Nbr. 459, January 2019

Index

• AFRICA IMPLEMENTS RECORD REFORMS.
• Africa tops growth potential.
• European Union extends DRC sanctions.
• Airtel appoints 8 banks for IPO.
• Capitec's $232m acquisition of Mercantile approved.
• EX-VODACOM CHIEF PLOTS $200M IPO WAR CHEST.
• $3BN DEAL THREATENS WILDLIFE.
• CDC invests in Liquid Telecom.
• Senegal compact will boost access to electricity.
• COCA-COLA APPOINTS NEW CEO.
• Kenya port's new MD.
• KPMG South Africa's new CEO.
• MTN loses two execs.
• TIPPING POINT: AFRICA'S WASTE CHALLENGE: Waste management is a growing problem across the continent, but there are signs that Africa is starting to wake up to the urgency and the opportunity--of treating waste sustainably.
• Recycling waste in Africa: Challenges and opportunities.
• South Africa-Nigeria axis flounders as rivals assume leadership.
• What does the coming year hold for Africa? African Business looks forward to 2019, with analysis of political and economic trends, commentaries from leading policymakers and an interview with the World Bank's chief economist for Africa.
• African economies vulnerable to external shocks in 2019: Africa's economy is recovering slowly, but problems in other parts of the world could create headwinds in 2019, the World Bank's chief economist for Africa tells African Business: Albert Zeufack, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa.
• 'Significant progress' on path to AfCFTA.
• French companies explore East Africa: With its fast-expanding economies and business friendly governments, the East African region is becoming an Eldorado for French companies in search of expansion.
• Creating smarter office spaces for Africa.
• Halting African agriculture's youth drain: The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) wants to make farming more profitable and halt the youth exodus from the land, as its president tells African Business: Gilbert Houngbo, President, IFAD.
• How Mikosz plans to make Kenya Airways a success: Sebastian Mikosz, CEO, Kenya Airways.
• 'Africa is not a country!' business experts tell roundtable.
• Nigerian internet firm widens the net.
• Business heavyweights to launch private sector coalition on health: The Aliko Dangote Foundation, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and GBCHealth will launch the Africa Business: Health Forum on 12th February 2019 alongside the African Union Summit.
• Powering Africa forward.
• Digital technology will revolutionise African education: Bruno Mettling, President of Orange, Middle East and Africa.
• Speed up, scale up and synergise: The President and CEO of the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) shares his thoughts on the bank's growth strategy and the prospects for drawing more investment into Africa: Admassu Tadesse, President and CEO, TDB.
• Insular aspirations take their toll on growth: Globalisation is receding as protectionism and trade wars undermine growth, while the lingering effects of a fiscal and sovereign debt crisis are fuelling resentment against immigration in Europe.
• Egypt pledges to boost investment and cooperation in Africa: At the Africa 2018 Forum, which took place in Sharm El Sheikh in early December, President El-Sisi of Egypt announced his agenda as the incoming chair of the African Union for 2019.
• Improving smallholder productivity in Africa: Smallholder productivity is low in Africa, but there are a number of ways in which government and the private sector can help to improve it.
• Zimbabwe's currency crisis hits producers: Foreign exchange shortages and inflation are taking their toll on Zimbabwe's businesses. Finding a solution to the country's currency problems is becoming increasingly urgent.
• Peace leads to economic uptick in border communities: Rapprochement between the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea has led to an opening of the border, providing new economic opportunities for local communities.
• Can Abubakar get Nigeria working again? In Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, is promising to turn over a new leaf for the country and double the size of the economy.
• New strategies to address growth, jobs and inequality: Africa's growth has been second only to that of Asia since 2000, but a recent report argues that new policies are needed to deliver sustainable growth and eradicate inequalities.
• Cop24: Africa faces climate heat: Africa will require billions of dollars to prepare itself for climate change, but with the right finance the continent could become a beacon of good practice.