Although Germany is Europe’s economic powerhouse and Africa is the fastest growing region in the world, Germany lags far behind other major economic powers in terms of presence on the continent. Sherelle Jacobs argues that lack of knowledge about the continent’s potential is the biggest impediment t…
In March 2007, Omari Issa found himself the first and only employee of the newly created Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF), a unique public-private partnership forum set up to deliver a better investment climate in Africa and grow the African economy through private sector investment. …
South Africans set aside their differences to confront and defeat a road toll system they considered unfair, unworkable and financially predatory. In the process they engineered an extraordinary national solidarity in which races joined hands, ideologies intermingled, politics were set aside and the…
During the 4th Common Market for East and Southern African States (COMESA) investment summit which was held in Dubai in March, there was increasing talk of sovereign funds finding their way to Africa. Africa is now emerging as the investment destination of choice given the very good rates of return …
Africa has a huge ‘missing middle’ – that sector of entrepreneurs who fall between micro and large – that is potentially worth billions and could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The problem is being able to secure finance without collateral or business history. Now, it seems, a solution has …
Kenya is undergoing an infrastructure construction boom unknown since the early days of independence. This, writes Wanjohi Kabakuru from Nairobi, is the direct result of its six-year policy to ‘Look East’.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of the economies of developed countries, contributing over 50% of GDP and providing the bulk of jobs. This vital sector is still very underdeveloped in Africa – mainly through lack of finance. Yet the potential for banking profits is enormo…
