Corporate Council on Africa’s latest news

Secretary Blinken’s Call with President-Elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal
US Department of State
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Senegal’s President-elect, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The Secretary congratulated President-elect Faye on his election and commended the people and institutions of Senegal for a peaceful and inclusive electoral process. The Secretary also underscored the United States’ strong interest in deepening the partnership between the United States and Senegal…Read More>>

Analysts: U.S. should build on AGOA with FTAs, critical mineral deals
Inside Trade 
The U.S. must build upon the African Growth and Opportunity Act by extending beneficiaries free trade agreements or by forging new critical mineral deals, analysts proposed on Wednesday.  The Biden administration has pushed Congress to modernize the trade preference program as lawmakers consider renewal legislation ahead of AGOA’s September 2025 expiration… Read More>>

ENERGY

South Africa’s new energy plan needs a mix of nuclear, gas, renewables and coal, says expert
Tech Xplore
South Africa’s reliance on coal-fired power to supply about 72% of its energy needs is catching up with it as coal plants fail. But switching to renewable energy technologies is not that simple. Renewable energy also has strengths and weaknesses. While wind and solar are environmentally friendlier, they cannot supply electricity consistently unless they have large-scale storage systems… Read More>>

Nearly 200 policy makers from across Africa take part in IEA energy efficiency training week in Nairobi
International Energy Agency
With a population growing faster than any other region in the world, Africa’s electricity demand is expected to grow by 75% by 2030. According to IEA’s Sustainable Africa Scenario, a key challenge for African policymakers and leaders is to ensure universal access to modern energy services by 2030, which means accelerating the current progress by three times. As underscored during IEA’s recent 2024 Ministerial Meeting, reaching energy efficiency, universal energy access and clean energy goals in the region depends on developing effective financing and investment mechanisms… Read More>>

Oil-focused African Energy Bank eyes June launch as first funds trickle in
S&P Global Commodity Insights
The eagerly anticipated African Energy Bank will launch by June 30 after selecting a host nation this month and hopes to raise an initial $5 billion from African signatories, international financiers and Middle Eastern states, its head told S&P Global Commodity Insights. Formed out of a partnership between the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), which represents the continent’s petrostates, and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the institution hopes to fund oil and gas projects on the continent amid a damaging financing squeeze in recent years… Read More>>

HEALTH

African island states take fresh step towards joint medicines procurement
World Health Organization
The pooled procurement program, signed in 2020 by Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe and Seychelles, that form the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from Africa, and endorsed by Madagascar, aims to coordinate the purchase of selected medicines and medical products affordably, harmonize medicines management systems, improve supplier performance and reduce procurement workload. The program also sets the guiding principles and governance structure, including the creation of a secretariat, technical committees and a council of ministers… Read More>>

Nigerian takes to water to raise mental health awareness
WIO News
Nigerian Swimmer Akinrodoye Samuel has tried to raise awareness on mental health in Africa’s most populous nation, swimming nearly 12 km (7.45 miles), the length of the longest bridge in Lagos where many people have jumped to their deaths… Read More>>

Emergency Medicine team trains health care professionals in West Africa
University of California Davis
A team from the UC Davis Health Department of Emergency Medicine is training providers in The Gambia to deliver health care using portable ultrasound equipment.  The crucial initiative aims to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of medical professionals in The Gambia and improve access to care. The training program focuses on diagnosing heart and lung conditions… Read More>>

INFRASTRUCTURE

South Africa Citrus Exports Set to Rise Despite Infrastructure Crisis
Maritime Professional
South Africa expects to increase citrus exports this year as younger trees begin to produce and help to offset the impact of infrastructure challenges and higher input costs, the national growers’ association said on Tuesday.  The world’s second biggest citrus exporter after Spain is battling an electricity crisis caused by the frequent breakdown of its ageing coal-fired power plants.  Freight rail and port inefficiencies due to a lack of investment at state-owned logistics firm Transnet has also frustrated South African commodity exports… Read More

AGRIBUSINESS

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Launches the Africa Trade Desk through Prosper Africa

Zawya
The Africa Trade Desk, a public-private partnership between Prosper Africa and Afritex Ventures, is set to facilitate at least $300 million in export sales between Africa and the United States within the next 18 months. The Africa Trade Desk bridges the gap between African suppliers and U.S. retailers by establishing a secure supply chain from Africa to U.S. retailers by consolidating logistics, insurance, and track and trace technology from farm to retailer… Read More>>

Rwanda to Host the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 and Calls for Radical Transformation of African Food Systems
AGRA
Rt. Hon Dr Èdouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, has this afternoon officially launched the Africa Food Systems Forum 2024 annual summit, the premier forum for African agriculture and food systems in Kigali, Rwanda.  The theme for this year’s summit – Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering food systems transformation in a digital and climate era – underscores the urgent need to radically transform African food systems. This transformation should enhance local food production, bolster resilience to climate change, uplift African livelihoods, and harness the continent’s potential to tackle global challenges… Read More>>

In Senegal, Mariam Sonko is championing women’s rights and agricultural Sustainability

AfricaNews
As is the case across Senegal and West Africa generally, women are not entitled to land ownership as it is expected that when they marry, they will leave their community.  After moving to her husband’s town, Sonko and a group of women convinced a landowner to rent to them a small plot of land in return for part of their harvest. They planted fruit trees and started a market garden. Five years later, when the trees were full of papayas and grapefruit, the owner kicked them off.  Sonko is now the president of a 115,000-strong rural women’s rights movement in West Africa called We Are the Solution… Read More>>

Chocolate prices to keep rising as West Africa’s cocoa crisis deepens

Al Jezeera
Expectations of shortages of cocoa beans – the raw material for chocolate – have seen New York cocoa futures more than double this year alone. They have hit new record highs almost daily in an unprecedented trend that shows little sign of abating.  More than 20 farmers, experts and industry insiders told the Reuters news agency that a perfect storm of rampant illegal gold mining, climate change, sector mismanagement and rapidly spreading disease is to blame… Read More>>

ICT

Namibia Launches ICT Improvements

Telcom Review Africa
Namibia is charting a new trajectory in its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, with significant investments aimed at advancing digital connectivity and fortifying cybersecurity measures.  At the forefront of this initiative is the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, which recently unveiled a series of programs during the 23rd ICT Stakeholders’ Engagement held in Windhoek. Emma Theofelus, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, outlined the ministry’s commitment to expanding digital access by rolling out 30 Radio Access Network towers over three years, at a cost of N$110 million. These towers aim to extend network coverage to previously unserved and underserved areas, ensuring equitable access to reliable digital services for all Namibians… Read More>>

Google AI Enhances Advertising Efficiency for Businesses in Africa

Tech in Africa
Businesses in Africa and around the world can now leverage Google’s Gemini AI-powered chat-like tool for Search Ads to enhance their online presence. This fully operational tool is tailored to assist businesses in boosting their visibility in the digital space.  Google has announced that their new tool will enable businesses to easily connect with customers through online advertising, streamlining the process… Read More>>

FINANCE

Uganda’s Credify raises early funding to address Africa’s trade finance gap

Impact Alpha
Small businesses that source products from overseas pay for the goods well before they sell them. In Africa, where small businesses already face a capital shortage of $330 billion annually, the traditional import process “typically locks up their capital for two months, preventing them from making other investments in their business growth,” explained Selma Ribica and Agnes Kisuule of First Circle Capital… Read More>>