(Posted 23rd February 2023)
U.S.-AFRICA RELATIONS
US First Lady Jill Biden heads to Namibia and Kenya this week
CNN
Jill Biden will travel to Namibia and Kenya this week, her first visit to the continent since becoming first lady as the White House looks to strengthen ties with the region. The visit, the first by a White House principal this year to sub-Saharan Africa, begins on Wednesday and will wrap on Sunday, the White House said. It comes ahead of expected visits by her husband President Joe Biden and other senior administration officials later this year… Read more>>
AGRIBUSINESS
African leaders declare support African Development Bank’s food summit outcome, call for urgent implementation
African Development Bank Group
African heads of state and government have endorsed the outcomes of the recent Dakar 2 Summit on Food Sovereignty and Resilience, hosted in January by the African Development Bank Group and the government of Senegal, calling for global support for its immediate implementation… Read more>>
U.N Allocates $250 Million for Crises Like Famine Threat in Africa
U.S. News
The United Nations will spend $250 million from its emergency fund to tackle “forgotten crises’ around the world, including helping communities that are facing the risk of famine in Africa, its secretary general said on Saturday… Read More>>
South African food producers need to brace for drought: economist
Business Tech
Rain-fed agriculture in South Africa will soon be under pressure due to a predicted decline in rainfall. Despite South Africa experiencing severe rainfall over the last week – with numerous areas across the country flooded – South Africa is expected to enter El Niño weather patterns by the end of October 2023, bringing drier conditions across the country… Read more>>
ENERGY
South Africa Offers Tax Breaks Amid Energy Crisis, Soaring Costs
Yahoo Finance
South Africa is offering a total of 13 billion rand ($710 million) in tax incentives to businesses and individuals to encourage investment in renewable energy projects and offset the impact of higher fuel and food prices… Read more>>
South African cities scramble to keep the lights on
Reuters
Reeling from South Africa’s worst-ever electricity crisis, local authorities across the country are turning to private suppliers to help businesses and households keep the lights on. President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a state of disaster over the energy crunch, which is seen wiping as much as 2 percentage points off economic growth this year… Read more>>
The Future of Africa’s Energy: Embracing the Oil and Gas Industry’s Evolution
Business Ghana
Africa’s energy sector sits on the precipice of many exciting opportunities for expansion and development. There is great purpose and benefit for both individuals and organizations alike in staying abreast of the most recent developments and trends that are shaping the industry’s future… Read more>>
HEALTH
New Africa CDC Head Jean Kaseya’s Challenge: Advancing Public Health in ‘Post-COVID’ Era
Health Policy Watch
Nine months after John Nkengasong left Africa CDC to head PEPFAR, the African Union has now elected a Director General for the continent’s leading public health institution who has the task of finding new ways to engage continental and global leaders in Africa’s public health challenges in the post-COVID era… Read more>>
Africa CDC experts Mpox vaccines to arrive within 2 weeks
AP News
Africa’s public health body says it hopes Mpox vaccines will finally arrive on the continent “in another two weeks, tops” after months of seeking doses. The doses will go first to countries with acute need and the largest overall burden, the acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ahmed Ogwell, told journalists on Thursday. Congo and Nigeria have had the highest numbers of Mpox… Read more>>
INFRASTRUCTURE
South Africa’s Kumba Iron Ore calls on private sector to resolve rail crisis
Reuters
Kumba Iron Ore Ltd on Tuesday cut its production outlook for the next three years due to a lack of freight trains to carry minerals to ports, and joined calls for private-sector involvement in state-owned logistics firm Transnet… Read more>>
ICT
How Ghana and Gambia are planning to bolster their digital economies
Quartz
As legacy economies continue to fall out of favor the world over, Ghana and Gambia are ramping up efforts to build tech-based economies. In a time when most economies run by oil, manufacturing, and agriculture are shifting to digital economies, the two countries with a combined population of 35 million don’t want to be sidelined… Read more>>
Using Technology to Improve Healthcare Services in Africa
Africa.com
The African continent is home to over 1.4 billion people as of 2021, and the health challenges faced by its population are numerous and complex. Poor healthcare infrastructure, inadequate funding, and a shortage of medical professionals have hindered the provision of quality healthcare services to many Africans. However, technology has the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare services are delivered and improve health outcomes in Africa… Read more>>
