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A new report from the World Bank identifies agriculture as a way for Ghana to bounce back from its economic challenges by 2025. Bolstered by strategic macroeconomic and fiscal corrective measures, Ghana’s financial landscape is expected to stabilize by 2025, with the agricultural sector potentially playing a pivotal role in driving the country out of its economic woes, according to a World Bank Report.

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Bolstered by strategic macroeconomic and fiscal corrective measures, Ghana’s financial landscape is expected to stabilize by 2025, with the agricultural sector potentially playing a pivotal role in driving the country out of its economic woes, according to a World Bank Report.
 
2022 was marked by the most severe economic downturn in Ghana's history, characterized by a depreciating currency, surging inflation, and wavering investor confidence.&nbsp;
 
These issues took a significant toll on the country's economy, leading to defaults on loan repayments, including Eurobonds, commercial loans, and bilateral loans.
 
In "Price surge: unravelling inflation's toll on poverty and food security", the bank projects that Ghana's economic growth will slow to 1.5% in 2023 and then dip into negative territory in 2024 before recovering in 2025.
 
Pierre Laporte, World Bank country director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, explained in the report that monetary policies will influence demand and consequently slow GDP growth.&nbsp;
 
"High inflation, increased interest rates, and macroeconomic uncertainties will keep private consumption and investment growth below pre-pandemic levels," he states.&nbsp;
 
This is expected to result in subdued non-extractive growth in the short term before regaining momentum and achieving full recovery by 2025.
 
The report goes beyond addressing immediate macroeconomic issues and recommends a series of structural reforms aimed at tackling the root causes of inflation, boosting economic growth, and enhancing resilience.&nbsp;
 
These include the sustainable collection of domestic revenue through streamlined tax incentive regimes and improved revenue administration.&nbsp;
 
Other measures involve tightening expenditure control, addressing energy sector shortfalls, rebuilding capital buffers, boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and accelerating climate change adaptability.
 
Highlighting the impact of macroeconomic shocks on the poor, Kwabena Kwakye, a co-author of the report, explains, "The next two years will be very tricky for Ghana's poverty reduction efforts."&nbsp;
 
Just a few years ago, Ghana was among the fastest-growing economies in West Africa, and then-President Akufo-Addo successfully reduced inflation from 15.4% in 2016 to &nbsp;7.9% in 2019.&nbsp;
 
Similar progress was made in reducing budget deficits by 2019 before the pandemic hit. World Bank estimates revealed that budget deficits dropped from 6.5% of GDP in 2016 to under 5% by the end of 2019.
 
However, starting in 2020, these gains were reversed, with the budget deficit and inflation escalating to record highs by the end of 2022, significantly affecting key sectors, including food security.&nbsp;
 
World Bank simulations indicate that by the end of 2022, nearly 850,000 Ghanaians had fallen into poverty due to rising prices and a drop in purchasing power.
 
“The typical Ghanaian household allocates nearly 43 percent of its expenditures toward food,” the report finds.
 
To address these challenges, the agricultural sector is expected to play a central role in Ghana's recovery.&nbsp;
 
Ashwini Sebastian, a senior World Bank agriculture economist, highlights the possibility of mitigating the impact of inflation on food security by enabling farmers to adjust to global demand and take advantage of market opportunities.&nbsp;
 
“Policies should therefore be evidence-based and aimed at alleviating the different constraints farmers face,” he notes.
 
The report proposes several agriculture sector-specific policy actions to cushion the sector in the medium-to-long term period.&nbsp;
 
These include channelling investments into agriculture research and technology transfers to boost productivity and reduce production costs while also improving the quality and safety of food.&nbsp;
 
Investment in climate-smart agriculture initiatives is also recommended to help farmers adapt to the country's dynamic weather patterns.
 
By implementing these measures, the authors of the report believe there will be higher domestic food production, and the country will be able to effectively integrate with continental and global food supply chains, yielding higher value and returns from the agricultural sector.&nbsp;
 
Currently, 57% of the land in Ghana is used for farming, contributing 54% to the country's GDP and accounting for 40% of export earnings.
 
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Agriculture could play a key role in reviving Ghana's economy by 2025 🌾🚜 🇸🇳

In Africa's energy landscape, a game-changing strategy is taking shape: harnessing 'wheeling' to slash transmission costs by leveraging the national utility grid. According to an expert, this model will encourage more private power producers.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
&nbsp;
Wheeling, an innovative power transmission approach, can significantly alleviate Africa's power woes, according to energy sector expert Derick Coetzer during a recent webinar.
 
"The ability to wheel onto the grid has led to quite interesting opportunities for private power producing companies … As a continent, we are very well placed to take advantage of this model," said Coetzer during a webinar hosted by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).
 
Wheeling is the practice of allowing privately generated power to flow through the national grid to willing buyers in a seller-buyer model. Traditional wheeling models have centered on individual private power generators directly supplying a single off-taker linked to the national grid. However, recent iterations have evolved.
 
Coetzer, the co-founder and sales lead at NOA Group, emphasized that this model holds exceptional promise for Africa due to the continent’s abundant solar and wind resources.
 
Africa boasts of being home to 39% of the world's clean energy potential, according to IRENA, and the exploitation of renewable energy is on a rapid ascent across the continent.
 
In recent years, transmission and distribution infrastructure has received much less attention and investment than generation capacity. Yet both are necessary to achieve green industrialization in Africa.
 
The 2022 joint report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) reveals that the Transmission and Distribution (T&amp;D) sector in Africa receives less than 2% of total energy sector investment. The IEA emphasizes that an annual investment of approximately $4 billion is required for T&amp;D networks to adequately address Africa's escalating energy needs.
 
However, as Coetzer explains, wheeling has the potential to balance grid capacities while saving independent producers the burden of setting up new grids.
 
Establishing entirely new transmission lines is a costly endeavour, projected to escalate capital costs for a private producer by over 50%, according to the Africa Energy Portal.
 
Coetzer further explains that wheeling is especially executable on the continent given the rich renewable energy mixing potential, especially from solar and wind sources.
 
"While solar-only generation can cover approximately 30–40% of a client’s load, incorporating wind generation can boost that capacity to up to 70%," Coetzer revealed.
 
Already, the quest to leverage this transmission and distribution model is, in practice, gaining ground in different countries in Africa thanks to existing policies that have been in force for the past decade.
 
Several markets, including Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tanzania, Kenya, and Malawi, among others, all have policy frameworks that support wheeling.
 
The success story of wheeling is particularly evident in Egypt, whose Renewable Energy Law of 2014 opened up IPPs to use the national grid for transmission.
 
Between December 2015 and December 2018, a total of 28,229 MW was added to the grid, resulting in a total installed capacity of 55 GW, propelled mainly by renewables, whose transmission has been facilitated by the wheeling framework. Similar remarkable strides have been made in other successful markets in terms of electricity access, such as Algeria.
 
Power-hungry South Africa is hastily taking on this model to aid with the distribution of electricity to households, commercial, and industrial segments. The country has been hit hard by aging generation infrastructure and faulty new coal-burning stations that regularly dump users in the dark.
 
The national utility, Eskom, indicates on its website that it plans to introduce virtual wheeling. This advanced version of conventional wheeling will enable a third-party trader to aggregate power from various private generators and transmit it through the national utility grid to multiple off-takers.
 
Already, different parties have launched pilots seeking to identify any underlying gaps ahead of a full rollout in the future.
 
Telecom giant Vodacom, for example, recently inked a virtual wheeling agreement with Eskom enabling the telecom company to aggregate power from its 15,000 low-voltage generation sites and distribute it to various locations on the grid.
 
Cape Town Municipality also recently launched a pilot wheeling program as part of a set of measures to reduce load shedding by having private generators involved in meeting energy needs.
 
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Grid Revolution: Wheeling's potential impact on Africa's power landscape

African scholars are at the forefront of a global effort to combat climate change with science.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
Two scholars from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) have taken the helm of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Working Group on Physics for Climate Action and Sustainable Development.&nbsp;
 
According to a press statement from the university, Professor Nithaya Chetty will lead the charge, with Professor Gledhill assuming the role of secretary.
 
"This is a multidisciplinary endeavour involving the basic sciences like physics, chemistry, mathematics, computing, engineering, human and social sciences, law, and health sciences," emphasised Chetty.
 
The appointments, confirmed during the IUPAP General Assembly in Geneva, signal a growing commitment to an interdisciplinary approach to addressing climate change and building resilience. African researchers and scholars are at the forefront of shaping these solutions.
 
Chetty underscored the critical link between climate change and broader societal challenges.&nbsp;
 
"Issues around climate change are set to grow in the coming years. These challenges are intimately connected with the need for energy security and environmental sustainability. If left unaddressed, they will have detrimental impacts on poverty, inequality, mass migration, and the overall human condition," he explained.
 
“This terrain is fraught with political influences, and it is essential to carefully differentiate between academic discourse on the one hand and political discourse on the other, and between climate action and climate activism,” he added.
 
The working group's mission is to develop a comprehensive program bolstering physics in Pacific Island nations. Their goal is to harness various disciplines to create solutions to protect island nations and more vulnerable countries, especially those in Africa.
 
This initiative comes on the heels of the UN General Assembly's resolution designating 2024-2033 as the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development. The call is for global stakeholders to lead the way in implementing the Decade, using scientific approaches to reduce emissions.
 
A 2021 study by the Royal Society, found that the world can achieve as much as 50% of the targets needed to cut carbon emissions by 2030, using existing technologies.
 
"But to go beyond and reach net zero by 2050 requires research, development and deployment of novel technologies," the Royal Society report explained.
 
Africa has already seen significant benefits from science-driven technologies combating climate change. Physics and science have played pivotal roles in reducing energy consumption in devices and appliances.
 
A 2021 study by Our World in Data, a research firm, revealed that over a decade, the cost of commercial solar power dropped by 89%, while onshore wind saw a 70% reduction. Building a solar farm in 2010 was 223% more expensive than constructing a new coal plant.
 
This cost reduction in renewable-sourced electricity deployment has led to a surge in clean energy capacities. Currently, solar-generated electricity exceeds 10 GW, while wind-generated electricity stands at 6.5 GW.
 
Africa holds an estimated 55% of global potential renewable energy, underscoring the need for continued science-led efforts to bridge the existing gap and tap into these resources to address energy shortfalls.
 
The African-led global working group, leveraging physics and science, is poised to generate science-driven ideas aligned with the region's immediate needs.
 
South Africa, long committed to advancing physics on the continent, has solidified partnerships with European nations to bolster the field. Initiatives like the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences' collaboration with Italy and agreements on nuclear physics with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research have bolstered South Africa's position.
 
The UK government is also initiating partnerships with five African countries, focusing on supporting young scientists - particularly in physics - in projects spanning Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa.
 
Physics initiatives like those at the Faculty of Science at Wits, as well as many others, including a partnership between the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and an institute in Rwanda, are bringing scientific initiatives on the continent into the global spotlight - and are helping to elevate the quality of science research and education across Africa.
 
Rudolph Erasmus, President of the South African Institute of Physics, underscored a long history of science on the continent.
 
“South Africa is a founding member of the IUPAP, having been one of only 13 countries that formed the IUPAP 101 years ago, and has a record of being a strong voice in the IUPAP for the development of physics around the globe,” he shared.
 
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Useful Links: https://www.iop.org/about/blogs/invest-in-african-physics-to-tackle-climate-change#gref
https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/general-news/2023/2023-10/wits-leads-iupap-working-group-on-climate-action.html

South African academics to lead a global physics initiative on climate action 🇿🇦

Wadzanai Samaneka, Nyaradzo Mavis Mgodi and Tsungai Mhembere have all built their careers - and spent much of their lives - fighting a war on an "incurable', killer disease. Thanks in no small part to these Zimbabwean women, humanity may finally be winning a decades-long battle against that disease - HIV. 

Clemence Manyukwe, bird story agency
 
When Dr. Wadzanai Samaneka began working as a newly graduated doctor, patients who contracted AIDS knew they were going to die. It was a scary time to be a doctor - and an even scarier time to be a sex worker. However, in Zimbabwe and in many other countries in the region, AIDS was prevalent everywhere.
 
“During my years as a medical student and later as an internist, the diagnosis of HIV infection was like a life sentence. There were no Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in Zimbabwe and patients would simply be discharged for home-based care. Not only were patients dying, but even our very own relatives were dying. It was this experience back then that led me to have a desire to find a cure for the devastating illness," the researcher, who works at the Clinical Trials Research Centre at the University of Zimbabwe, explained.
 
Samaneka, who graduated with Honours from the University of Zimbabwe, in 1997 and today holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology as well as a Diploma in HIV Management from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), decided to help find a cure for HIV. &nbsp;The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can over time can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and death.&nbsp;
 
That decision has taken Samaneka on a journey full of discovery, excitement, joy - and huge disappointments. Today, HIV is no longer a life sentence. Thanks to the development of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), which involves using a cocktail of anti-retroviral drugs, people who test positive for HIV can live long, healthy lives. Yet Samaneka remains as focused as ever on a cure. &nbsp;
 
"Once HIV enters the body some of the virus remains 'hiding' in some body compartments and cells regardless of effective ART. Scientists call the hiding virus the 'HIV viral reservoir'. A combination of HIV cure strategies are being tested in clinical trials, so until we do find a cure, we will keep searching and learning from the negative results," Samaneka explained.
 
Samaneka has been involved in conducting clinical trials for adult HIV prevention and treatment, since 2005. Most of that has been conducted in her home country, which by the early 2000's had infection levels higher than almost anywhere else in the world. Conservative estimates put the level of HIV infection by 2000 at 25% of the population. Across Africa, around 2.3 million people died of AIDS in 2003, according to Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
 
"All of my research work has been in Zimbabwe - in collaboration with other researchers within the region as well as outside the region. I have played a key role in conducting multiple, multi-site, complex, phase I-IV, clinical trials including studies of first-line, second-line and third-line antiretroviral treatment (ART), and studies of TB diagnostics, treatment, and prevention,” she explained
 
Her groundbreaking work includes a landmark study that demonstrated the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as prevention.
 
The trial (known as HPTN 052) showed that anti-retroviral therapy could prevent infections caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in couples in which one partner is HIV-positive and one partner is HIV-negative.
 
Following the results of the study in 2015, the World Health Organisation revised its guidelines to include recommendations for universal HIV-1 testing and the provision of ART to all persons with HIV-1 infection, regardless of their CD4+ (white blood cell) count.
 
Another study proved that early ART initiation reduces the HIV burden and preserves the body’s immune response to HIV. That study, conducted between 2017 and 2019, showed that those who started therapy the earliest still had HIV-infected cells in their blood after one year, but the number of infected cells was lower than those seen in individuals who started a little later. Once again, however, the ART did not wipe out HIV altogether, however.
 
"ART initiation in earlier stages of acute and early HIV infection reduced but did not eliminate the persistence of HIV-infected cells in blood. This study does provide hope that early ART can be complemented with other curative strategies such as therapeutic vaccinations or passive immunisations as scientists design future cure research studies," she explained.
 
According to Samaneka, the studies require considerable resources.
 
"HIV cure research in particular is intense and requires stringent quality management," she said.
 
However, the resource-heavy nature of rigorous studies also means that the results are accurate and stand up to peer review and international scrutiny, pushing forward the boundaries of scientific knowledge. &nbsp;
 
"Young African investigators should be supported to generate research questions pertinent to the health needs of the African population," she added.
 
Samaneka also commended the governmental response to the HIV epidemic in Africa. Some countries, including Zimbabwe, have now achieved the 95-95-95 UN targets (95% of those living with HIV know their status, 95% of those who know their status are on HIV are on life-saving medications and 95% of people who are on treatment are virally suppressed).
 
"However, the goal to end AIDS by 2030 requires that African governments prioritise and support the HIV cure research agenda," she said.
 
While the world waits for a vaccine, Samaneka points optimistically to recent successful hi-tech efforts to eradicate HIV using techniques like stem cell transplants. Stem cell transplants - most famously in two cases, known as the "Geneva" and the "Berlin" patients - have resulted in HIV eradication.
 
"Gene therapy to eradicate reservoirs is among the cure strategies being tested in clinical trials," said Samaneka.&nbsp;
 
&nbsp;While stem cell transplants - also known as gene therapy - are hugely expensive and not currently practical for large numbers of patients, Samaneka is optimistic about the results and what they could mean for HIV prevention in Africa.&nbsp;
 
Someone who knows Zimbabwe's governmental response well is Dr Nyaradzo Mavis Mgodi, who today focuses on HIV prevention.
 
“After having worked in the Zimbabwean Public Health sector for almost 12 years and seeing the relentless morbidity and mortality from HIV/AIDS, in 2007 I was struck by an urgent need to contribute significantly towards curbing the HIV epidemic,” Mgodi shared.&nbsp;
 
That year, Mgodi decided on a career change; moving from clinical pathology to HIV prevention/treatment research. She joined the University of Zimbabwe - University of California San Francisco Collaborative Research Program as a medical officer.
 
"I have been conducting clinical trials for over 15 years. I have been privileged to lead studies across four continents – Africa, the USA, Latin America, and Europe," she explained.
 
Mgodi co-chaired the first study to show that antibodies can reduce the risk of HIV acquisition (a series of studies called the Antibody Mediated Prevention studies) as well as the HOPE study, which assessed the dapivirine ring.
 
She currently co-chairs the Clinical Trials Hub of the USAID-funded MATRIX Programme, worked across countries including Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Eswatini, South Africa, Peru, USA, and Switzerland, searching for lasting, human-centred solutions and developing innovative biomedical interventions for HIV prevention.
 
As executive Committee Member and International Principal Investigator for the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN).
she also looks after a worldwide effort to improve preventative measures against HIV.&nbsp;
 
Locally, Mgodi is perhaps best known for her role in bringing the dapivirine vaginal ring to women worldwide, thanks to her role in two studies, known as ASPIRE and HOPE.&nbsp;
 
"The Europeans Medicines Agency issued a positive scientific opinion on the ring and subsequently WHO recommended offering the ring as a safe and effective additional prevention choice for women at significant risk of HIV infection as part of a package of prevention options," Mgodi said of that initiative.
 
On 6 July 2021, Zimbabwe, through the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe, approved the ring and Zimbabwe became the first country globally to register the ring for HIV prevention.
 
Mgodi was also involved in showing the efficacy of a new drug, known as long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA)
 
"In July 2022 Zimbabwe was the first African country and first low and middle-income country to approve CAB-LA for HIV prevention," she said, explaining that the dapivirine ring and CAB-LA are being used together to prevent new HIV infections and change the trajectory of the epidemic.
 
"We are almost there," she said.
 
But there is one more step she feels is necessary, to ensure zero infection rate.
 
"We know that an HIV vaccine is the world’s best hope of ending HIV. Though there will most likely not be an effective vaccine in the next five years, I think we will continue to make great strides in the development of other innovative products that will contribute towards ending the epidemic," Mgodi concluded.&nbsp;
 
For research pharmacist Tsungai Mhembere, also at the University of Zimbabwe Clinical Research Centre, that day cannot come fast enough.
 
As a Research Pharmacist for over a decade, Mhembere has contributed to the successful implementation of international clinical trials that focus on the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, early treatment of infants with a high risk of HIV acquisition and optimised treatment options for HIV-infected mothers and infants.
 
"HIV Research has been a platform to provide evidence-based effective HIV prevention and treatment strategies that combat the infection. Ultimately HIV research should influence the adoption and sustainable access of proven cost-effective prevention technologies in all communities that need them,” Mhembere said, the researcher, who is currently based at the Harare Family Care UZ-CTRC clinic housed within Parirenyatwa Hospital.
 
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Useful links:&nbsp;
https://www.hptn.org/research/studies/hptn052
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31981713/
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240028678
https://www.aidsmap.com/news/jul-2023/first-person-may-be-cured-hiv-after-stem-cell-transplant-without-ccr5-mutation

The outsize contribution of the women scientists of Zimbabwe to the fight against HIV

Ghana is the latest African nation to commit to GM in an attempt to unlock economic benefits from agriculture.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
The designation of Ghana as the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) collaborating center for Africa, focusing on plant breeding and associated technologies for food and nutrition, is being seen as a pivotal moment in the application of genetic modification in Africa.
 
In a recent press statement, the IAEA announced its collaboration with the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, in a four-year commitment “to promote research and development on mutation breeding in West and sub-Saharan Africa.”
 
Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Applications termed mutation breeding a powerful tool to address the global challenge of food security.
 
"It enables us to develop food crops with increased yields, improved nutritional quality, and enhanced resilience in the face of climate change. Through our closer collaboration with BNARI, we aim to share expertise and build capacities for deploying this safe and highly effective technique across a wider geographical region," she explains.
 
BNARI is set to become Africa's first IAEA Collaborating Centre in the field of plant breeding and genetics, one of only six such centres globally, and was chosen for its strategic location and expertise in radiation-induced mutation.
 
Ghana has, in recent times, been at the forefront of embracing genetic modification technology to enhance crop and plant species. The nation is poised to introduce its first genetically modified cowpea, developed by the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (SARI), into the Ghanaian market this year.
 
Projections indicate that this modified cowpea will substantially increase yields - by nearly 300 percent. Jerry Nboyine, a senior research fellow at SARI highlighted in an interview on GhanaWeb that the modified variety does not require the use of insecticides, in contrast to non-GMO cowpeas.
 
Ghana is one of a small but growing number of &nbsp;African countries that have embraced genetic modification technology to bolster agricultural productivity and resilience. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) puts the number at three in 2016, rising to over ten in 2022.
 
Kenya last year lifted a decade-long ban on genetically modified crops, now allowing their cultivation, research, and the importation of certified GMO crops and animal feeds.
 
South Africa, Nigeria, Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Egypt, and Sudan have all moved to adopt the technology, with many conducting field trials.
 
Nigerian scholar Ademola Adenle delved into the topic in an analysis published by 'The Conversation' in June, arguing that GM crops offer a potent solution to Africa's pressing hunger crisis.
 
"Based on my research in this area, I believe that agricultural innovations such as GM crops or organisms have the potential to address food security in Africa," he explained.
 
Africa's food crisis cannot be understated, and it extends beyond hunger, encompassing nutrition gaps that have been exacerbated by erratic climate conditions resulting from local and global human-induced climate change, and logistics challenges.
 
The UNFAO's 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition report reveals a distressing increase in global hunger, with over 122 million more people facing hunger since 2019. A substantial portion of this growth is occurring in Africa, where nearly 20% of the population faces hunger.
 
Moreover, the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) in Africa rose from 19.4 percent in 2021 to 19.7 percent in 2022, primarily due to increases in Northern and Southern Africa.&nbsp;
 
South Africa and Sudan are already seen as frontrunners in applying and using GM technology to accelerate crop production, mostly maize in South Africa and cotton in Sudan. South Africa has seen a major increase in maize production, even in lower rainfall years, regularly resulting in a surplus, which earns the country foreign exchange when exported.
 
"Research has shown 65% of the gain came from higher yield and production and 35% from lower costs," Adenle explains, highlighting the economic value of planting GM crops.
 
The Rainbow Nation has been growing commercial genetically modified maize since 1997. A 2021 study published in ScienceDirect, titled, ‘Economic and ecosystem impacts of GM maize in South Africa’ revealed GM maize had yielded welfare benefits surpassing $694 million between 2001 and 2018.
 
“We began planting GMO maize seeds in the 2001/2002 season. Before their introduction, average maize yields in South Africa were about 2.4 tonnes per hectare. This has increased to an average of 6.3 tonnes per hectare in the 2022/23 production season,” Wandile Sihlobo, a South African agricultural economist, explained.
 
With extreme weather patterns disrupting agricultural patterns, recent genetic modifications have focused on indigenous crops such as cassava and sweet potato, which are more climate change-resistant.
 
Several other agencies across Africa have been actively advancing these technological solutions. The Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) is a prime example, which has revealed in the past week that it has researched, developed, and distributed over 650 new bean varieties in 32 countries.
 
PABRA's efforts have led to a 30% increase in income for more than five million households across ten countries, and farmers who cultivate, consume, and sell its beans are 6% more likely to achieve food security and 6% less likely to live in poverty.
 
As Adenle explained, to increase yields countries should increase investment in biotech research, train scientists, involve local experts in decision-making, foster government collaboration, and use science-based communication to raise awareness of both the benefits and concerns around GM crops.
 
bird story agency
 
Useful links: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/africas-first-iaea-collaborating-centre-for-plant-breeding-and-genetics
https://theconversation.com/genetically-modified-crops-may-be-a-solution-to-hunger-why-there-is-scepticism-in-africa-207364#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20shown%20that%20GM,and%20importation%20of%20GM%20products.
https://www.fao.org/3/cc3017en/online/state-food-security-and-nutrition-2023/food-security-nutrition-indicators.html

Africa shifts towards genetic modification to boost food security 🌾

Africa’s carbon credit market is experiencing a significant surge in investor interest, thanks to a surge in fresh investment from the Gulf. But more regulation, stricter auditing and greater transparency is required, according to industry insiders.

Seth Onyango, bird story agency&nbsp;
 
Africa is a prime target for new multimillion-dollar carbon offset projects as companies increasingly seek to blunt the effects of their carbon footprints.
 
In September, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced plans to shell out US$450 million to secure carbon credits from various carbon offset initiatives on the continent.
 
Already, carbon offset firms are snapping up new deals. &nbsp;Eco Netix, a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) firm, told bird story agency that together with sustainable investment company ASC Impact, the firm had inked a deal with Emirati investors for millions in carbon stocks for the UAE government, which needs to offset 136 million tonnes by 2030.&nbsp;
 
New markets in the Gulf offer a bridge between investors and African states aiming to monetise their natural resources sustainably.
 
According to Eco Netix founder, Jakob Zenz, the factors attracting investors to Africa’s carbon credit market are its rich biodiversity and extensive arable land. These assets are ideal for carbon offset projects, such as reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy initiatives.&nbsp;
 
"They have the largest carbon sinks in the world. The Congo Basin, for example. All of these rain forests, this is besides size, availability, young people, willingness to work, educated people," Zenz noted.
 
"So all of these factors can make a project very viable and in an age of digitisation, information is available throughout Africa. Everyone has a smartphone. So communication becomes easy. Mobile money makes it easy to transact throughout the continent."
 
In Tanzania, Eco Netix is working on a mangrove restoration project covering 32,000 hectares, with 6,000 to 8,000 hectares identified for restoration. The cost of restoring each hectare is approximately US$3,000, leading to a total investment of US$18 to US$24 million for the project. &nbsp;
 
ASC has concessioned over 300,000 hectares for reforestation and is targeting an investment of €400 million, focusing on climate change mitigation in vulnerable areas.
 
The coalition, operating under the aegis of Sustain Now, aims to market 60 million tons of carbon credits in the UAE by 2030, leveraging key government and corporate relationships. Sustain Now is also expanding its land holdings for mangrove and forest projects, targeting an additional 2 million hectares within a year, and is actively seeking funding from the Middle East for these projects.
 
ASC's Karl Kirchmayer said that after a successful run in Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia and Angola they are planning new projects in other African states.
 
"All these countries are fitting perfectly in our strategy, to invest in areas where we have the best growing conditions. We have very good soil and rainfall," he said.
 
Mangroves, often referred to as 'super trees'', are central to these initiatives. Offering both environmental and economic benefits, mangrove forests are ideal candidates for carbon offset projects.
 
"I call it the Rolls Royce of carbon credits. It's a plant that has an incredible biodiversity system around it and... it's storing, like really substantial amounts of carbon. It's very permanent because it grows for so long."
 
However, the success of carbon projects hinges not just on financial investment but also on the integration of technology for transparency and accuracy. Recently, investigative reports have found glaring gaps in audits of carbon credit schemes, leading to accusations of "greenwashing" by some of the world's most carbon-intensive companies.
 
In the past year, the carbon market faced significant scrutiny over concerns of over-crediting, stemming from the lack of a clear baseline on what constitutes a carbon credit.
 
Zenz thus emphasised the crucial role of technology in ensuring the integrity of carbon credit projects.
 
"What is important is moving from one-time audit to real-time monitoring," he asserted.&nbsp;
 
Eco Netix now deploys a range of digital tools, including proprietary satellite imagery and remote sensing, to monitor the progress and impact of their projects.&nbsp;
 
This approach addresses the critical challenge of verifying the actual carbon sequestration achieved.&nbsp;
 
"We want to bring the transparency back into the carbon credit market. And we do that by having everything, the whole project, digitally available," he explained.&nbsp;
 
This digital availability encompasses not just the tracking of the projects but also the quantification of the carbon captured, a key metric in determining the success and value of these initiatives.
 
bird story agency&nbsp;

Gulf investors eye Africa's rich biodiversity for carbon offset projects

From historic agreements on Loss and Damage, to transformative declarations on food systems and health, COP28 could mark a monumental shift in how the world addresses environmental challenges. Here are some of the deals announced so far.

bird story agency
 
COP28 has mobilized over $83 billion in funding, setting the pace for a new era in climate action. These include the first ever declarations on food systems transformation and health, plus declarations on renewable energy and efficiency, as well as initiatives to decarbonize heavy emitting industries. The following are the key financing developments at COP28 so far:
 
11 pledges and declarations have been launched and received historic support.
 
On day one of COP28, the Presidency facilitated a historic agreement to operationalize and capitalize funding for Loss and Damage, supporting those on the front lines of the climate crisis with US$792 million already pledged to date.
 
US$3.5 billion in new money was announced to replenish the Green Climate Fund (GCF)&nbsp;
 
US$134 million announced toward the Adaptation Fund
 
US$129.3 million announced toward the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDC)
 
US$31 million to the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
 
UAE launched a US$30 billion catalytic fund, ALTÉRRA, to drive positive climate action. The fund seeks to mobilize an additional US$250 billion globally.
 
The UAE committed US$200 million to help vulnerable countries through Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and US$150 million to fund water scarcity solutions.
 
The World Bank announced an increase of US$9 billion annually for 2024 and 2025 to finance climate-related projects. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) announced a cumulative increase of over US$22.6 billion toward climate action.&nbsp;
 
The full breakdown of pledges and declarations so far:
 
The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge has been endorsed by 130 countries.&nbsp;
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food, &amp; Climate has received endorsements from 153 countries.&nbsp;
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health has been endorsed by 141 countries.&nbsp;
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate Finance has been endorsed by 13 countries.
 
The Global Cooling Pledge has been endorsed by 66 countries.
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate Relief, Recovery &amp; Peace has been endorsed by 78 countries and 40 organizations.
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Hydrogen and Derivates has been endorsed by 37 countries.&nbsp;
 
The COP28 UAE Declaration on Gender-Responsive Just Transitions has been endorsed by 78 countries.&nbsp;
 
The Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) Pledge has been endorsed by 67 countries.
 
The Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter has been endorsed by 52 companies, representing 40 percent of global oil production.
 
The Industrial Transition Accelerator has been endorsed by 35 companies and six industry associations, including the World Steel Association, the International Aluminium Institute, the Global Renewable Alliance, the Global Cement and Concrete Association, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and the International Air Transport Association.
 
Breakdown of financial pledges and contributions so far:
 
Loss and Damage: US$792 million
 
Green Climate Fund: US$3.5 billion (increasing second replenishment to US$12.8 billion)
 
Adaptation Fund: US$134 million
 
Least Developed Countries Fund: US$129.3 million
 
Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF): US$31 million&nbsp;
 
Renewable Energy: US$5 billion
 
Cooling: US$57 million
 
Clean Cooking: US$30 million
 
Technology: US$568 million
 
Methane: US$1.2 billion
 
Climate Finance: US$30 billion from UAE, US$200 million in Special Drawing Rights, and US$31.6 billion from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
 
Food: US$3.1 billion
 
Nature: US$2.6 billion
 
Health: US$2.9 billion
 
Water: US$150 million
 
Gender: US$2.8 million
 
Relief, Recovery and Peace: US$1.2 billion
 
Local Climate Action: US$467 million
 
birds story agency&nbsp;

COP28: The deals so far

The sentencing of a Chinese illegal gold miner in Ghana highlights a variety of efforts by African governments to curb activities linked to tax avoidance, environmental degradation and worse. 

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
Countries across the continent are moving to quash illegal gold mining, using a variety of methods including formalising the sector, applying more stringent legal processes and even resorting to military intervention, with a Ghanaian court recently sentencing a Chinese national to prison for illegal gold mining,
 
“The court in the capital, Accra, sentenced Aisha Huang to four and a half years imprisonment and a fine of 48,000 Ghanaian cedis ($4,000) for running an illegal mining operation,” Reuters reported of the sentencing on December 4, which brought an end to a trial that started in 2017.
 
Ghana is the 10th largest gold producer in the world, according to a 2023 report by Metal Focus and the country expanded production by 32% in 2022, according to the Ghana Chamber of Commerce.
 
German research firm Statista said gold contributed nearly 7.8 billion Ghanaian cedis (US$1.3 billion) to the economy in 2020. However, illegal mining remains a challenge, depriving the country of substantial economic revenues, with spillover effects being felt in other vital sectors such as cocoa farming, forests, and freshwater systems.
 
Collins Acheamong, a Ghanaian water resources analyst, explained that illegal small-scale miners often use mercury and other toxic chemicals to extract gold, a process which contaminates freshwater systems.
 
"Another concern is its impact on food security. Miners often destroy crops and forests in search of gold. This can reduce the amount of land available for agriculture," he explained.
 
Industry leaders including Ghanaian entrepreneurs believe the recent ruling, while long overdue, is a step in the right direction in dealing with illegal gold mining in the country.
 
Felix Brako, a minerals sector entrepreneur at the Phoaks Minerals Consult, an Accra-based precious metals trading company, said the ruling was welcome.
 
&nbsp;“The devastation caused by the Chinese in Ghana is massive,” he said.
 
"Per the current laws, punishment should be at least 20 years. The charges brought up against her were until 2017, before the revision of the law, and as such, the law can't have retrospective effect. Hence, it warranted the four years given," he explained, highlighting calls for an even longer penalty for the suspect.
 
Beyond the economic benefits of curbing illegal gold mining, there are also safety concerns. Unregulated mining activity has in the past led to the collapse of mines, with informal miners losing their lives or being left with crippling injuries.
 
Ghana has convicted multiple illegal miners in recent months.
 
According to GhanaWeb, a Tarkwa Circuit Court in October jailed 25 illegal miners to a combined 340 years in prison and an additional US US$210,000 in cash penalties for illegal mining.
 
An earlier news item by GhanaWeb published in September details how a different group of six illegal miners from Ankobra in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality were sentenced to 120 years in prison by the same Tarkwa Circuit Court.
 
In March 2023 state broadcaster, Ghana News Agency, reported that around 12 Chinese nationals were being tried in the Asante Bekwai Circuit Court for their involvement in illegal gold mining.
 
These recent arrests and convictions confirm renewed momentum in Ghana to curb illegal gold mining and related activities. Other top gold mining countries are also implementing strategies to contain illegal mining activities.
 
In South Africa, some 3,000 military personnel have been deployed in a crackdown on illegal miners, the government announced in late November. More than 30 illegal miners died from a methane explosion in South Africa's Free State province in May.
 
The army-led crackdown has resulted in the arrest and detention of hundreds of illegal miners in recent weeks.
 
A 2023 World Bank advisory report on potential ways to improve the Rainbow Nation's economic prospects suggests crime syndicates associated with illegal mining cost the country up to 10% of its GDP.
 
In Mali, recent developments suggest a keen intention from the administration to increase revenues from resource extraction. In August, the junta-led West African country passed a new mining code that, according to Agence France Press (AFP), allows the state to take up to 30 per cent stakes in new mineral projects. Part of the plan is to engage cooperatives in artisanal and small-scale gold mining - a proactive way of stamping out illicit activities by informal miners.&nbsp;
 
Initiatives like these appear to have worked elsewhere. According to Zimbabwe's Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Soda Zhemu, artisanal and small-scale miners now generate over 50% of the nation's gold, after the country took steps to formalise illicit miners by offering ownership schemes and validating claims.
 
A 2020 Tax Justice Network Africa report showed that the continent lost approximately US$40 billion linked to illicit financial flows in the extractive sectors, of which 77% emanated from gold, 12% from diamonds, 6% from platinum, and 5% from other extractive commodities.
 
“We're hoping her incarceration will have an effect, no matter how small,” Brako explained.
 
bird story agency
 
Useful links: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ghana-court-jails-chinese-national-over-illegal-gold-mining-2023-12-04/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1272300/annual-contributions-of-gold-to-gdp-in-ghana/#:~:text=Annual%20contributions%20of%20gold%20to%20GDP%20in%20Ghana%202013%2D2020&amp;text=In%202020%2C%20gold%20in%20Ghana,added%20of%20the%20precious%20metal.
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Twenty-five-persons-jailed-for-galamsey-offences-in-Tarkwa-1855682

Illegal gold mining in the firing line  ⛏️🧈 💎

While scholars have long acknowledged that elephants possess intricate cognitive abilities a South African team recently uncovered and documented groundbreaking details about elephant communication using fossil records. 

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
Researchers in South Africa have unearthed groundbreaking evidence that sheds light on the ancient communication methods of elephants.
 
A research team led by Charles Helm of the African Centre for Coastal Palaescience at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa published the report on ScienceDirect, a scientific research journal, in September 2023.
 
The team discovered 35 fossilized elephant track sites, some of which are the first-ever trunk-drag impressions, marking a significant stride in the ongoing quest to decipher the intricate communication modes of these colossal creatures.
 
“These have been noted in South African Pleistocene coastal deposits, in apparent association with elephant tracks,” the scholars explain in the research paper published in September 2023.
 
Helm, quoted in a review of this discovery on The Conversation, emphasizes the importance of this breakthrough.&nbsp;
 
He highlights that over the past 15 years, his team has identified more than 350 track fossils of various vertebrates along South Africa’s Cape South coast.
 
“Elephants, like another group of massive land creatures, dinosaurs, can be viewed as geological engineers that create minor earth-moving forces on the ground they walk(ed) on,” he explains.
 
The report introduces the concept of seismic waves, describing how earth vibrations, caused by movements or rumbles from elephants, can travel beneath the surface for up to 6km, enabling elephant groups to interact across substantial distances.
 
This seismic communication, as noted by phys.org, is not exclusive to elephants; it has been observed in small animals, insects, and even elephant seals.
 
While different researchers have in recent years attempted to offer evidence-based explanations for these complex communications, the South African discovery stands out as the most consequential.
 
Helm explained how in 2019, the research team first discovered a cluster of fossil elephant tracks that was a round feature, 57cm in diameter, containing concentric ring features off the coastline of De Hoop Nature Reserve, about 200km east of Cape Town.
 
A second discovery was made in the same year, less than 2 meters away from the initial site, and was exposed about 7cm below the surface. It contained at least 14 parallel groove features that were approaching the rings.
 
“We hypothesized that they were connected with each other and appeared to have a common origin,” Helm shares in the article.
 
“We postulate that vibrations from rumbling travelled down the elephant limb and created the concentric ring features,” he adds.
 
This discovery opens up the fine details of the world of elephants, the largest living land mammals that are not only complex in stature but also in their unique cognitive abilities.
 
To ensure the continuity of research on elephant seismicity, Helm stresses the importance of integrating three bodies of knowledge: research on existing elephant populations, ancestral knowledge often depicted in rock art, and the trace fossil record.
 
The findings also underscore the increased need for elephant conservation at a time when their numbers are rapidly declining. According to the African Elephant Status Report by the Elephants Protection Initiative Foundation, Africa is currently home to about 415,000 elephants—a stark drop from over 1.3 million in 1979.
 
Disturbingly, recent reports from Tanzania highlight the killing of two super tuskers with tusks weighing at least 100 pounds by trophy hunters in the West Kilimanjaro area, further underscoring this underlying urgency for conservation.&nbsp;
 
Africa Geographic reports that two suspected hunting companies are responsible for the killing and burning of elephant carcasses, indicating the ongoing threats faced by these majestic animals.
 
Despite these challenges, some African countries are taking proactive measures to counter the illegal wildlife trade. Nigeria, for instance, recently crushed over US$11.2 million worth of ivory, joining efforts with countries like Kenya, South Africa, and Gabon to implement stringent measures against wildlife trafficking.&nbsp;
 
These initiatives offer a glimmer of hope in the battle to preserve these iconic species and their intricate ecological roles.
 
Research on elephant seismicity is on the rise, with scholars from across the world considering the African elephant for their study. The African elephant is the largest elephant species existing globally.
 
In Mpala Research Centre, a Kenya-based cattle ranch and wildlife area in Laikipia County, researchers are investigating how and why elephants communicate via seismic vibrations. Past studies have also been undertaken in Namibia’s Etosha National Park.
 
bird story agency
 
Useful link: https://theconversation.com/unusual-ancient-elephant-tracks-had-our-team-of-fossil-experts-stumped-how-we-solved-the-mystery-216548

South African researchers are tracing the vibrational language of elephants - using fossils 🦣 🇿🇦

Data analysis platform Statista estimated in 2021 that there were more than 2000 active African languages. Technological advancements like AI translation tools are helping to harness the power of language beyond celebrating cultural heritage. However, an understanding of the unique features of key languages is important to an understanding of Africa's diverse cultures.

1. Swahili is primarily spoken in East and Central Africa and has links to hundreds of dialects since it’s predominant in the Bantu family of African languages. Spoken by as many as 150 million people, it’s an official language in Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has been adopted as a working language by the African Union due to its cultural and economic significance.&nbsp;
 
2. Igbo is spoken primarily in Nigeria. It’s a tonal language, so the meaning of the word is based on the pitch the speaker applies to it. It has several decentralized dialects, that share an emphasis on the meaning of names, and a heavy use of proverbs and parables.
 
3. Hausa The Afroasiatic group of languages is one of the world’s largest and oldest. Hausa is the most spoken language in that ethnolinguistic family, facilitating trade and interpersonal communication across West Africa.
 
4. Oromo is spoken in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt by over 35 million people. A distinct aspect of the language is the ”creaky or popping sound” produced as the speaker pronounces consonants. It’s part of the Cushitic group of languages spoken by people who share a similar culture and history in Northeast Africa &nbsp;&nbsp;
 
5. Yoruba is spoken mostly in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. It’s also a tonal language. The extensive Yoruba vocabulary is rich in greetings, proverbs, metaphors, folklore, and synonyms.
 
6. Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia. It’s the second-most spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic, with most of its speakers in Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea. It has a complex 33-character alphabet called Fidel, and a rich literary history that dates back to the 13th century.
 
7. Fulfulde (Fulani) is spoken across West and Central Africa. While most African languages are found in a specific area, Fulfulde is spoken widely, across diverse regions. Researchers describe Fulfulde as a “linguistic outlier” because it has few commonalities with other major languages in West Africa.&nbsp;
 
8. Zulu is an official language in South Africa. The language is also tone-based - like Oromo, Igbo, and Yoruba. The use of clicks alongside consonants is one of Zulu’s most intriguing features. Its oral tradition includes poetry, proverbs, and historical accounts.&nbsp;
 
9. Mandinka has over 12 million speakers in the West African countries of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso. The strong oral tradition fostered by this language was further entrenched by griots - famed storytellers, who were the custodians of historical accounts and cultural knowledge.&nbsp;
 
10. Shona is spoken in Zimbabwe. Another tonal language, Shona's use of high tones for religious communication and low tones for ordinary dialogue set it apart. Much of Shona’s vast vocabulary is linked to family and social structures.
 
Useful links:&nbsp;
https://www.pangea.global/blog/10-most-popular-african-languages/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/languages-spoken-in-africa/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280625/number-of-living-languages-in-africa-by-country/#:~:text=Africa%20boasted%20a%20repertoire%20of,communication%20across%20all%20age%20groups.

bird TenX: Hailing 10 of Africa's most spoken languages

Higher benevolence rates among Millennials and Generation Z- post-COVID-19 pandemic - are helping to improve life evaluations on the continent, as these two African countries emerge among the top 10 globally for the highest increase in happiness levels. 

Conrad Onyango, bird story agency
 
The Republic of Congo and Togo are amongst the countries that have seen happiness levels amongst their citizens increase the most over the past 12 years.
 
The two African countries are listed among seventeen countries globally that recorded increases in average life evaluations of a full point or more.
 
The World Happiness Report 2024 ranks the Republic of Congo in fourth place globally (with 1.40 points) for the biggest increase in happiness levels, after Serbia (1.84 points), Bulgaria (1.57 points) and Latvia (1.47 points ), mostly thanks to increases among their youth populations.
 
Togo closed the world’s top 10 most improved (with 1.20 points).
 
While negative emotions have been on the rise around the globe, the report notes that higher frequencies of positive emotion are outdoing negative feelings in Africa, as Millennials and Generation Z become more socially connected online and helpful to each other post-pandemic compared to over 10 years ago.
 
“The frequency of positive emotions in every region is highest for those under 30, thereafter steadily declining with age in every region...In Sub-Saharan Africa life satisfaction has increased among the young,” said the report.
 
According to a report, during the early years of the Gallup World Poll (2006-2010), the happiest group was the young, followed by those over 60, and those aged 30 to 44. However, it notes that recently there has been a slight decline in average happiness as age increases worldwide.&nbsp;
 
Overall, Congo Brazzaville is ranked fifth in Africa and 89th in the world, with its young population being the happiest in the country, while Togo is ranked 27th in Africa and 124th globally, with its upper middle-aged population being the biggest happiness driver.&nbsp;
 
Libya is ranked 66th in the world and leads in Africa with the happiest population thanks to a middle-aged population whose happiness has been buoyed by a resurgence in political stability following an end to the country’s second civil war in 2020.&nbsp;
 
Mauritius is the second happiest country in Africa and 70th globally, with its older population being the happiest in the country. South Africa is ranked 83rd globally and is the third happiest country in Africa.
 
In North Africa, happiness is highest among the young, especially young females, and then falls steadily before rising again for women 60 and over.&nbsp;
 
“Overall, globally, young people aged 15-24 experienced improved life satisfaction between 2006 and 2019, and stable life satisfaction since then,” according to the report.
 
The report is based on surveys conducted by the Gallup World Poll, which involved approximately 1,000 respondents from almost every country. One of the questions asked the respondents to rate their current life on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the least happy and 10 being the most happy.&nbsp;
 
The report also used data from the Meta-Gallup Global State of Social Connections survey, which was included in the 2022 round of the Gallup World Poll for 140 countries.&nbsp;
 
It showed how generational differences in feelings of social support, loneliness, and being socially connected relate to six types of reported social interactions and to overall life evaluations.&nbsp;
 
The data sets revealed that there has been a significant increase in benevolence following the COVID-19 pandemic for all generations and mostly so for Millennials and Generation Z. These younger generations it found are more likely than their predecessors to help others in times of need.
 
“Feelings of social support &nbsp;have been more than twice as prevalent as loneliness in 2022. Both social support and loneliness affect happiness, with social support usually having the larger effect. Social interactions add to happiness, with their effects flowing through increases in social support and reductions in loneliness,” explained the report.
 
bird story agency

Congo and Togo record Africa’s highest increase in happiness levels 🇹🇬 🇨🇬

The Next Wave

TechSafari

Big Tech This Week

As more and more services move online across Africa, giant players like Safaricom, MTN and Airtel are stepping up their efforts to provide Africa with large, green-energy data centres.

Conrad Onyango, bird story agency
 
African telcos are racing to construct green-powered data centres as the continent's appetite for digital services grows, fueled by the world's largest youth population.
 
Already the continent is a pioneer and outperformer in mobile money, headlined by Kenya’s M-Pesa and other mobile payment services, with 60% of the population accessing the internet via mobile.&nbsp;
 
By 2025, 167 million more people from Sub-Saharan Africa are projected to be subscribed to mobile services, reaching 623 million users, and smartphone connections in the region are also seen &nbsp;more than doubling.
 
According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Africa’s Internet economy has the potential to reach 5.2% of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, contributing nearly US $180 billion to its economy.
 
Major telcos on the continent are responding to this demand opportunity - supported by moves to take education, health care, agriculture services and governance online - by lining up data center projects they say will be among the largest and greenest on the continent.
 
In its 2024 sustainability report, Kenya’s giant telco, Safaricom has outlined &nbsp;plans to construct three &nbsp;Tier 3+ scale data centers, as part of &nbsp;its long-term strategy to transform from a telecommunications company to Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company, by 2030.
 
The company's Limuru Data Centers Phase 1 is already operational, with Phase 2 planned to come on stream by 2025.
 
“The facility is designed for future growth, with the potential to support 1,000 high density racks and an IT load of up to 20 MW within the next decade,” said Safaricom in the report.
 
The strategic location of the data center in the cooler Limuru region, the &nbsp;telco said, will enable it to deliver a Power Utilisation Effectiveness of 1.35, making it one of the most energy-efficient facilities in Africa.&nbsp;
 
“The facility is equipped with a 200 kWp rooftop solar PV plant, with plans to scale up to 2MWp. Additionally, we are exploring partnerships with renewable energy producers to further enhance our commitment to sustainability,” according to the sustainability report.
 
In June, MTN Nigeria announced it was building a 1,500-rack, Tier 4 data centre to play a pivotal role in meeting the growing data demands and digital needs of businesses and consumers in the country.
 
In a LinkedIn post, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Olutokun Toriola said the facility will be the largest in West Africa upon completion and will enable the telco &nbsp;to respond swiftly to market demands and support businesses in Nigeria.
 
“Ultimately, this center will play a vital role in supporting Nigerian businesses to collaborate through cloud services, expand their capabilities, and thrive,” said Toriola.
 
”Our commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is reflected in the data center's eco-friendly design to utilize efficient cooling systems and a combination of traditional energy sources, gas, and renewable energy,” he added.
 
After launching a multi-million data centre business, Nxtra by Airtel, in December 2023 &nbsp;the telco broke ground in March to what it termed as one of Africa’s largest data centres in Lagos, Nigeria- with plans for more across the continent.
 
“Through this business we aim to create one of the largest networks of data centres in Africa with high-capacity facilities in major cities complementing our existing sites. We’re taking great care to incorporate modern energy efficiencies into our operations,” &nbsp;said Airtel Africa’s Sustainability Report 2024.
 
Africa Data Centers Association also affirms the expansion of &nbsp;industry &nbsp;due to the increasing demand for such facilities throughout the continent-citing Kenya, Morocco and South Africa as fast-growing markets- abeit with a huge infrastructure gap to fill in.&nbsp;
 
“Africa needs up to 1000 MW and 700 facilities to meet demand and bring capacity density on a par with that of South Africa, the region’s leader,” according to Data Centers in Africa focus report 2024.
 
Africa, the report shows accounted for less than 2% of global colocation Data Centers supply, with over half that total located in South Africa.&nbsp;
 
“The development of data centres is picking up pace due to strong demand from economic operators, as well as increasing awareness that African countries must establish their digital sovereignty in an increasingly competitive and complex world,” said Ayotunde Coker, Chairman, Africa Data Centres Association.
 
Nigeria is listed in the data centers focus report as Africa’s largest digital economy with the internet contributing US$36.5 billion to its GDP, followed by South Africa(US$31.5 billion) and Egypt (US$26 billion).
 
Other large digital economies include Morocco(US$21.1 billion), Kenya(US$12.8 billion), &nbsp;and Algeria (US$11.9 billion).
 
Allied Market Research projects that the global market for DC provision will reach US$517.2 billion by 2030, up from an estimated of US$187.4 billion in 2020.&nbsp;
 
bird story agency
 
Useful links for editors:&nbsp;
https://africadca.org/en/data-centres-in-africa-focus-report-2024
https://www.ifc.org/en/insights-reports/2020/google-e-conomy
https://airtel.africa/#/pages/responsibility?tab=sustainability_frame-work
https://www.safaricom.co.ke/about/sustainability/sustainable-business-reports

African telcos in race to build green data centres

Africa's Gen Zs,  promised opportunity, innovation and new technology but faced with the very real world of a workplace in flux, constrained labour markets, high inflation and increasing criticism of their work ethic, are finding very little to cheer about. So a growing number of African universities are stepping in, hoping to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and real-world demands.

Conrad Onyango, bird story agency
 
Worldwide, Generation Z is facing tough times, with global economic shifts, environmental issues, worrying "hot" conflicts that are increasingly global in nature, and a job market that is less beneficial to generational wealth creation than any since World War 2.&nbsp;
 
At the same, time, this generation - born between 1997 and 2010 - is considered by nearly three-quarters of managers to be the most challenging workforce to work with.
 
According to a 2023 survey by Resume Builder, managers say Gen-Z workers feel entitled and demonstrate a lack of effort, motivation and productivity.
 
On the other hand, Gen Z workers blame business leaders and educators for a lack of understanding of the digital natives and their potential to re-write the rules of traditional corporate dynamics.&nbsp;
 
With this generation expected to comprise more than a quarter of the global workforce in 2025, recruiters, learning institutions and Gen Z's themselves, are having sleepless nights.
 
The fear and anxiety looms even larger in Africa, the continent with the youngest population in the world.
 
But there is a glimmer of hope.
 
Africa's institutions of higher learning are starting to introduce programs, organising networking events and forums to discuss and prepare this large pool of future workers in a quest to bridge the gap between university qualifications and the demands of the labour market.
 
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, is the latest to launch a student-driven initiative, the&nbsp;WorkReady Gen Z&nbsp;programme, a three-month online course designed to equip University students with essential work-readiness skills.
 
“WorkReady Gen Z&nbsp;was built to empower students not just for their first jobs but for long-term success in their careers. It’s designed to help them navigate the workplace and grow into future leaders and entrepreneurs,” says Lindelwe Cili, Career Services Team Leader at Wits.
 
The collaborative effort of the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) &nbsp;with the Wits Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU) offers insights on job hunting strategies, smooth transition in their first jobs and bolsters their skills building capacities using real-time case studies.
 
The program covers topics like job roles, imposter syndrome, and workplace biases to bolster the confidence of Gen Z’s &nbsp;in their first jobs. It also exposes them to interactive case studies and thought-provoking activities where students develop critical skills such as problem-solving, communication, time management, and professionalism.
 
Strathmore University Business School in Nairobi, this year themed its Annual HR Summit "Future-ready HR: Navigating Trends, Transforming Workplaces,"&nbsp;
 
Whlie representatives from academia and industry emphasized the need for further efforts to address the work readiness gap in Africa, Ceasar Mwangi, Strathmore's Executive Dean, asked attendees to think of the continent's youth challenge differently and to change the narrative when considering education.
 
“Perhaps the best way to address the needs: 'A rich continent with high levels of poverty with difficulties and challenges is addressing the issue of people development',” he explained.
 
In March, the International School of Advertising (ISA) Africa partnered with the data science firm Predictive Analytics Lab and the recruitment firm Brighter Monday to host a "Marketing in a Gen Z World" Forum at the University of Nairobi as part of its apprenticeship program tour.&nbsp;
 
"We are teaming up to guide you through the maze of career readiness. We're offering free insights on how to ride the data-driven marketing wave," said ISA in a call for registration poster.
 
McKinsey's 'The Gen Z Equation' deep dive, calls for a change of perspective when considering Gen Z workers.
 
“To attract and retain these workers, employers should understand what this generation prioritizes in the workplace,” the report reads.
 
Gen Z prioritizes career development when considering a job offer, over compensation. Work flexibility is the top reason for their staying in a job, with the purpose of work being a deciding factor in whether they will remain in a job or quit, according to McKinsey.
 
These sentiments are also shared by Delloite in its Global 2024 Gen Z and Millenial Survey, Living and working with purpose in a transforming world.
 
According to the survey, the majority of Gen Z individuals (86%) - and an even higher number of millennials (89%) - believe that having a sense of purpose is crucial for their overall job satisfaction and well-being. Additionally, three-quarters of Gen Zs and millennials (75%) consider an organization's community engagement and societal impact as important factors when evaluating a potential employer.
 
“These generations are increasingly willing to reject assignments or employers who don’t align with their values,” said Delloite. &nbsp;
 
Brighter Monday Chief Executive Officer, Christ Otundo, speaking during the Annual HR Summit 2024, explained that many companies are struggling to articulate their value propositions.
 
“Organisations are increasingly leveraging employer branding but perhaps this is not done effectively. Companies have not articulated very clearly what their value propositions are,” Otundo explained.
 
The challenges facing Gen Z are not confined to what is often referred to as "sub-Saharan Africa", either. They are just as relevant in north Africa. AT Morocco’s Al-Akhawayn University, the dean of the School of Science and Engineering, Salah Al-Majeed, argues in his write-up on The Times Higher Education platform that Gen Z are often misunderstood.&nbsp;
 
Al-Majeed challenges educators to analyse and refocus on distinct skills such as creative spirit, entrepreneurship, willingness to challenge the status quo, social consciousness, and an ability to deliver high value and insight on issues such as sustainability, diversity, and social justice that the digital natives bring to the workplace.&nbsp;
 
“Gen Z is what we have. As educators, we should be embracing and building upon their many positive attributes rather than dwelling on their perceived failings,” said Al-Majeed.&nbsp;
 
He advocates for learning institutions to work together with recruiters to bridge the gap by mapping these competencies and creating platforms for showcasing the skills and creation of safe networking spaces with Gen-Zs.
 
bird story agency.
 
Useful links for editors:&nbsp;
 
https://www.mckinsey.com/quarterly/the-five-fifty/five-fifty-the-gen-z-equation
 
https://www.resumebuilder.com/3-in-4-managers-find-it-difficult-to-work-with-genz/
 
https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/docs/campaigns/2024/deloitte-2024-genz-millennial-survey.pdf?dlva=1

Getting Gen Z work-ready: African universities stepping up

African contemporary art is experiencing a transformative moment, with artists from the continent gaining significant recognition in the global art market. Estimated and selling prices at a recent Sothebys auction in London highlight the growing international interest in the continent's artists.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
When Ethiopian-born artist Julie Mehretu set a new record for an African-born artist last November with her painting, ‘Walkers with the Dawn and Morning’, the price (US$10.38 million) trumpeted a growing interest in African contemporary art.
 
Prices at a Sothebys auction in London on September 27 appear to confirm the trend, with &nbsp;notable works by African artists like Ben Enwonwu on sale and some works reaching higher than anticipated prices.
 
The auction also offered work by South African-born artist Irma Stern as well as outstanding works by a number of artists who appeared at this year’s Venice Biennale, including Elias Sime, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, William Kentridge, Gerard Sekoto, Esther Mahlangu, Uche Okeke and others.
 
While some pieces did not attract buyers at the auction, the following is a list of the ten most expensive contemporary African artworks featured at the Sothebys London auction, according to the auction website.
 
Lady of the Harem by Irma Stern
Irma Stern’s "Lady of the Harem," an oil on canvas from 1946, is a striking depiction of a Zanzibari woman in traditional attire, with henna patterns subtly hinted on her hands and feet. According to Sothebys.com, the painting captures the "intricate cultural rituals within harems, including adornment with gold and henna, reflective of women's limited agency and status in post-slavery Zanzibar". Strauss Art's website shows that it was acquired from Roza van Gelderen around 1950, and has remained in private hands. Stern’s work, &nbsp;conveys the layered histories of Zanzibar and its women. The artwork's target price was in the &nbsp;range of £600,000 (US$666,900) to £800,000 (US$889,200 ) but the piece fetched more than £960,000 (over US$1.2 million). This is the highest result at an African Art auction for the last three years, according to the organisers.
 
Nigerian Beauty by Ben Enwonwu
Ben Enwonwu's Nigerian Beauty (1959) is a striking oil painting that captures both the elegance and the symbolism of a nation on the verge of independence. According to Google Arts and Culture, the artwork was painted just before Nigeria gained independence in 1960, reflecting the pride, optimism, and emerging identity of the country. The anticipated price range for the artwork at the auction ranged between £100,000 and £150,000 (US$111,150 and US$166,725) with the final price reaching the upper end of the scale, at £144000 (more than US$192,000).
 
The Emir in Council by Ben Enwonwu
The Emir in Council (1945-1959) is also a recent discovery artwork and the oil work captures a pivotal moment in Nigeria's transition from colonial rule to independence. The artwork depicts the Emir of Kano presiding over his council, juxtaposed with British colonial officers, highlighting the complex power dynamics of the era, according to artnet.net. Enwonwu's masterful blend of Western techniques and African aesthetics reflects his role in shaping Nigeria's cultural identity. This piece’s value was estimated to range between £70,000 - £90,000 (US$77,805 and US$100,035). It fetched £90,000 at the auction.
 
Tightrope: Split In Half, 2017 by Elias Sime&nbsp;
Elias Sime's Tightrope: Split In Half (2017) utilizes reclaimed electronic components, showcasing the artist's innovative use of e-waste sourced from Addis Ababa's Minalesh Tera Market. According to the Wellin Museum of Art, this piece, part of the Tightrope series, reflects Sime's belief in the stories embedded in discarded materials, highlighting themes of global interdependence and the impact of technology on society. Through intricate interweaving of wires, Sime invites viewers to explore the delicate balance between technological advancement and its consequences, reinforcing his critique of our interconnected world. Its value was estimated at between £70,000 and £90,000 (US$77,805 and US$100,035) and the piece sold for £72000).
 
Tightrope: Squeezed In, 2017 by Elias Sime
Part of the Tightrope series, this work again challenges perceptions of e-waste and prompts reflection on the delicate balance between technological advancement and its societal effects, according to Sotherby’s. It’s value was also set at £70,000 - £90,000. The piece was not sold at the auction.
 
Charcoal L by Pascale Marthine Tayou
Pascale Marthine Tayou's Charcoal L (2012) exemplifies the Cameroonian artist's innovative approach to charcoal and mixed media, merging drawing and sculpture. This large-scale work transforms found materials to explore themes of identity, culture, and human connection. According to artsy.net, Tayou’s craftsmanship sparks discussions on modern experiences related to his African identity, earning him recognition in prestigious international exhibitions. The value of Charcoal L was estimated at between £50,000 and £70,000 (US$55,575 and US$77,805) but was yet to sell by close of bidding time.
 
Queens Forever by Pascale Marthine Tayou
Pascale Marthine Tayou's Queens Forever (2009) is a captivating series of six hand-blown crystal sculptures that explore diaspora, identity, and contemporary complexities. Each figure, adorned with found materials, critiques social roles and the performative nature of identity in a globalized world, according to Middleheim Museum. Sotherbys notes that Tayou’s work transcends race and nationality, presenting a universal ideal that challenges societal constructs while celebrating cultural interplay. This piece was valued at between £40,000 and £60,000 (US$44,460 and US$66,690) at the auction but did not sell at the London auction.
 
Ansaku’ by Atta Kwami (2017)
Atta Kwami's Ansaku (2017) exemplifies his fusion of African traditions and modernist abstraction. Featuring grid-like forms and rhythmic patterns, the painting draws inspiration from Kente textiles and urban life in Ghana, according to artnet.com. Sotherby’s notes that Kwami's work reflects his cultural heritage while engaging with broader artistic movements. Celebrated in both Ghana and globally, his art is housed in prestigious collections, highlighting his significant contribution to modern African art. Its price was expected to range between £30,000 and £50,000 (US$33,345 and US$55,575) but was yet to be sold by end of auction window.
 
Ancient Fog by Alexander Skunder Boghossian
Alexander Skunder Boghossian's Ancient Fog (1975) is an oil painting that merges Ethiopian culture with surrealism and spirituality, showcasing his "Afro-Metaphysics" style. Influenced by his European studies and jazz, Boghossian conveys the healing essence of ancient scrolls in a fluid composition under a hazy sun, according to Sotherbys.com. Created during a transformative political era in Africa, this work highlights Boghossian's impact on the Pan-African cultural awakening and modern art. While its price at the auction was expected to range between £30,000 - £50,000 (US$33,345 and US$55,575), the piece was yet to be sold by close of the auction.
 
Objects of Desire, Addendum 7 by Meleko Mokgosi
Meleko Mokgosi's Objects of Desire, Addendum 7 (2019) features a compelling blend of inkjet, permanent marker, oil, and photo transfer on linen and canvas. According to aertguide.com, the work merges historical painting techniques with research-based annotations, prompting a critical examination of themes like colonialism, democracy, and nationalism in Southern Africa. As an artist and associate professor at Yale, Mokgosi's large-scale pieces invite viewers to engage with the complexities of African history through a multilayered artistic approach. It was expected to fetch between £20,000 and £30,000 (US$22,230 to US$33,345). The piece sold for £24000 (more than US$34000).
 
bird story agency
 
Useful link:&nbsp;
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/modern-contemporary-african-art-2

bird TenX: The 10 most expensive African artworks at a major international art auction

Nine African startups have been recognized for their innovative solutions on this year's prestigious Impact/100 list, showcasing their potential to drive meaningful change.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
Nine African startups offering diverse innovative solutions in different sectors have been included in the prestigious 2024 Impact/100 list, highlighting Africa’s potential to address global challenges.
 
According to the lead publisher and startup supporter, the Norrsken Foundation, the Impact/100 was developed as “a list of the world's most promising impact startups” and is "100 ways to fix the future".
 
The 100 startups were selected from over 1,200 competitors.
 
Celebrating his company's inclusion in the list, CEO of Kenyan-based electric vehicle automaker Roam, Filip Lovstrom, said the recognition was “fuel for our mission to change how Africa moves.”
 
“We’re committed to pushing boundaries, by making electric mobility a reality, and transforming everyday journeys into a statement for sustainability,” he added.
 
Roam was recognised for tackling global challenges by providing clean, affordable transport across Africa and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 
Other African startups included in the 2024 Impact list are:
 
Shara - FinTech
Shara is based in Kenya and focuses on unlocking financial access for Africa's unbanked population. Shara describes itself on its website as a company that uses cutting-edge technology to provide seamless financial solutions that enable individuals and small businesses to thrive by overcoming barriers to financial services.
 
Rology - &nbsp;HealthTech
Headquartered in Egypt, Rology leverages artificial intelligence and remote technology to provide accurate medical diagnostics. The company addresses the shortage of radiologists in emerging markets by connecting hospitals and doctors to remote radiology experts, enhancing healthcare outcomes.
 
Credrails - FinTech
Credrails, a Kenya-based FinTech company, powers Africa’s digital economy by providing businesses and consumers with easy access to financial data. Their open financial platform bridges the gap between financial institutions, helping businesses make informed decisions and fostering financial inclusion across the continent.
 
Kapu - FoodTech
Based in Kenya, Kapu is revolutionizing the food industry by making essential food items more affordable for low-income communities. Through innovative technology and supply chain optimization, Kapu aims to reduce the cost of food in Africa, ensuring better access to nutrition for all.
 
Bamboo - FinTech
Bamboo is a Nigeria-based FinTech startup that enables Africans to invest in U.S. stocks, making Wall Street accessible to the continent. The platform provides users with tools to invest globally with ease, democratizing access to international financial markets for African consumers.
 
Autochek - FinTech
Autochek, based in Nigeria, simplifies vehicle ownership by providing a digital platform for car sales, financing, and maintenance. Recently expanding into electric cars, Autochek is making it easier for Africans to own, finance, and maintain both traditional and electric vehicles.
 
Orca Fraud - FinTech
Orca Fraud is a South Africa-based company that uses artificial intelligence to detect and prevent fraud before it occurs. Their advanced AI tools monitor and identify potential threats, protecting businesses and consumers from financial fraud in real-time.
 
African Management Institute (AMI) (Kenya) – Education
Based in Kenya, the African Management Institute (AMI) provides practical, hands-on training for African businesses and entrepreneurs, according to its website. Through innovative learning platforms and tailored programs, AMI empowers leaders and managers across the continent to build sustainable and successful businesses, helping drive Africa’s economic growth.
 
Logos of the 100 startups are to be displayed on NASDAQ's iconic Times Square sign in New York in the USA as part of the recognition.&nbsp;
 
bird story agency
 
Useful link to editors:
https://www.norrsken.org/impact100#list

African impact startups featured on the 2024 Impact/100 list

A recent report reveals that employment in African cities is benefitting from accelerated investment in the green economy, with more job opportunities on the way. 


Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
African cities are among those reaping the rewards of ongoing rapid investment in climate action and related interventions. A new report shows more than 11% of all jobs on the continent are now green jobs - 7.5% direct jobs and 4.4% indirect jobs.
 
The analysis, conducted by C40, a global network of nearly 100 mayors from leading cities, examined 74 global cities across five continents.
 
“More than 168 million jobs were captured overall. Nearly 16 million of these can be classified as green jobs—about 10% of total employment. This includes almost 10 million direct green jobs and nearly 6 million indirect ones,” the researchers noted in their June report.
 
“This indicates that, in addition to creating direct green jobs, green investments are driving demand for materials and inputs, boosting employment in supplier industries,” they explain in the analysis on the C40 Cites website.
 
Notably, African cities such as Freetown, Nairobi, and Accra dominate the top five cities with more than 20% of jobs classified as green jobs. Bangkok, Thailand, and Lima, Peru are the only non-African cities to make the list.
 
The analysis, which utilized a methodology developed by Circle Economy and is based on International Labour Organization (ILO) definitions, was conducted in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
 
It revealed that most green jobs are found in sectors heavily influenced by local public policy, including transport and waste management.
 
Sectors where more than 25% of jobs are classified as green include water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, transportation and storage, electricity generation, steam and air conditioning supply, and the construction sector.
 
However, the report notes there is potential for even more green jobs in the region, as over 50% of jobs in many African countries are in informal sectors and may not have been captured in official statistics.
 
Despite the progress, equity gaps persist when assessing who benefits from these green jobs.
 
“Women occupy less than 10% of jobs in the construction sector and around 12% in the transport and storage sectors, on average,” the report highlights.&nbsp;
 
Young workers (under 24) also account for only 12% of jobs in construction and 10% in transport and storage sectors, on average.
 
“The green transition also presents an opportunity to address existing inequalities and create more diverse and inclusive workforces,” the researchers explain.
 
The momentum behind green jobs is expected to grow, with projections from other sources such as Shortlist and FSD Africa, in a June report, suggesting that over 3 million new direct green jobs could be created on the continent by 2030.
 
Different cities are already fast embracing programs and initiatives that promise to avail more green jobs. In Accra, for instance, a green jobs program supported by the Global Cities Fund is tackling waste management while creating jobs for locals. The program has integrated 40 waste workers into cooperatives and registered over 250 people for health insurance.
 
Besides having a dedicated energy and climate change unit Cape Town is considered a pioneer in opening up more opportunities in climate-related sectors especially in energy transition.&nbsp;
 
Cocody in Ivory Coast has recently launched its Green City Plan, targeting a 70% reduction in emissions by 2030. The plan aims to slash local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% and generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs while promoting sustainable lifestyles among residents. Similar ambitious initiatives are also underway in Dakar, Kampala, Tsévié, and Yaoundé, according to the World Economic Forum.
 
In addition, growing public discussions are shaping future goals and creating new opportunities for the green sector. Nairobi's inaugural National Green Jobs and Skills Development Workshop, held in May, brought together global partners such as the ILO, UNEP, and UNICEF. With a target of 240,000 green jobs by 2030, Nairobi is positioning itself as a leader in sustainable employment initiatives.
 
A similar workshop was hosted in Johannesburg in March dubbed the ‘Building City Resilience Through a Just and Equitable Transition.’&nbsp;
 
At the 2022 C40 World Mayors Summit, mayors pledged to create 50 million quality green jobs globally by 2030. Earlier in year, the report by FSD Africa and Shortlist projected South Africa to lead in green job growth, with 85,000 to 275,000 new opportunities. Nigeria is expected to follow with 60,000 to 240,000 jobs, while Kenya is forecasted to generate between 40,000 and 240,000 green jobs.
 
bird story agency
 
Useful links for editors:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/africa-cities-renewables-ren21/
https://www.c40.org/news/cities-good-green-jobs-analysis-16-million/
https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Achieving-the-just-transition-A-toolkit-for-city-leaders-across-the-globe?language=en_US

Green job opportunities surge in Africa - report

D’Tigress and South Sudan’s men’s basketball team have achieved historic successes in the ongoing Olympic Games in France, showcasing the depth of Africa's rich sporting talent and potential.

by Silalei Shani, bird story agency
 
When Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, pulled off a historic upset in women’s basketball with a 75-62 defeat of Australia’s Opals in their opening game, the win resounded through African basketball.&nbsp;
 
Closing out the first half with a 13-point lead and on the back of Ezinne Kalu’s 19 points, Nigeria managed to hold off the Opals until the final quarter when Australia cut down the lead to make it a one-possession game with 4 minutes left on the clock.&nbsp;
 
Amy Okwonkwo, who currently plays for French basketball club Bourges, delivered a clutch 3, allowing Nigeria to go on another run which extended to the final whistle and handed D'Tigress the game.&nbsp;
 
D’Tigress then faced France backed by an energetic home team crowd at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in their group second group B game. Though the Nigerians showed moments of brilliance, France dominated from the 1st quarter, maintaining a lead that carried to the end of the match.&nbsp;
 
Despite the loss, Nigeria again turned heads and captured the attention of the world as they returned with a vengeance in their their must-win contest with Canada on Sunday, August 4, &nbsp;defeating the north Americans 79-70 to advance to the quarterfinals.
 
Ezinne Kalu led Nigeria with 21 points, while Shay Colley paced Canada with 17 points.
 
The first half was closely contested, with Canada taking a four-point lead into halftime. However, Nigeria's relentless pressure in the second half proved too much for the Canadians to handle.
 
Nigeria outscored Canada 23-5 in the third quarter, including a 15-0 run that opened up an eight-point lead.&nbsp;
 
By the midway point of the fourth quarter, Nigeria's lead had grown to 17 points, sealing the victory and eliminating Canada from the tournament.&nbsp;
 
The continent’s sole representative in the Men’s Olympic basketball side, South Sudan, also made history with their first Olympic victory in their first group stage match up against Puerto Rico.&nbsp;
 
Exceeding expectations, South Sudan pulled off a 90-79 victory. The last time the two teams met was at the FIBA World Cup where South Sudan lost 101-96.
 
The win was a collective effort, with five South Sudanese players scoring in double digits led by Carlik Jones 19 points.&nbsp;
 
South Sudan faced the US side in their second group stage match looking to deliver a dominant performance after an earlier match up where they narrowly lost to the Americans, 101-100.&nbsp;
 
However, despite a great effort and a brief lead in the first quarter, South Sudan trailed for the rest of the game, losing 103-86. Nuni Omot led the team in scoring with 25 points, while Bul Kuol and Marial Shayok added 16 and 12 points respectively.&nbsp;
 
“I think tonight shows my ability of what I’m capable of doing,” Omot shared. “The Olympics is the 12 best teams that are competing right. Just to be able to be one of the 12 teams is an honor…People are going to know who South Sudan is.”
 
The South Sudanese came stunningly close to a monumental upset against the United States in a thrilling exhibition game in London on July 20.&nbsp;
 
Team USA, trailing by 16 points, had to rely on LeBron James' clutch basket with just eight seconds left to secure a nail-biting 101-100 victory.
 
While Serbia defeated South Sudan 96-85 in their final Group C match, pushing the Africans into third place in the group and dashing their quarter-final dreams, the perfomances of both South Sudan and Nigeria have been enough to announce clearly to the world that Africa is to be taken seriously as a basketball powerhouse.
 
bird story agency

Perfomances from Nigeria and South Sudan at the Paris Olympics mark a new chapter in African basketball 🇳🇬 🏅 🇸🇸  

The Swahili film industry is undergoing a makeover and stands to gain significantly if an Idris Elba mega studio comes to fruition. The project recently received a major boost with the allocation of an 80-hectare site in Zanzibar.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
The allocation of an 80-hectare parcel of land in Zanzibar to Hollywood star Idris Elba to build a film studio marks a new milestone in efforts to develop a regional film industry - efforts that are being supported by local government.
 
"Idris Elba will be building a modern studio similar to Hollywood, Nollywood or Bollywood… I'm not sure how we will call it in Zanzibar, whether Zallywood or Zawood, I don't know," Zanzibar’s Minister of Investment, Shariff Ali Shariff saod during the 27th anniversary celebrations of the Zanzibar International Film Festival held between August 1 and 4, according to AFP.
 
Conversations about the project have been ongoing since February 2023 when Tanzania’s Director of Presidential Communications Zuhura Yunus made the announcement after President Hassan’s trip to the 53rd World Economic Forum in Davos.
 
Elba, a renowned English actor and rapper with ties to Sierra Leone and Ghana has shown increasing interest in the African film industry, initiating partnership discussions with at least three countries: Ghana, Zanzibar and South Africa.
 
“Young Africans view me as a leader or a beacon. And I feel like I could bring something. So I’m keen to bring what I’ve learned in media and amplify it in Africa,” he told SA People, a South African outlet in 2022.
 
The film studio plans for the "Spice Island" brings renewed focus to the film potential of the island's tropical setting and history, with its world-class beaches and famous "Stone Town" offering a wide variety of settings.
 
Beyond Zanzibar, the film studio could reignite the region’s film industry especially that of mainland Tanzania where the "Bongowood" film industry is on a resurgence after a slowdown in the past decade.
 
In 2020, the government reviewed existing regulations, including slashing filming permit fees, aiming to replicate the success of regional powerhouses like Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. These countries have seen substantial investments from major producers like Netflix and Showmax, injecting millions of dollars into their film industries.
 
Recent entries into Africa's film production scene, such as Disney Plus's collaboration with Kenyan producers on the animated series ‘Kizazi Moto’, signal a growing international interest in the region's talent and narratives, an opportunity Tanzania can tap.
 
Tanzania recently collaborated with South Korea, initiating a benchmarking exercise where actors and actresses visited major studios in Busan for a reskilling program.
 
Last month, The Space Maasai, a Tanzanian feature film by Wilson Nkya, won a major award at the 2024 Durban FilmMart (DFM). The film pays tribute to young African boys and girls, inspiring them to pursue their passions and dreams.
 
Space Maasai, currently under development, was selected from 29 entries from countries like Egypt, Morocco, and Kenya. Other Tanzanian film ideas that won awards include Children of Honey by Jigar Ganatra and The Legend of Hyena Man by Matthew Valerian. Additionally, Kelele, a documentary project, was also recognized.
 
While their achievements may not yet match those of the biggest filmmakers and directors from Africa's major film hubs, the success of filmmakers like Walter Mzengi showcases Tanzania's potential to cultivate and nurture similar talent.
 
Walter Mzengi was among the five winners of the 2022 African Folktales, Reimagined award by Netflix and UNESCO, receiving a US$25,000 personal grant and an additional US$75,000 production grant for filmmaking.
 
Another significant milestone for the Tanzanian film industry occurred in 2022 when Amil Shivji's romantic drama ‘Vuta N’kuvute’ (Tug of War), a story of a young woman whose romance blossoms on the back of a political revolt durng the British colonial war in Zanzibar, became the country's second-ever entry into the Oscars, marking a first in 21 years.
 
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, has been screened at festivals in Germany, South Africa, the USA, Brazil and Switzerland, and won the Tanit d’Or at the Carthage Film Fest in Tunis as well as four awards at the 2022 African Movie Academy Awards in Lagos.
 
Other films from the East African country including ‘Binti’ and ‘Nyara’ are streaming on Netflix.
 
According to UNESCO, if well harnessed, Africa's film and audiovisual industries could create over 20 million jobs and contribute US$20 billion to the continent's combined GDP.
 
bird story agency

How an Idris Elba film studio in Zanzibar would be a big boost to the Swahili film industry 🎬 🇹🇿

A new report finds that Africa’s rapidly growing green economy could create over 3 million new jobs by 2030, highlighting the sector's significant potential for employment and sustainable development across the continent.

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
 
Africa’s green economy has the potential to create up to 3.3 million new direct green jobs across the continent by 2030, according to a new report.
 
The report, ‘Forecasting Green Jobs in Africa’ &nbsp;by Shortlist and FSD Africa, with analysis from the Boston Consulting Group was unveiled on July 24 covering five focus countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
 
According to Mark Napier, CEO of FSD Africa, the report is of interetst because “there is a cross-sector effort across Africa to spur employment and sustainable development.”
 
“But stakeholders lack a shared, granular understanding of where the green jobs are going to come from. This report offers a methodology for forecasting green jobs which allows us to get practical about where we need to invest to make these jobs happen,” he explained in a press statement accompanying the report.
 
Key insights from the report indicate that job creation will focus on twelve green subsectors, primarily in renewable energy, particularly solar, e-mobility, sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly construction, and green manufacturing.
 
South Africa is projected to create the highest number of jobs, between 85000 and 275000 green jobs by 2030, mainly in energy, power generation, agriculture and nature sectors including conservation.
 
The solar industry is, however, projected to create the highest number of new employment opportunities by 2030, up to 140,000 new jobs.&nbsp;
 
South Africa's REIPPP program is one of the most ambitious solar initiatives in Africa, generating over 2,500 MW of solar and wind energy in the past decade. Africa Solar Industry Association projects that each MW of solar power generated can create up to 30 full-time jobs.
 
This is critical considering the huge unemployment rates in the country where about 10.2 million people were aged between 15 and 24 years as of Q3 of 2023 out of whom 32.7% were neither in employment nor in education or training.
 
The program is scaling rapidly, boosting both energy output and job creation. In December 2023, South Africa launched REIPPPP Bid Window 7, targeting 5 GW of renewable energy from solar, wind, green hydrogen, and hydropower.
 
Nigeria is also projected to create between 60000 and 240000 new green jobs by 2030 mainly in aquaculture and poultry subsectors both of which have the potential to generate up to 69000 new job opportunities.
 
Aquaculture is emerging as a sector of interest in Africa, with global investors increasingly directing resources towards it, signaling confidence in its growth potential.
 
After Aqua-Spark launched a $300 million African aquaculture fund in 2021, it has grown into a successful venture supporting major projects in Madagascar, Mozambique, the Lake Harvest project in Southern and East Africa, and Kenya's Aquarech.
 
Nigeria is especially grooming its aquaculture industry with projections by the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), through its African chapter, projecting the country’s aquaculture sector has the potential to generate an annual revenue of US$296 billion.&nbsp;
 
The country's Blue Economy Strategy, a 2023 blueprint, places aquaculture at the core of its plan to harness the vast potential of the blue economy.
 
Beyond aquaculture, poultry farming stands as a cornerstone of Nigeria's livestock industry, representing the most commercialized sector. According to the poultry association of Nigeria, the sector contributes over 25 percent to the Livestock Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (LAGDP).
 
“The industry has for the last five (Five) years, remained the No. 1 egg-producing nation in Africa and the No. 5 in Broiler Meat production in Africa,” Ichie Ezeobiora, the national president of the association explained in a recent press statement.
 
The authors of the report also explain that in Kenya, between 40000 and 240000 new jobs can be created by 2030. The solar sector is expected to lead this creation with an estimated 111000 jobs by the end of the decade. Ethiopia will see between 30,000 and 130,000 new green jobs while the DRC will &nbsp;put on between 15,000 to 45,000 new green jobs by 2030.
 
The quality of the projected new &nbsp;job opportunities varies from being skilled, semi-skilled to white collar. Notably, up to 60% of the new jobs will be skilled or white collar distributed as; 10% advanced jobs or highly skilled, 30% specialized jobs and 20% administrative jobs.
 
“Crucially, these job types tend to attract higher salaries and will, therefore, play a central role in spurring the growth of the middle class in countries hosting these high-growth sectors,” the authors explain.
 
Also, the stability of the unskilled jobs that is set to be created by these jobs is expected to provide significant opportunities for upward mobility. These positions will serve as stepping stones for candidates, enhancing their employability through access to training and valuable experience.
 
bird story agency
 
Useful links for editors:
https://fsdafrica.org/publication/forecasting-green-jobs-in-africa/
https://renewablesnow.com/news/s-africa-opens-reipppp-bid-window-7-targeting-5-gw-of-renewables-843213/
https://poultryassociationofnigeria.org/press-release-on-current-policy-and-fiscal-seige-on-the-poultry-industry-in-nigeria-the-industry-on-the-verge-of-total-collapse/
https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/from-kenya-to-nigeria-opportunities-in-africas-fish-farming-industry/169135/

Africa's green economy could create 3 million new jobs by 2030 - report

Africa's data market is experiencing a reset, with the aggressive rollout of satellite internet and intense competition promising faster and cheaper services, including markets with some of the world's most expensive data plans.

Conrad Onyango, bird story agency
 
A year after the introduction of commercial-scale satellite internet by Elon Musk’s Starlink in Africa, significant developments are beginning to reshape the continent's internet landscape, with cheaper and faster internet increasingly available in Africa as satellite infrastructure rollouts expand and competition among providers intensifies.&nbsp;
 
In May, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a major internet player with a presence in 14 countries in Africa, partnered with OneWeb to expand internet access to remote areas promising to offer better connectivity, using both low Earth orbit and traditional satellites.
 
“This strategic move anticipates the expected surge in new LEO satellite constellations over the next three years, providing agile and cost-effective solutions for entering and expanding markets,” said &nbsp;Liquid Intelligent Technologies Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed El Beheiry, at the time.
 
Direct competition between foreign satellite internet providers, regional and domestic fiber and mobile network operators (MNO's) is shaking up of local internet service provision as well as driving strategic partnerships between satellite internet providers and MNO's for mobile satellite data provision.&nbsp;
 
Despite these intertwined competitions and collaborations, providers share a common goal: to improve internet access by offering high-speed and cheaper data to customers.
 
African countries with some of the most expensive data plans in the world are currently witnessing most of these developments as more foreign satellite internet providers gain a footing through strategic partnerships with local Internet service providers.
 
British firm, Eutelsat OneWeb, which forms part of the French Eutelsat Group and runs a network of low Earth orbit satellites has &nbsp;been making inroads into Africa by expanding satellite infrastructure and bolstering capacities of local internet service providers.
 
Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Sudan, Botswana, DR Congo, Rwanda, Mauritius are among countries that will benefit from anticipated cheaper data costs. Liquid Intelligent also has a presence in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.&nbsp;
 
In early July, Zimbabwe government-owned, telecom service provider, TelOne entered a strategic partnership to leverage OneWeb’s satellites through a reseller arrangement to offer high-speed internet to its customers at lower market prices.&nbsp;
 
“We will introduce flexible pricing models to remain competitive. If we need to give discounts on certain products, we will do so, so that we remain in the game,” local media outlet Newsday quoted TelOne Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence Nkala.
 
The decision came barely a month after the announcement of Starlink’s projected third-quarter 2024 launch in Zimbabwe.
 
According to UK-based price&nbsp;comparison website&nbsp;cable.co.uk, as of September 2023, Africa is home to some of the ten most expensive internet data offerings in the world.
 
Zimbabwe has been listed as the most expensive in the world with, with a price of US$43.75, for 1 GB of data, followed by Saint Helena (US$ 40.13), South Sudan (US$23.70), the Central African Republic (US$ 10.90) and Zambia (US$ 8.01).&nbsp;
 
In the region, average cost of 1GB is&nbsp;US$3.31 which is higher than global average of of US$2.59.
 
Since 2019, prices per 1GB have dropped&nbsp;significantly, however. &nbsp;Prices in Zambia dropped by 256%, in Central Africa Republic by 80.6% and in Sudan by 71.6%
 
Northern Africa is the cheapest region in the world overall, according to the report with average cost of 1GB at&nbsp;US$ 0.86. All countries in this region are cheaper than the global average.&nbsp;
 
While Elon Musk’s Starlink has been saddled by regulatory hurdles to make inroads in a number of &nbsp;African countries, it has also been shaking up markets where data prices are cheaper on the continent.
 
In Kenya, Starlink has introduced a 50GB monthly data plan priced at US$10 (Ksh 1,300) compared to Airtel Kenya’s US$23.4 (Ksh 3,000) and Safaricom’s &nbsp;US$19.5 (Ksh 2,500) for a 45GB plan.&nbsp;
 
“Affordable, high speed internet with 50GB of data included for Ksh 1,300/mo (opt in for additional data at Ksh 20/GB,” Starlink offered on its website.
 
The US$0.15 (Ksh 20/GB ) plan is lower than North Africa’s US$ 0.86 average, reflecting the positive impact of satellite internet in the Kenyan market.
 
Starlink also allows Kenyan users to pay for the data plans via mobile money services offered by Airtel and Safaricom.
 
The only competitive advantage the MNO’s have is the relatively high cost of acquiring hardware for the satellite service. While the MNOs' satellite service will ride on existing registered sim cards, one requires Ksh 45,500 to install Starlink hardware.
 
The Communications Authority of Kenya’s Sector Statistics Report Q3 FY 2023-24 show the &nbsp;number of 100Mbps to 1GBps users - the highest speed range for internet data in Kenya stood at 4,504 by March 2024 - has increased to the the highest ever since since the launch of Starlink in July 2023.
 
“The utilized satellite capacity increased remarkably following the launch of Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency satellite Internet in the country,” according to the report.
 
The regulator’s data showed that between December 2023 to March 2024, Kenya’s Satellite bandwidth grew from 0.44GBps to 48.4GBps.
 
Starlink’s significant success in Africa is in Nigeria, where the country’s communication regulator has already ranked it as the third-largest internet service provider by subscriber base.
 
As of the end of 2023, Starlink had 23,897 active customers in Nigeria, less than a year after its launch in January 2023. This number is closing in on the 27,000 active users of Nigeria’s second-largest provider, FiberOne. The country’s largest and oldest ISP, Spectranet, had 113,869 active customers.
 
While such competition is hottest in urban centers, MNO’s are collaborating with satellite internet providers to cover remote parts of the continent.
 
In December 2023, giant telco, MTN announced a multi-partnership arrangement with a number of satellite providers to &nbsp;test standard and direct-to-device satellite services.&nbsp;
 
MTN announced plans to conduct pilots with Lynk Global in Ghana and South Africa, negotiate tests with AST SpaceMobile in Nigeria and South Sudan, and conduct enterprise-focused trials with Starlink in Rwanda and Nigeria.&nbsp;
 
Similarly, Safaricom and other Africa operators from parent company, Vodacom Group are also eyeing entry into mobile data satellite services through a collaboration with AST SpaceMobile.
 
bird story agency

Cheaper data beckons in Africa as satellite internet roll-out intensifies

Prospects for high-tech manufacturing beckon for Africa as the United States moves to secure critical supply chains and cultivate a robust new frontier in the global semiconductor market.

Seth Onyango, bird story agency&nbsp;
 
Africa could finally insert itself into the chip-making value chain as the U.S. taps Kenya for a groundbreaking semiconductor manufacturing partnership.
 
In the World Economic Forum's latest analysis, this development represents a pivotal moment for Africa, offering an opportunity to transition from a raw materials supplier to an essential player in the high-tech ecosystem.
 
In May 2024 the US Trade and Development Agency teamed up with Kenya to enhance semiconductor manufacturing in the East African country, a move that would bring Africa into the fold of global semiconductor supply chains.
 
“USTDA’s assistance will unlock significant investment opportunities for Semiconductor Technologies Limited (STL) and for the Kenya semiconductor ecosystem, fostering extensive bilateral and private sector engagement among the U.S., Kenya, and the broader continent,” said STL’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Githinji at the time.
 
For years, Africa has been seen primarily as a source of raw materials, but this partnership signals a new era where the continent can become an integral part of the high-tech supply chain.&nbsp;
 
The WEF highlights that this partnership is just the beginning of a larger strategy to secure critical supply chains and foster dynamic growth in the global semiconductor landscape.
 
"This development signals a pivotal moment for Kenya and the African continent, which is beginning to position itself as a critical player in the global semiconductor ecosystem. But it’s just the first move in a much larger game," said Ayodele Okeowo Managing Director, Tusk Strategies and Nii Simmonds Nonresident, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council in their analysis for the Forum's Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains report.
 
This comes after authorities in Beijing announced that they would be tightening export controls for some types of graphite, a critical mineral for the production of batteries and other electronics.
 
Kenya, along with other African nations like Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ghana, boasts abundant critical minerals necessary for semiconductor production.&nbsp;
 
These countries also have a youthful population eager to embrace technology and innovation.&nbsp;
 
"These nations could become critical hubs in a global network that demands resilience and adaptability and as billions of dollars pour into national semiconductor markets, as seen in the United States, South Korea, China and the European Union (EU)," the WEF report said.&nbsp;
 
"As the United States develops its semiconductor manufacturing capacity domestically through historic direct investments in projects across the supply chain – $327 billion over the next 10 years – there has also been an emphasis on increased coordination with friendly and allied global partners."
 
Leveraging these resources, the initiative aims to create a sustainable and resilient supply chain that can withstand global market fluctuations and geopolitical tensions.
 
At a time when the global semiconductor industry is grappling with supply chain disruptions, this move is crucial.&nbsp;
 
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the existing supply chain, leading to significant shortages and production delays.&nbsp;
Establishing a manufacturing hub in Kenya aims to mitigate these risks and ensure a steady supply of semiconductors, vital for industries such as automotive, electronics, and telecommunications.
 
The partnership includes substantial investments in infrastructure, technology transfer, and workforce training with the approach designed to build a robust semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in Kenya, capable of meeting international standards and demands.
 
While the potential benefits are significant, the initiative also faces several challenges. Building a semiconductor manufacturing industry from scratch requires substantial investments in infrastructure, education, and technology.&nbsp;
 
Developing a regulatory framework that supports innovation while ensuring environmental sustainability is also essential.
 
However, the strong commitment from both the US and Kenyan governments indicates a determination to overcome these challenges.&nbsp;
 
By fostering public-private partnerships and leveraging international expertise, the project aims to establish a solid foundation for long-term success.
 
bird story agency&nbsp;
 
Useful links for editors:
https://www.ustda.gov/ustda-partners-with-kenya-to-boost-semiconductor-manufacturing/
 
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/07/why-africa-could-provide-the-next-semiconductor-ecosystem-for-the-chip-business/
 
https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-advanced-manufacturing-and-supply-chains/home

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