financial Group) already present in Cameroon through the bank of the same name, was received on July 29, 2015 in Yaoundé, by the Cameroonian Minister of Economy. The Ivorian businessman came to present to Minister Nganou Djoumessi the progress of his plan to create a cocoa consortium in Cameroon.</span></span></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, serif" style="font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span size="3"><span lang="en-GB">It is an agro-industrial project in three parts, including the creation of cocoa farms in the country, the construction of a cocoa processing plant and the setting up of a producers’ association.</span></span></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, serif" style="font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span size="3"><span lang="en-GB">The project has been so well received by the Cameroonian authorities that it falls in with plans to revive the cocoa-coffee sector, adopted by the Cameroonian government in September 2014. Implemented at the start of 2015, the plan aims to produce 600,000 tonnes nationally by 2020 against the current annual average of 200,000 tonnes.</span></span></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, serif" style="font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span size="3"><span lang="en-GB"><a href="http://www.businessincameroon.com/agriculture/0708-5558-ivorian-group-atlantique-to-build-a-cocoa-processing-factory-in-cameroon" target="_blank">http://www.businessincameroon.com/agriculture/0708-5558-ivorian-group-atlantique-to-build-a-cocoa-processing-factory-in-cameroon</a></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-23058984974746108262015-08-11T00:23:00.002+02:002015-08-11T00:23:22.750+02:00Africa: A continent of opportunity for pharma and patients<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="small" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: lowercase; vertical-align: baseline;">by</span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="author vcard" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="fn" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/author/mckinsey/" rel="author" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #888888; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by McKinsey">McKinsey</a></span></span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="small" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: lowercase; vertical-align: baseline;">on</span><span style="color: #999999; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px;"> 03</span><abbr class="date time published updated" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #999999; cursor: help; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="2015-08-03T19:10:58+0000"> August 2015</abbr></strong></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The value of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry jumped to $20.8bn in 2013 from just $4.7bn a decade earlier. That growth is continuing at a rapid pace: we predict the market will be worth $40bn to $65bn by 2020.</strong></div>
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That’s good news for multinationals and pharmaceutical companies seeking new sources of growth as developed markets stagnate. It’s also good news for patients, who have gained access to medicines previously unavailable on the continent. Yet it isn’t enough to know where the industry’s next growth engine can be found. Leaders must also understand what is driving growth, what challenges they are likely to face, and how to collaboratively work with health systems to win in this complex environment.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s driving growth</strong></div>
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Africa’s pharmaceutical markets are growing in every sector. Between 2013 and 2020, prescription drugs are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6%, generics at 9%, over-the-counter medicines at 6%, and medical devices at 11%. Three factors are driving this growth:</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Urbanisation.</em> Africa’s population is undergoing a massive shift. By 2025, two-fifths of economic growth will come from 30 cities of two million people or more; 22 of these cities will have GDP in excess of $20bn. Cities enjoy better logistics infrastructures and healthcare capabilities, and urban households have more purchasing power and are quicker to adopt modern medicines.</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Healthcare capacity.</em> Between 2005 and 2012, Africa added 70,000 new hospital beds, 16,000 doctors, and 60,000 nurses. Healthcare provision is becoming more efficient through initiatives such as Mozambique’s switch to specialist nurse anesthetists and South Africa’s use of nurses to initiate antiretroviral drug therapy. The introduction of innovative delivery models is increasing capacity still further.</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The business environment.</em> To create a more supportive environment for business, governments have introduced price controls and import restrictions to encourage domestic drug manufacture; required country-specific labeling to reduce counterfeiting and parallel imports; and tightened laws on import, wholesale, and retail margins. In the pharma industry, meanwhile, pharmacy chains are consolidating, horizontal and vertical integration is on the rise, and manufacturing is expanding. A flurry of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, partnerships, and private-equity deals are further extending Africa’s markets.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What it takes to win</strong></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Read on:<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/africa-a-continent-of-opportunity-for-pharma-and-patients/50869/" target="_blank">http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/africa-a-continent-of-opportunity-for-pharma-and-patients/50869/</a></strong></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-85356528966650685142015-08-10T23:59:00.001+02:002015-08-10T23:59:57.882+02:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Brought to you by: <a class="external" href="http://goo.gl/jEiBil" rel="nofollow" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Anzisha Prize</a></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For many African women, the opportunities for becoming an entrepreneur and growing formal businesses are even scarcer than for their male counterparts.</strong></div>
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Women typically struggle more with accessing loans from banks and other financial institutions in many African countries, and are often not given the same opportunities in education due to beliefs around traditional roles of men and women. For many low-income families, when given the choice to send either the son or daughter to school, the son is typically given preference.</div>
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This year, only 27% of applicants for the Anzisha Prize were women. However, one country stands out – Rwanda. While its small population meant overall number of applications from the country was only a fraction of Nigeria’s, what was interesting is that close to 60% of applicants were women.</div>
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This seems to represent the country’s overall focus around women empowerment. After Rwanda’s genocide in 1994, women made up 70% of the population, and President Paul Kagame has since introduced a number of initiatives to support women in business, education and politics. In fact, Rwanda has caught the attention of international media over the years for being the only country in the world to have more women members of parliament than men.</div>
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“It is exciting to see Rwanda take such progressive steps. Women empowerment has considerable benefits for any economy’s growth and development, and we hope that other African countries follow Rwanda’s example,” says Grace Kalisha, senior programmes manager at the African Leadership Academy.</div>
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In celebration of Rwanda’s impressive proportion of women applicants, The Anzisha Prize has highlighted some of these entrepreneurs below.</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">IMPORTANT NOTE: Finalists for the Anzisha Prize, Africa’s premier award for its youngest entrepreneurs, have not yet been announced. The entrepreneurs profiled below have been selected randomly, and are not necessarily winners.</em></div>
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Continue reading at </em><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/rwandas-young-inspiring-women-entrepreneurs/50925/" target="_blank">http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/rwandas-young-inspiring-women-entrepreneurs/50925/</a></em></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-80008855472228418632014-10-07T20:23:00.001+02:002014-10-07T20:26:02.435+02:00PROMOTE 2014- 5th International Exhibition for Enterprises (SMEs) and Partnerships, Yaounde- Cameroon.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="contentheading" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'PT Sans'; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
</h2>
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<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.salonpromote.org/images/demo/promote2014expo.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></div>
<h2 class="contentheading" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'PT Sans'; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<a href="http://www.salonpromote.org/index.php/en/les-innovations-de-promote-2014.html" style="border: 0px; color: #000032; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">INNOVATION AT PROMOTE 2014</a></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.salonpromote.org/images/demo/promote2014innovation.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">MATCH-MAKING SERVICE</strong>, providing lounges and operated by professionals, is devoted to forge face-to-face contacts throughout the exhibition (B2B, networking, Thematic aperos, debates, guided visit to enterprises).<br />
This service is designed for exhibitors in priority. Non exhibitors can benefit these networkings sessions. Meetings can be planned in advance (See form D). The match-making service contracts specialized collaborations with major members based organisations, professional associations, public and private specialized agencies.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The dialogue private sector</strong> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">– public sector</strong> is brought to the fore. Governmental institutions viz ministries, regional and international institutions present in Central Africa are encouraged to formulate innovative participation in PROMOTE.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Debates</strong> are hosted in the diverse halls of the Conference Center and are initiated by exhibitors on a specific debate topic open to the general public, addressing a targeted audience or their clientele.<br />
The Organizer joins issue with private and public partners and encourages the holding of significant unifying themes on regional integration and economic assets and opportunities in Central Africa.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Trade Missions</strong> at PROMOTE will be provided a customised meeting lounge.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">FEATURING KEY STRATEGIC SECTORS</strong><br />
• Health<br />
• Agriculture and Agro-industry<br />
• Energy<br />
• Industry and Mining<br />
• Transports<br />
• Building and Public Works<br />
• Finances, Micro-Finance and Insurances<br />
• Manual Trade and Craft Industry<br />
• Tourism and Leisure<br />
• Communication, Media and ICT<br />
• Telecommunication<br />
• Services and Maintenance<br />
• National, Intra / Inter-Regional, and International Trade</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Services for VIPs and Visitors</strong><br />
• VIPs thus exhibiting companies’ Senior Executives are offered a distinguished welcome with limousines and drivers.<br />
• Shuttles are available for visitors from the venue entrance.<br />
• Personal or function vehicles are prohibited on site except service vehicles (security, safety, welfare facilities)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Access Monitoring by Barcode :</strong> The managing staff of exhibiting companies are granted 4 security barcode badges for a permanent access to the venue during opening hours.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.salonpromote.org/index.php/en/pr%C3%A9sentations-du-salon/l-organisationdusalon.html" target="_blank">http://www.salonpromote.org/index.php/en/pr%C3%A9sentations-du-salon/l-organisationdusalon.html</a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-26845238646693225472013-12-29T20:56:00.001+01:002013-12-29T20:56:12.128+01:00From Urbana, Italy to Cameroon to construct a road <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span class="fullpost">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="hps"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“The Italian company</span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span class="hps">Edilitalia and partners</span> <span class="hps">have won</span>
<span class="hps">a contract</span> <span class="hps">of</span> <span class="hps">€ 6
million</span> in Cameroon and is <span class="hps">now</span> <span class="hps">concluding
other contracts in</span> <span class="hps">Iraq</span>”</span><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO-L6bOBaWM02bR6RuHL_Z_B0hG3JaonoKHHwAKLAv6ITZlfSY6WC8RxIWiCx95aYpos98KpqdMvFypKOQfP8QL_-gRAgyrsLb6yoV11Qg_nCd0r0fhC1rs4Qv_lFp4JsQbGc5NFQpCJX/s1600/foto+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO-L6bOBaWM02bR6RuHL_Z_B0hG3JaonoKHHwAKLAv6ITZlfSY6WC8RxIWiCx95aYpos98KpqdMvFypKOQfP8QL_-gRAgyrsLb6yoV11Qg_nCd0r0fhC1rs4Qv_lFp4JsQbGc5NFQpCJX/s320/foto+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span class="hps"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“The Italian company</span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span class="hps">Edilitalia</span> <span class="hps">has won</span> <span class="hps">a contract</span> <span class="hps">of</span> <span class="hps">€ 6
million</span>, and are <span class="hps">now</span> <span class="hps">concluding
other contracts in</span> <span class="hps">Iraq</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The construction sector in Italy is in
crisis? It should then seize the opportunities offered by the global market. A
Six million Euros subcontract of road works, relating to the tracking and
preparation for the paving of 20 kilometers of an artery in the North West Region
of Cameroon was awarded to ATI GREAT WORKS Sarl, Cameroon, a joint venture
between Mr. NTUBE FELIX EWANE and the Italian Companies EDILITALIA of Roberto
and Lorenzo Carpi, CLS CONTRACTORS of LUIGI and STEFANO CALVARESI and the
Engineer of Montagnana, UMBERTO ZERBINATO.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The works began last November and will be
completed in seven to eight months. The project site is located at Akum, on the
outskirts of the city of Bamenda .The tarred road will enable the disenclaving
of several villages and ease movement for the inhabitants of the villages therein
and the region as a whole.<br />
The Italian companies found in their Cameroonian partner, Felix Ewane Ntube, a
very serious and respectable person who through his knowhow and contacts
facilitated their access into the Cameroonian Market. Mr. Ntube who lives with
his family in Ferrara, Italy, knows the skills of these companies and thus gave
them the confidence to work together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jywtl-rc9xt2IQu35MIaQlgZy_EBHRYWUmTvLXfwkmR1FuBYdKWIQMGlcrAizBPM9_cWjvg0I-gjJa6eSsaqvqoTy8eBTh5FhIo8b4iHDqDpFXfBR9-S1oVTV1FgLDyZFl-sSDIRXd_B/s1600/foto+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jywtl-rc9xt2IQu35MIaQlgZy_EBHRYWUmTvLXfwkmR1FuBYdKWIQMGlcrAizBPM9_cWjvg0I-gjJa6eSsaqvqoTy8eBTh5FhIo8b4iHDqDpFXfBR9-S1oVTV1FgLDyZFl-sSDIRXd_B/s320/foto+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Support for the operation also came from
the Italian Embassy in Yaounde, in particular from the first Counselor Nico
Longo who was pleased to know that the contract would be signed with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the local contractor, Mr. Eric Njong of
SOCIETE BUNS ,one of the biggest constructors in Cameroon with whom was
established an immediate feeling .Mr. Longo who is a friend to Mr. Njong
emphasized that even in business human relationships are fundamental and
indispensable . </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEges7Wvsp1hX0BXVKH2LWs3k1DhyphenhyphenEqKfmINw6l_a3wvbz4qzKUb9b_3FKrxBLd0bwAany61cXguRgA-cZucZPc0k_i4RBQlKnAHTgW3Wq-lhiEVAOGH0teHjw8THLel1p6cG2JyGXMZvE0F/s1600/image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEges7Wvsp1hX0BXVKH2LWs3k1DhyphenhyphenEqKfmINw6l_a3wvbz4qzKUb9b_3FKrxBLd0bwAany61cXguRgA-cZucZPc0k_i4RBQlKnAHTgW3Wq-lhiEVAOGH0teHjw8THLel1p6cG2JyGXMZvE0F/s1600/image2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br />
<br />
Edilitalia is actually rounding up some import contracts Iraq where it has signed
two joint ventures with local companies. Edilitalia is also considering
entering the market of Libya and Senegal, in particular for the construction of
numerous residential buildings with prefabricated technology in partnership
with Ma.Bo. Group of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bibbiena, Italy</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-51732305759022226502013-03-23T13:07:00.000+01:002013-03-23T13:07:57.233+01:00Six companies investing in African agribusiness, and what we can learn from them<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>Africa’s agriculture and food industries are attracting
increasing interest from investors. This trend is largely fuelled by the
fact that the continent has 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable
land, with favourable weather conditions in many countries. There is
also a belief that rising incomes will spur demand for food products in
the years to come. To examine the opportunities and challenges on the
continent, <strong>How we made it in Africa</strong> looks at six companies that have invested in the region’s agribusiness sector.</em><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_24583" style="width: 210px;">
<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cassava200x2401.jpg"><img alt="Cassava is one of Africa’s most widely grown crops, but has not been a great commercial success. A Nigerian company, Thai Farm, has, however, achieved success by producing cassava flour." class="size-full wp-image-24583" height="240" src="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/cassava200x2401.jpg" width="200" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Cassava
is one of Africa’s most widely grown crops, but has not been a great
commercial success. A Nigerian company, Thai Farm, has, however,
achieved success by producing cassava flour.</div>
</div>
<strong>Silk Invest – betting on food</strong><br />
Silk Invest is a United Kingdom-based frontier market investment
company. The firm manages the Silk African Food Fund, which is a private
equity fund that invests in processed food, beverages and quick-service
restaurant companies on the continent.<br />
Silk Invest sees <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/business-opportunities/finance_ready_plans/" target="_blank">opportunities</a>
in targeting the African consumer from a food and beverages
perspective. The fund invests in scalable food companies with the
potential to become national and regional leaders.<br />
A significant volume of the packaged food that Africa consumes is
currently being imported, creating opportunities to produce these
products locally. In a 2011 <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/food-for-thought-how-silk-invest-plans-to-make-money-in-africa/12777/" target="_blank">webcast</a>, Waseem Khan, Silk Invest’s head of private equity, gave the example of <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/ethiopia/" target="_blank">Ethiopia</a>,
which he said is a large consumer of biscuits. More than 50% of the
biscuits consumed in Ethiopia is currently imported. Khan noted that
there is a small company based in the Middle East that quadrupled its
earnings when it started exporting biscuits to Ethiopia.<br />
Silk Invest’s fund is currently focusing on <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/kenya/" target="_blank">Kenya</a>, Ethiopia, <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/egypt/" target="_blank">Egypt</a>, <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/morocco/" target="_blank">Morocco</a>, <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/ghana/" target="_blank">Ghana</a> and <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/nigeria/" target="_blank">Nigeria</a>.
The fund has so far invested in a confectionary company in Egypt, a
quick service restaurant brand in Nigeria, and a biscuit manufacturer in
Ethiopia.<br />
Silk Invest believes there is currently a formalisation of food
products happening in Africa – a move to branded and better packaged
items. “It is about a formalisation of something that is already
consumed. It is basically moving from fresh milk directly from the
farmer, to fresh milk in a bottle. The price typically does not change,
what is changing is the packaging,” said the firm’s CEO Zin Bekkali.<br />
He added that by selling products in improved packaging, many food
companies on the continent have been able to grow their revenues by
between 20% and 30% annually.<br />
It is often difficult and expensive for African companies to borrow
money from banks, and therefore private equity offers an alternative for
them to grow their businesses. Khan, however, said that it is important
to show these companies that Silk Invest is not there to take over
their companies, but to help them grow. “Our view is to be involved in
active management with them, and to be there with them for the next
three to four years, where they can make money, and we can make money,”
he noted.<br />
<strong>AGCO – taking advantage of the trend towards mechanisation</strong><br />
Suppliers of agricultural equipment are also looking to Africa as a
new growth market. AGCO, a New York Stock Exchange listed multinational
company – that designs, <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/sectors/manufacturing/">manufactures</a>
and distributes agricultural machinery such as tractors and harvesters –
last year announced that it will invest US$100 million into Africa.
AGCO is the world’s third largest agricultural equipment maker and a
manufacturer of brands such as Challenger, Massey Ferguson and Fendt.<br />
AGCO’s push into the continent is mainly because it believes African <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/sectors/agriculture-sectors-2/" target="_blank">agriculture</a>
is drawing growing interest from international investors, attracted by
the shift to commercial farming. According to Nuradin Osman, AGCO’s
director for Africa and the Middle East, there are three reasons why the
company is optimistic about the continent’s agricultural sector. These
are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Global factors such as rising populations, increasing income levels
in emerging markets, and a growing scarcity of arable land and water.</li>
<li>The World Bank attributes 60% of the world’s uncultivated land to
Africa, and also suggests that investment in agriculture has the
potential to create millions of <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/jobs/">jobs</a> on the continent.</li>
<li>About 10% of cropped land in Africa is prepared by tractor, and only 4% of land is irrigated.</li>
</ul>
In addition to large-scale commercial farms, AGCO is also targeting
smallholder farmers. The vast majority of African farmers are
smallholders, and most agricultural companies have some kind of strategy
to also cater for their demands. However, most of these small-scale
farmers cannot afford tractors and other equipment. To address this,
AGCO is partnering with local and regional banks, as well as various
development organisations, to provide financing solutions to these
farmers. The company is also looking at leasing tractors to farmers.<br />
AGCO also sees value in partnering with local companies in Africa.
“There are numerous other benefits for being part of a joint venture
with a local partner in Africa. We benefit from the local partner’s
knowledge about the country’s culture, language, political system, and
business systems. Since a joint venture also entails a significant
equity investment, both companies invest significantly in resources,
talents, and commitment to the new firm. This provides both companies
with advantages in terms of sharing development costs and risks,” said
Osman in an interview.<br />
He added that joint ventures have less chance of being nationalised,
as the local company also has a significant stake in the business.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-11643042115199614682013-03-23T12:18:00.000+01:002013-03-23T12:18:10.193+01:00How a US company is selling fashion accessories manufactured in Ghana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em>Della
is a US-based fashion accessories brand that sells handcrafted bags and
other items produced by seamstresses working in the village of Hohoe,
Ghana. The company also has an agreement with Apple to manufacture
MacBook cases. <strong>How we made it in Africa</strong> interviews Della founder Tina Tangalakis about the business.</em><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_25110" style="width: 210px;">
<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tina-Tangalakis200x240.jpg"><img alt="Tina Tangalakis" class="size-full wp-image-25110" height="240" src="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tina-Tangalakis200x240.jpg" width="200" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Tina Tangalakis</div>
</div>
<strong>Give us an overview of how Della started, and where the company is today.</strong><br />
I began Della when I went to <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/ghana/" target="_blank">Ghana</a>
as a volunteer in September 2009. My background is in design and I was
very inspired by the local textiles. Before Ghana, I had freelanced with
a company that manufactured accessories in China and distributed all
over the US. Upon working with local seamstresses in Ghana, the idea hit
me: why not manufacture in Africa? Local seamstresses I met were in
need of steady work, and I wanted a career in design on my own terms:
with a conscious. Della was a way of combining both.<br />
<strong>In the US, Della is set up as a for-profit company, not an NGO. Why is this?</strong><br />
After a lot of research and debating if I should set up Della as a
“non-profit” or “for-profit” business, I decided upon “for-profit”.
There are several reasons for this:<br />
Technically, Della does qualify for non-profit status due to the
programmes and good-will incentives offered to our employees and to the
community. However for me these programmes are just an extension of
human-decency and the way business should be run. I wanted to take a
stand and show the western world, particularly the fashion world, that
business can be both responsible and profitable. Also, I feel that
non-profit fashion is not taken seriously in the United States. I wanted
to prove that high-quality, fashionable products can come from Africa
and be sold in the US market.<br />
Second, after my research, it was clear that there were two things
needed in order to have a lasting effect on a developing community:
education and commerce. Della does both.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_25114" style="width: 587px;">
<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dellabags.jpg"><img alt="Della bags manufactured in Ghana." class="size-full wp-image-25114" height="395" src="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dellabags.jpg" width="577" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Della bags manufactured in Ghana.</div>
</div>
<strong>How do you manage a business spread out across two continents?</strong><br />
Between Ghana and the US we have about 60 people involved with Della.<br />
Our Ghanaian team is managed by Selorm Nii Addotey, our operations
manager and co-founder of Della. Along side him we have two US employees
who manage and oversee the team in Ghana. This includes production,
sourcing, product development, quality control and distribution. We
currently have 35 full-time employees and between 10 and 25 part time
employees, depending upon production demands. I am in constant, daily
contact with the team through emails, Skype and phone calls.<br />
I also travel to Ghana on a regular basis to help manage and maintain a solid relationship with our team.<br />
In the US I have a modest team of three, with a dedicated group of
interns who work alongside us. It is very challenging to manage a
business across two continents, but the key to success is finding solid
employees who believe in your vision and are willing to work hard in
order to make it happen.<br />
<strong>Tell us more about the MacBook cases produced for Apple; how did the deal happen?</strong><br />
I find that any major sales accomplishment starts out like a
courtship. It basically came down to getting in touch with the correct
person at Apple, pitching them our products/story and taking it from
there. There were several meetings and a lot of correspondence that
spanned almost one year until we secured our first order.<br />
The cases we produce for Apple are custom fit for 11″, 13″ and 15″
MacBook devices. We use authentic Ghanaian fabric to decorate the front
and the protective inside lining is made from a Ghanaian-made
high-density latex foam.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_25115" style="width: 587px;">
<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dellamacbook.jpg"><img alt="MacBook cases produced for Apple." class="size-full wp-image-25115" height="396" src="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dellamacbook.jpg" width="577" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
MacBook cases produced for Apple.</div>
</div>
<strong>What are the greatest challenges of running this business?</strong><br />
Naturally there are always challenges behind a business, no matter
where you work from. A dozen challenges can arise in one day and I find
it useful to always be prepared and creative in order to overcome these
obstacles.<br />
Currently, we continue to face challenges in working with textile
vendors who understand the demands of the US market and can meet our
deadlines on time. Aside from ensuring that our textile quality, design
and colouring is correct, we need our products to meet industry
standards. The US <a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/sectors/retail-sectors/" target="_blank">retail market</a>
is more strict in regards to the quality and specifications of
products. Ensuring that the products we produce are up to these
standards is something we need to constantly be aware of. Our goal is to
be competitive in the US market, and to do so, we need to hold
ourselves to high expectations.<br />
This is not about pushing western ideals or standards on our
employees, rather, this is about being competitive on the world market.<br />
<strong>And your future plans for Della?</strong><br />
Della has big things lined up for 2013. Currently we are working with
a large retailer to launch a clothing collection this summer. We also
have private partnerships and collaborations on the horizon which will
enable us to grow and spread the word about Della. Our long-term goals
include expanding our clothing line, continuing growth with our current
retail partners, such as Apple, and expanding our production in Ghana’s
Volta region.<br />
<a href="http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/how-a-us-company-is-selling-fashion-accessories-manufactured-in-ghana/25108/" target="_blank">http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/how-a-us-company-is-selling-fashion-accessories-manufactured-in-ghana/25108/</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-56638387791814999632013-03-23T12:08:00.001+01:002013-03-23T12:08:54.837+01:00Africa’s Food Markets Could Create One Trillion Dollar Opportunity by 2030<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>WASHINGTON, March 4, 2013 </b>- Africa’s farmers and
agribusinesses could create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030 if
they can expand their access to more capital, electricity, better
technology and irrigated land to grow high-value nutritious foods, and
if African governments can work more closely with agribusinesses to feed
the region’s fast-growing urban population, according to a new World
Bank report launched today. <br />
According to the <b>Growing Africa: Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness</b>
report, Africa’s food systems, currently valued at US$313 billion a
year from agriculture, could triple if governments and business leaders
radically rethink their policies and support to agriculture, farmers,
and agribusinesses, which together account for nearly 50 percent of
Africa’s economic activity.<br />
“<i>The time has come for making African agriculture and agribusiness a catalyst for ending poverty</i>,” says <b>Makhtar Diop</b>, <b>World Bank Vice President for Africa Region</b>. “<i>We
cannot overstate the importance of agriculture to Africa’s
determination to maintain and boost its high growth rates, create more
jobs, significantly reduce poverty, and grow enough cheap, nutritious
food to feed its families, export its surplus crops, while safeguarding
the continent’s environment</i>.” <br />
<b>Agribusiness: strong growth opportunities</b><br />
Due to a combination of population growth, rising incomes and
urbanization, strong demand is driving global food and agricultural
prices higher. Supply issues – slowing yield growth of major food
crops, slowdown in research spending, land degradation and water
scarcity issues, and a changing climate all mean that prices will remain
high. In this new market climate, Africa has great potential for
expanding its food and agricultural exports.<br />
Africa holds almost 50 percent of the world’s uncultivated land which
is suited for growing food crops, comprising as many as 450 million
hectares that are not forested, protected, or densely populated. Africa
uses less than 2 percent of its renewable water sources, compared to a
world average of five percent. Its harvests routinely yield far less
than their potential and, for mainstay food crops such as maize the
yield gap is as wide as 60 to 80 percent. Post-harvest losses run 15 to
20 percent for cereals and are higher for perishable products due to
poor storage and other farm infrastructure. <br />
African countries can tap into booming markets in rice, maize,
soybeans, sugar, palm oil, biofuel and feedstock and emerge as major
exporters of these commodities on world markets similar to the successes
scored by Latin America and Southeast Asia. For Sub-Saharan Africa,
the most dynamic sectors are likely to be rice, feed grains, poultry,
dairy, vegetable oils, horticulture and processed foods to supply
domestic markets. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://occupycorporatism.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/south-africa-biod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://occupycorporatism.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/south-africa-biod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The report cautions that even as land will be needed for some
agribusiness investments, such acquisitions can threaten people’s
livelihoods and create local opposition unless land purchases or leases
are conducted according to ethical and socially responsible standards,
including recognizing local users’ rights, thorough consultations with
local communities, and fair market-rate compensation for land acquired. <br />
“<i>Improving Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors means
higher incomes and more jobs. It also allows Africa to compete globally.
Today, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand each export more food products
than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined. This must change</i>,” says <b>Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Sustainable Development in the Africa Region</b>.<br />
<b>Value Chains are essential </b><br />
<b>Rice</b>: Africa has become a major consumer and importer of rice,
and Africans import half the rice they eat and pay top dollar for it,
$3.5 billion per year and more. Ghana and Senegal are significant
importers. Senegal is competitive among its neighbors, but it is held
back by the difficulty farmers have in accessing land, capital, finance
for irrigation expansion and appropriate crop varieties. Ghana produces
fewer varieties of rice than Senegal, but at significantly higher cost,
and levies 40 percent tariffs and other charges on imports. Poor grain
quality, cleanliness and packaging are major deterrents for consumers
constraining the sector’s performance.<br />
<b>Maize</b>: A food staple for many Africans, maize is grown on 25
million hectares or 14 percent of cropped land. In Zambia where people
eat on average 133 kilograms of cereals a year, maize provides half the
calories in their diets. Zambia is competitive when importing maize but
fails on exports. High transport costs, higher labor costs and lower
yields combine to increase costs by one-third compared to Thailand, a
major international producer of rain-fed maize. The report argues that
Zambia’s future competitiveness depends on raising yields, reducing
costs, and removing disincentives for the private sector in markets and
trade.<br />
In addition, the study reviewed value chains for cocoa in Ghana and dairy and green beans in Kenya.<br />
“<i>African farmers and businesses must be empowered through good
policies, increased public and private investments and strong
public-private partnerships</i>,” says <b>Gaiv Tata, World Bank Director for Financial and Private Sector Development in Africa</b>. “<i>A strong agribusiness sector is vital for Africa's economic future</i>.” <br />
<b>Solutions</b><br />
Agriculture and agribusiness should be at the top of the development
and business agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report calls for strong
leadership and commitment for both public and private sectors. As
comparators, the report cites case studies from Uruguay, Indonesia and
Malaysia. For success, engaging with strategic “good practice” investors
is critical, as is the strengthening of safeguards, land administration
systems, and screening investments for sustainable growth. <br />
The report notes that Africa can also draw on many local successes to
guide governments and investors toward positive economic, social and
environmental outcomes.<a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/03/04/africas-food-markets-could-create-one-trillion-dollar-opportunity-2030?goback=.gde_690327_member_201743988" target="_blank">http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/03/04/africas-food-markets-could-create-one-trillion-dollar-opportunity-2030?goback=.gde_690327_member_201743988</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-57250392981730770822013-03-23T11:37:00.000+01:002013-03-23T11:37:38.345+01:00Cameroon: Nation Settles On New Bean Varieties<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="story-body">
Farmers in Cameroon are growing new varieties
of beans that are providing up to three times the yields of traditional
crops, which have been under attack from pests and disease as well as
adverse weather patterns.<br />
Seven varieties of hardier and more nutritious beans are now being
distributed to farmers, following extensive trials by the country's
Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD).<br />
Martin Nguegim, a researcher at IRAD,says the varieties were selected
from hundreds given to Cameroon by the Pan-Africa Bean Research
Alliance (PABRA), a multi-agency initiative that coordinates research on
the continent.<br />
Trials and selection of varieties were conducted at the institute and by farmers from 2006 to 2012, he tells SciDev.Net.<br />
"It was only last year that the first varieties were officially
selected. We proceeded by selective introduction, testing varieties that
best suited the agro-ecological conditions of Cameroon."<br />
Laurent Nounamo, national research coordinator for the programme at
IRAD, says that the seven varieties can produce up to three tonnes of
beans per hectare compared with 1.5 tonnes for traditional crops. They
are also richer in proteins, iron and zinc.<br />
Nounamo confirmed at a meeting (18 February), ahead of Cameroon's
2013-14 agricultural campaign launch, which kicked off this month, that
the volume of traditional varieties has been on the decline.<br />
According to Nguegim, about 800,000 farmers in Cameroon have been
involved in the selection process for new bean crops since 2006.<br />
He says that long distances between IRAD's research station and
farmers are the main problem for promoting the new varieties and
suggests setting up local networks of farmers trained in the production
of good quality seeds.<br />
Seeds of the new varieties are sold for US$1.52 per kilogram, the same price as traditional seeds.<br />
Sylvain Tchoffo, a farmer who tested the new varieties last year,
says: "I harvested 18 bags of beans, three more than the year before,
for the same quantity sowed on the same ground. I noticed that
caterpillars did not destroy the leaves and the pods of my beans."<br />
Beans are eaten by many in Cameroon and in the region. The food is
one of the main dishes in school canteens and is common in family meals.<br />
Researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT), the coordinating agency of PABRA, worked with the Cameroonian
scientists on the project.<br />
<cite class="byline">By Anne Mireille Nzouankeu, 22 March 2013</cite><br />
<em>This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa desk.</em><br />
<a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201303230102.html" target="_blank">http://allafrica.com/stories/201303230102.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-19271702679648304182012-07-19T14:12:00.000+02:002012-07-19T14:12:28.774+02:00New markets for African handicraft products<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="subtitle">
<b>Seeds of Hope: Buy the products, change lives</b></div>
<h1 style="font-weight: normal;">
Hutu and Tutsi women come together in handicraft</h1>
<strong><img align="left" src="http://www.flyingblueclubafrica.com/binaries/content/gallery/fbcom/fbcomafrica-fr/Article+content/des-femmes-hutu-et-tutsi-reunies-autour-du-commerce-de-lartisanat-avec-seeds-of-hope.jpg" />To
many people in Africa, earning one dollar or euro may be enough to feed a family
for a day. Selling handicrafts is a solution for some, but how can they be sold
to far-off markets like the US? That is where Seeds of Hope, a non-profit
organization in Charlotte, North Carolina (US) comes in. </strong><br />
The organization ships handicraft products – beads and various woven products
such as baskets and purses – made by widows and marginalized African women in
Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi to the US. They sell well in local stores and at
‘home parties’. The proceeds of the sales go to the women and the expansion of
the microeconomic enterprise to help more women, says Celeste Bundy of Seeds of
Hope.<br />
<h3>
Who makes these products? </h3>
“We buy the products from widows of genocide and HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, Burundi
and Northern Uganda. Currently, there are 135 women involved in the
bead/jewellery making initiative and approximately 40 women in the basket making
program in Rwanda and Burundi.”<br />
<h3>
How did you get the women to work together? </h3>
“With the support of local organizations, the women formed work groups,
irrespective of their Hutu and Tutsi native tribes. We found that this has been
essential in offering social support to members. They can thus counsel and
advise each other within the groups and even offer moral support. For example,
when a lady in the Gulu group lost a son in an accident, the group members
supported and encouraged her during this tough time. Also when one of them is
sick they visit the woman and provide needs when necessary. No matter what tribe
she is from.”<br />
<br />
<h3>
What do these women get out of it? </h3>
“First of all, it is the money to survive without the help of a husband or of
families. Feeding and educating children may seem like a small dream, but it is
HUGE for a woman whose husband was killed in a rebel attack. Making the
handicrafts allows these women to escape the stone quarry where she and her
children were previously working to earn the 50 cents a day they need to simply
feed themselves.”<br />
<h3>
What is in the future? </h3>
“The bead project has also given many women a brick and mortar house, a
better alternative for their former mud and wattle houses. As part of a group
activity, adult literacy classes have been initiated for the women, most of whom
were initially illiterate. Group bank accounts have also been established for
group saving which helps them to develop a culture of saving and also have a
savings when times get hard. These achievements all started with the idea to
start selling handicrafts from these regions to homes in the western world. It
is in no way ‘aid money’, but well-earned money, coming from hard work. And
literally changing the lives of these women.”<br />
<span class="fullpost">
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-61650371174180852632012-07-19T13:59:00.000+02:002012-07-19T14:13:42.524+02:00New Hana Signs Definitive Agreement to Option the Formerly Producing Musina Copper Project in South Africa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1>
New Hana Signs Definitive Agreement to Option the Formerly Producing
Musina Copper Project in South Africa</h1>
<div class="pressreleaselogo">
<img src="http://mw3.wsj.net/MW5/content/story/images/PR-Logo-Marketwire.gif" />
</div>
<span itemprop="permalink"></span>
<div class="" id="">
</div>
<div class="" id="">
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jul 18, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
New Hana Copper Mining Ltd. ("HML" or the "Company") - (tsx
venture:HML) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an
Acquisition and Joint Venture agreement (the "Agreement") with BSC
Resources Limited. ("BSC") of South Africa whereby the Company has
the option to earn up to a 100% interest in the Musina Copper Project
(the "Project"), located in northeast South Africa.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Musina Project
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Musina Project area is comprised of six Prospecting Rights
covering 100 square kilometers (10,006.88 hectares) of highly
prospective ground which encompasses the Musina fault which is a
structure that is known to host a number of formerly producing
high-grade copper mines. The Project includes the formerly producing
Artonvilla, Spence, Messina, Harper and Campbell underground copper
mining operations.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Mining commenced at Musina around 1905 focusing on high grade (25%
Cu) surface outcrops. Subsequently, copper mineralization was
exploited by five main shafts along the Messina fault zone over a
strike length of 15 kilometres to depths of over 1,400 metres below
surface. From 1905 to 1993 Musina was operated by Messina (Transvaal)
Development Company, after which the name was changed to Messina Ltd.
The mine was closed due to low copper prices.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Over 750,000 tonnes of wire-grade copper ingots were fire-refined on
site until 1993 when it became uneconomical to continue operating the
company's own smelter. Subsequently, concentrates, with an average
grade of +40% copper, were transported by rail to Phalabora for
smelting and refining.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The management of BSC estimates that tens of millions of tonnes of
mineralized material remains at Musina.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Copper mineralization has also been confirmed, through drilling and
trenching, at the Mollytoo target. BSC geologists believe that there
is considerable potential for the discovery of additional copper
mineralization within this target area to a depth of at least 1,500
metres, which is the historic depth of the Harper and Campbell mines,
and along strike within and adjacent to the Musina fault.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
There is also exploration potential at a partially drilled breccia
pipe which may extend mineralization from surface to a depth of at
least 1,500 metres. In addition, there are a number of high quality
historic copper soil anomalies that remain untested.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Project area has not previously been flown with modern
geophysical techniques which could detect additional blind massive
sulphide bodies and/or zones of disseminated mineralization.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Copper sulphide mineralization consists mostly of chalcopyrite,
bornite and chalcocite whereas oxide mineralization consists of
mostly of malachite and some minor covellite and azurite. The copper
mineralization is believed to have originated from magmatic
intrusions of late to post-Karoo age. Mineralized emanations intruded
the country-rock, mainly along the Musina fault, to form breccia
bodies in this fault zone, as well as breccia pipes.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Project is well supported by infrastructure including roads,
railway and is adjacent to the national electrical grid. The
Phalabora Copper Smelter and Refinery is located approximately 326
kilometres away from the Project.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Terms of the transaction
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Company can earn its initial undivided 50% interest in the Musina
Project by making an initial US$200,000 cash payment to BSC within
five (5) business days of the later of that date that five of the six
project's prospecting rights are renewed by the South African
authorities and TSX Venture approval (the "Effective Date"), and
three equal payments of US$100,000 every six months thereafter. As a
result, the total cash payment for the initial 50% interest is
US$500,000.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
To earn its initial undivided 50% interest therein, the Company must
also incur total work expenditures aggregating US$5,100,000 on the
Project within 36 months of the Effective Date of the Agreement.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Company shall have the sole exclusive right and option to acquire
the remaining 50% undivided interest of the Project by paying a cash
amount of US$2,600,000 to BSC and by issuing up to 10 million common
shares of the Company to BSC, such that the number of shares will, on
the date of issue, equate to a value not greater than US$30 million.
Such shares will be issued to BSC within 10 business days after the
receipt of a Mining Right from the South Africa Minister of Mineral
Resources. The Mining Right shall cover the entirety of the property
or any smaller area selected by the Company.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
If the Company acquires the initial 50% interest and does not elect
to acquire the remaining undivided 50% interest, the Project will be
managed on a joint-venture basis with the Company being the operator
of the Project.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Company may terminate the earn-in in respect to all or a portion
of the Project at any time during the earn-in period, by delivering a
notice on at least 30 days' notice to BSC terminating the earn-in in
respect to the Project.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
About BSC Resources Ltd.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
BSC is a South African Black Economic Empowerment company which is
focused on the exploration for and development of precious, base
metal and coal projects in South Africa. BSC was incorporated in 2005
and since then has acquired one of the largest prospecting areas in
South Africa which includes the ex-Falconbridge Insizwa nickel,
copper and platinum project, which BSC has optioned to a major global
mining company.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Update on New Hana Copper Mining Ltd.'s Kuke Copper-Silver Project in
Botswana
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Company's recently concluded its exploration drilling program at
Kuke and results are pending. The company will provide an update on
the Kuke Project once it has assessed the results from this program.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
This press release was reviewed and approved by Marek Kreczmer.,
Chief Executive Officer for New Hana. He is the qualified person as
defined in NI 43-101.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
The Agreement remains subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory
approvals, including acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Please visit the Company's website at
www.newhanamining.com for
additional details on the Company and the Kuke Project.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Statements in this press release, other than purely historical
information, including statements relating to the Company's future
plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous
assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties
inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual
results may vary materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements.
</div>
<div class="" id="">
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider
(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
</div>
<pre style="display: inline;">
Contacts:
New Hana Copper Mining Ltd.
Investor Relations
(604) 682-4262
(778) 370-0146 (FAX)
info@newhanamining.com
www.newhanamining.com
</pre>
<div class="" id="">
SOURCE: New Hana Copper Mining Ltd.
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-39203918701147468082012-07-19T13:44:00.002+02:002012-07-19T13:44:39.636+02:00Meet Africa's Mark Zuckerberg: Uganda’s billionaire student & tech guru - by Erika Amoako-Agyei<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">He’s been
described as the Mark Zuckerberg of Africa: Twenty-two-year-old Ugandan
IT student Abdu Ssekalala has made a fortune from mobile apps,
benefiting from Africa's fast-growing telecoms market. His applications
have rivaled some of the world's most popular platforms in downloads.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="posterousGalleryMainDiv p_embed p_image_embed" data-posterous-file-list="%5B%7B%22large%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile4.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG%22%2C%22originalWidth%22%3A%22358%22%2C%22largeWidth%22%3A%22358%22%2C%22thumb%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile3.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG.thumb.jpg%22%2C%22originalHeight%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22largeHeight%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22thumbWidth%22%3A%2236%22%2C%22height%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22main%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile1.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG.scaled500.jpg%22%2C%22thumbHeight%22%3A%2236%22%2C%22originalSize%22%3A%2241%22%2C%22original%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile4.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG%22%2C%22width%22%3A%22358%22%7D%5D" data-posterous-image-gallery-initialized="true" data-posterous-image-gallery="true" data-posterous-options="%7B%22zipFile%22%3Anull%2C%22zipFileSize%22%3Anull%2C%22external_url%22%3Anull%2C%22showDownload%22%3Afalse%2C%22url_slug%22%3A%22meet-africas-mark-zuckerberg-ugandan-student%22%7D">
<img alt="Abdu_ssekalala" height="215" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-07-12/bdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz/Abdu_Ssekalala.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="358" />
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">He's only 22 and already a
billionaire - at least in Uganda where he lives. The Computing and
Information Technology student at Makerere University in Kampala,
develops mobile applications.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So far he has developed nine
internationally recognized applications including Wordbook -- a
dictionary app with a "word of the day" capability that includes
definitions, examples and synonyms. "We have word book which is a
dictionary and the Tutu translate which is basically a translator and
then there is world sports which is a sports application for soccer
fans,” he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Wordbook is among the most
successful. The app, alone, makes him about 1.25 US dollars per download
from Nokia's Ovi store and has been downloaded over 300,000 times,
earning the young entrepreneur around 375, 000 USD (907 million Ugandan
Shillings) so far. The highest downloads for Wordbook was in Asia. His
other applications 101 Romantic SMS, nLightFlashlight and Tutu
Translate, among others, also earn him a fortune through advertising
deals with an elite Indian advertising network called Vserv.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With a hefty $500,000 (about Shs 1.2
billion) in savings, Ssekalala will probably rank among the richest -
and humblest - Ugandans next year, when he wants to make a million
dollars.</span><br />
<br />
<h2 class="post-title" id="">
<a href="http://africabusinessreview.net/meet-africas-mark-zuckerberg-ugandan-student">ch guru - by Erika Amoako-Agyei</a></h2>
<div class="copy" id="post_145484018">
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">He’s been
described as the Mark Zuckerberg of Africa: Twenty-two-year-old Ugandan
IT student Abdu Ssekalala has made a fortune from mobile apps,
benefiting from Africa's fast-growing telecoms market. His applications
have rivaled some of the world's most popular platforms in downloads.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="posterousGalleryMainDiv p_embed p_image_embed" data-posterous-file-list="%5B%7B%22large%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile4.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG%22%2C%22originalWidth%22%3A%22358%22%2C%22largeWidth%22%3A%22358%22%2C%22thumb%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile3.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG.thumb.jpg%22%2C%22originalHeight%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22largeHeight%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22thumbWidth%22%3A%2236%22%2C%22height%22%3A%22215%22%2C%22main%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile1.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG.scaled500.jpg%22%2C%22thumbHeight%22%3A%2236%22%2C%22originalSize%22%3A%2241%22%2C%22original%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fgetfile4.posterous.com%2Fgetfile%2Ffiles.posterous.com%2Ftemp-2012-07-12%2FbdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz%2FAbdu_Ssekalala.JPG%22%2C%22width%22%3A%22358%22%7D%5D" data-posterous-image-gallery-initialized="true" data-posterous-image-gallery="true" data-posterous-options="%7B%22zipFile%22%3Anull%2C%22zipFileSize%22%3Anull%2C%22external_url%22%3Anull%2C%22showDownload%22%3Afalse%2C%22url_slug%22%3A%22meet-africas-mark-zuckerberg-ugandan-student%22%7D">
<img alt="Abdu_ssekalala" height="215" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2012-07-12/bdqtgivCzfcpceworFsoebnmnzqFmCvBoerooxvAeiJrkHIvFsqtBigxIzFz/Abdu_Ssekalala.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="358" />
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">He's only 22 and already a
billionaire - at least in Uganda where he lives. The Computing and
Information Technology student at Makerere University in Kampala,
develops mobile applications.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So far he has developed nine
internationally recognized applications including Wordbook -- a
dictionary app with a "word of the day" capability that includes
definitions, examples and synonyms. "We have word book which is a
dictionary and the Tutu translate which is basically a translator and
then there is world sports which is a sports application for soccer
fans,” he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Wordbook is among the most
successful. The app, alone, makes him about 1.25 US dollars per download
from Nokia's Ovi store and has been downloaded over 300,000 times,
earning the young entrepreneur around 375, 000 USD (907 million Ugandan
Shillings) so far. The highest downloads for Wordbook was in Asia. His
other applications 101 Romantic SMS, nLightFlashlight and Tutu
Translate, among others, also earn him a fortune through advertising
deals with an elite Indian advertising network called Vserv.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">With a hefty $500,000 (about Shs 1.2
billion) in savings, Ssekalala will probably rank among the richest -
and humblest - Ugandans next year, when he wants to make a million
dollars.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Friends now call me 'Billionaire'
and all sorts of flattering names but I am not letting it get to my head
because in the first place, I was not targeting the money," Ssekalala
says.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I still go to class, greet friends and prepare my own breakfast. I live a normal life."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Software development has lately
become a global phenomenon with the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, founder of
the social networking site <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AfricaBusinessReview?v=wall">Facebook</a>,
which he founded with colleagues while a student at Harvard in 2004. At
age 27, Zuckerberg is already worth $17 billion (one and a half times
bigger than the entire Ugandan budget for last year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sponsored by:</span><strong style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.africaintercultural.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">AFRICA INTERCULTURAL</span> <span style="color: black;">CONSULTING</span></a></strong><strong style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">: Expatriate preparation and Cross-cultural Business Training for executives with regional responsibilities in Africa. <a href="mailto:erikaagyei@gmail.com" target="_blank" title="Email for Erika Amoako-Agyei">Contact us today</a> to help your company increase productivity and develop a globally-minded workforce.</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
_____________________________________________________________________<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The market for mobile phone apps is huge and growing. </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15659983" style="font-size: medium;">Africa is the world's fastest growing mobile market</a><span style="font-size: small;">,
and is the biggest after Asia. The number of subscribers on the
continent has grown almost 20% each year for the past five years, the
GSM Association report on Africa says. It expects there will be more
than 735 million subscribers by the end of 2012. Analysts say bad and
expensive landline connections in Africa are responsible for the high
mobile phone usage. Creating software for these phones is a business
that knows few borders. And programmers like Ssekalala understand the
needs of this market and how to meet them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Abdu Ssekalala got his big break
last year when mobile phone company Nokia held a training session in
Uganda to help software developers expand their skills in building
applications. He went through the course and when he developed his own
application, Nokia was willing to adapt it for its online applications
offerings. The mobile phone giant now sells Abdu's Apps in its
specialist store, Ovi.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Nokia Ovi Store is the firm's
application store. In 2010, Nokia rolled out a platform that allows
developers of data to sell it easily to its intended users worldwide.
And now, bloggers, online publishers and website developers can use
Nokia's Ovi Store to sell their graphics, music, movies, ring tones,
text, software, digital assets and document formats.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Agatha Gikunda is Nokia's Head of
Apps in East Africa, based in Nairobi. She says developers like
Ssekalala have a unique opportunity through Nokia to access an
international market and make money either from advertising or from
revenue share per download. Ssekalala makes money from both.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Africa is definitely the next
frontier,” Gikunda says. “Developers here have a huge opportunity that
they have never ever had before to create businesses that require very
little startup capital. They are already trained in development so we
then take them to the next step to train them in the development for a
mobile phone and all you need is your computer and your idea, you
publish your application for free, you select which countries around the
world and that is it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nokia shares roughly halved last
year as the company struggled to keep up with the pace of smartphone
development while also losing ground at the cheaper end of the market to
Asian brands.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But officials at the company say
that their strategy to focus on the next billion customers will put
their products in more hands than anyone else, thus giving developers
like Ssekalala a wider market at a time when the demand for applications
to access the internet is at a peak.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ssekalala is still studying IT at
Makerere University and is now mentoring others. He already owns two
companies; Gogetta which employs eight people and Foo Technology with
seven employees. Both companies focus on mobile and website development.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">“Ever since I was a kid, I always
wanted to do something with computers and my biggest motivation has
always been a desire to innovate and leave a mark that says I was once
here,” he said. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">By </span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Erika Amoako-Agyei, Africa Business Review</strong>.</span></div>
<span class="fullpost">
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-55768798573358276272012-07-03T03:09:00.001+02:002012-07-03T03:09:23.286+02:00Cameroon, China Eximbank sign $467 million loan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="fullpost">
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</span></span><br />
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<span class="location">YAOUNDE, June 30</span> | <span class="timestamp">Sat Jun
30, 2012 8:14am EDT</span> </div>
<span class="focusParagraph">
</span><br />
<span class="articleLocation">YAOUNDE, June 30</span> (Reuters) - Cameroon and
China's Eximbank have signed a loan agreement worth 241.4 billion CFA francs
($467.03 million)for the construction of an expressway road linking the capital
Yaounde to Cameroon's economic hub and main Douala.<br />
<span id="midArticle_0"></span>
<br />
Economy Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi told reporters after the signing
ceremony that the road will cut the distance to be travelled between the two
cities from 265 km (165 miles) on the existing road to about 215 km.<br />
<span id="midArticle_1"></span>
<br />
He also hoped the six-lane highway would benefit trade for the Central
African sub-region. Central African Republic, Chad and other countries rely on
Douala for much of their trade.<br />
<span id="midArticle_2"></span>
<br />
Construction of the expressway is due to start imminently and will cost a
total 284 billion CFA francs, Cameroon providing the remainder. It is due to
take five years to completion.<br />
<span id="midArticle_3"></span>
<br />
Djoumessi did not comment on whether a Chinese firm would be likely to win
the construction contract.<br />
<span id="midArticle_4"></span>
<br />
($1 = 516.8880 CFA francs) (Reporting by Tansa Musa; Editing by Sophie
Walker)<br />
<span id="midArticle_5"></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16593236929057400843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8913464703078120425.post-91007752584967938242012-05-31T14:06:00.000+02:002012-05-31T14:24:43.678+02:00Young African Invents Touch Screen Medical Tablet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</span><br />
<span class="fullpost">HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF AFRICAN INNOVATION AT IT'S FINEST.</span><br />
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<a href="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/files/2012/02/cardiopad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/files/2012/02/cardiopad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Arthur Zang, a 24 year-old Cameroonian engineer, has invented the <strong><em>Cardiopad,</em></strong> a touch screen medical tablet that enables heart examinations such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) to be performed at remote, rural locations while the results of the test are transferred wirelessly to specialists who can interpret them. The device spares African patients living in remote areas the trouble of having to travel to urban centers to seek medical examinations.<br />
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According to Zang, the Cardiopad is “the first fully touch screen medical tablet made in Cameroon and in Africa.” He believes it is an invention that could save numerous human lives, and says the reliability of the pad device is as high as 97.5%. Zang says he invented the device in order to facilitate the treatment of patients with heart disease across Cameroon and the rest of Africa. So far, several medical tests have been carried out with the Cardiopad which have been validated by the Cameroonian scientific community.<br />
According to <a href="http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/cardiopad-african-invention-save-lives">Radio Netherlands</a>, which broke the story of the Cardiopad earlier this week,<br />
<span class="position_anchor"></span></div>
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“the tablet is used as a classical electrocardiograph device: electrodes are placed on the patient and connected to a module that, in turn, connects to the tablet. When a medical examination is performed on a patient in a remote village, for example, the results are transmitted from the nurse’s tablet to that of the doctor who then interprets them.”</div>
</blockquote>
According to Zang, “software built into the device allows the doctor to give computer assisted diagnosis.”<br />
Cameroon, a Central African country with a population of some 20 million people, lays claim to only 30 heart surgeons. To make matters worse, these heart surgeons are mainly concentrated in Douala or Yaoundé, the country’s two most important economic hubs. This severe deficit of medical personnel means that patients with heart ailments usually have to travel long distances to undergo heart examinations and consult with doctors. Even at that, it is still not easy. On some occasions, patients must make appointments months in advance, and some even die in the process of waiting for their appointment.<br />
Zang believes his invention will cut down the cost of heart examinations. The Cardiopad is already generating a lot of interest in African tech and medical circles. The inventor is currently looking for venture capital to commercially produce the device.<br />
Read the detailed report about the Cardiopad <a href="http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/cardiopad-african-invention-save-lives">here</a>.<br />
Follow me on Twitter @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/EmperorDIV">EmperorDIV</a></span><br />
<a href="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/files/2012/02/cardiopad.jpg"><img alt="Arthur Zang With The Cardiopad" class="size-medium wp-image-1593 " height="152" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/files/2012/02/cardiopad-300x152.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<a class="vp_text" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/04/07/why-africa-may-never-produce-a-facebook-groupon-zynga-or-google/"> Why Africa May Never Produce a Facebook, Groupon, Zynga or Google </a><cite class="box_byline clearfix"><a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/"><img alt="Mfonobong Nsehe" class="avatar" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/cache/gravatars/mfonobongnsehe_40.jpg" /><strong>Mfonobong Nsehe</strong><span class="desc">Contributor</span></a></cite><a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/"></a><br />
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