As several countries across Africa continue to be impacted by third and fourth waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest AFRI CONVERSE 2021 dialogue took a closer look at innovative local initiatives and the ongoing international support to bolster the continent’s response to the virus. Approximately 18 months since the outbreak of the pandemic, over 2.5 million people in Africa have been infected and the death toll is in the tens of thousands. A recent United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study warned that by 2030, approximately eight out of 10 people pushed into poverty due to COVID-19 will live in countries on the lower end of human development, with the heaviest burden falling on Africa. And yet, in spite of the harsh impact of the pandemic on livelihoods, the continent has demonstrated extraordinary resilience across various sectors when compared to the other regions of the world. Opening the fourth instalment of the AFRI CONVERSE dialogue this year, Professor Tomohiko Sugishita, from the Department of International Affairs and Tropical Medicine at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University said, “this session is a wakeup call for us to examine Africa’s ingenuity, productivity and capacity to mitigate the pandemic, as well as determine how we can support such opportunities in building a new future for the continent.” “To boost the efforts taken by our partner countries in Africa and other parts of the world in response to the pandemic, JICA has launched JICA’s Initiative for Global Health and Medicine focusing on treatment, precaution, and...

Survey polled participants of GBF Africa, including traders and investors, and explored their insights on various aspects of investment across the continent. 63% of respondents identified Ghana as the preferred destination for investment, followed by Nigeria (62%). Findings released ahead of the Global Business Forum Africa in October, a high-level event organised by Dubai Chamber and Expo 2020 Dubai. Dubai, UAE: Agriculture has been identified as the most promising sector for  investment in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a survey released by Dubai Chamber. The survey polled participants of previous editions of the Global Business Forum Africa (GBF Africa), including traders and investors, and explored their insights and views on various aspects of investment across the continent. The findings shed light on investment trends in Africa that will be discussed at the forthcoming Global Business Forum Africa (GBF Africa 2021), which is organised by Dubai Chamber and Expo 2020 Dubai. The high-level event will take place October 13-14 at Expo 2020 Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The survey found that 61% of respondents believed that agriculture represented the most lucrative area for investment in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, followed by telecommunications (45%). In addition, cash was the preferred option for investment among 61% of respondents, followed by commodities (48%), hedge and private equity funds (42%), bonds (32%), stocks (24%), mutual funds (18%) and Exchange Traded Funds (15%). The abundance of natural...

TO effectively participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the country should invest heavily in digital trade infrastructure, the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association (SACBTA) has observed. SACBTA general secretary, Jacob Makambwe, said with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic not slowing down, countries would depend on digital platforms to trade. Read original article

Cellulant, a Pan-African payments company, has partnered with Link Commerce, a B2B eCommerce platform, to avail relevant digital payment options to consumers in Africa. The partnership aims to make it possible for consumers to purchase goods directly from global retailers online. According to a report by UNCTAD, the number of online shoppers in Africa has surged annually by 18% since 2014. As of 2019, the number of digital buyers in Africa increased to 233 million. The number of e-commerce users in the continent was also projected to grow significantly in the next few years, according to a Statista forecast. In 2021, there might be some 334 million online shoppers in Africa. By 2024, there could be roughly 478 million, about double the number in 2019. The most significant contributor to this surge in e-commerce is the rapid growth in smartphone penetration over the past decade in Africa and the shift in consumer-spend behaviour. The payments infrastructure has also evolved to offer payments solutions that enable more consumers across Africa to participate in online shopping without a bank account. Speaking on the partnership, Link Commerce CEO Chris Folayan stated, “With a global surge in online sales, and travel restrictions, finding the right partner to enable our customer the ability to pay locally and via mobile payment platforms is important to us. We are excited to be partnering with Cellulant as we grow cross-border trade across Africa. Removing payment and delivery barriers by ensuring everyone can pay for and receive products directly...

Summary Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau said the move was in line with existing integration protocol at the East African Community. Kenya and South Sudan Monday announced an end to visa requirements for their nationals visiting the two countries in the latest move to boost integration. The decision means South Sudanese travelling to Kenya will be entitled to enter for free, as long as they carry a valid passport and meet other health conditions for travellers. In return, Kenyans will no longer need to apply and pay for South Sudanese visas online before travel. Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau said the move was in line with existing integration protocol at the East African Community. “This waiver of visa requirement for citizens of the Republic of South Sudan takes effect immediately from the date of this press release,” Kamau said in a statement on Monday. The countries said the move is in line with the treaty establishing the East African Community’s Common Market Protocol, an agreement providing for the free movement of labour and people from the member states. South Sudan joined the EAC in 2016, but had lagged behind in adopting crucial protocols of the Community including the Customs Union and the Common Market Protocol, which allow harmonisation of levies, exemption of certain taxes on produces of the region and visa-less movement in the region. At the last Summit in February, South Sudan was listed as the most indebted country to the EAC for delaying to...

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says small and medium-scale enterprises continue to face trade facilitation challenges despite improvements achieved on the continent. This is according to data for 34 African countries that participated in a recent United Nations (UN) survey. In a statement, David Luke, coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said trade facilitation is critical for realising the Africa Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) objective of increasing intra-African trade flows by lowering bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies at borders and improving administrative efficiency through technology. Luke said: “Cumulative data for 34 African countries show mixed results on trade facilitation implementation across the continent, challenges remain, particularly for SMEs.” According to a survey released last week by the UN regional commissions, countries across the globe are moving towards a seamless and efficient trading environment within and beyond national borders by simplifying and digitalising formalities in international trading. Luke: Trade facilitation is critical Compared to 2019, increases were identified in the 28 countries’ implementation rates of the categories of paperless trade (51 percent from 45 percent), formalities (65 percent from 62 percent), institutional arrangement and cooperation (64 percent from 61 percent), transparency (57 percent from 56 percent), and cross-border paperless trade which remains at 24 percent. Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe said the gazetting of the SME order facilitates a conducive business environment for SMEs to enjoy favourable trade facilitation in the country. He said through the one-stop border post projects being...

Experts in regional trade from across Africa and Europe have called for harmonisation of regulatory framework across the 54 African countries that are driving the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), in order to have successful trade integration among member state. They advised policy makers to develop clear regulatory policies that resonate with better regulatory framework for AFCFTA. They also called for reduction in customs duties across African countries and increase in the adoption of technology to enable AFCFTA succeed. They were of the view that reduction of Customs duties would increase trade volume among African nations. The experts who spoke at a webinar panel session organised recently by Webb Fontaine, suggested a unified tax regime across AFCFTA member countries and called for the political will of African governments to implement some of the trading instruments that Customs has developed, in order to ensure the success of AFCFTA. Tagged: Technology and Trade in Africa-Challenges and Opportunities, the discussants called on all AFCFTA member countries to consider the implementation of the national single window for trade and investment, and to reduce the number of security personnel at the borders, in order to facilitate faster movements of goods across borders. Analysing the different operating hours at the borders of different African countries, Executive Director, Corporate Services, Malawi Revenue Authority, Agnes Katsonga Phiri, with over 40 years experience in Customs and Excise, said uniformity of the different operating hours, remained key to achieving huge success in regional trade. She advised on the implementation...

A new worldwide wave of Covid-19. Natural disasters in China and Germany. A cyber-attack targeting key South African ports. Events have conspired to drive global supply chains towards breaking point, threatening the fragile flow of raw materials, parts and consumer goods, according to companies, economists and shipping specialists. The Delta variant of the coronavirus has devastated parts of Asia and prompted many nations to cut off land access for sailors. That has left captains unable to rotate weary crews and about 100,000 seafarers stranded at sea beyond their stints in a flashback to 2020 and the height of lockdowns. "We're no longer on the cusp of a second crew change crisis, we're in one," Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, told Reuters. "This is a perilous moment for global supply chains." Given ships transport around 90 per cent of the world's trade, the crew crisis is disrupting the supply of everything from oil and iron ore to food and electronics. German container line Hapag Lloyd described the situation as "extremely challenging". "Vessel capacity is very tight, empty containers are scarce and the operational situation at certain ports and terminals is not really improving," it said. "We expect this to last probably into the fourth quarter – but it is very difficult to predict." Meanwhile, deadly floods in economic giants China and Germany have further ruptured global supply lines that had yet to recover from the first wave of the pandemic, compromising trillions of dollars of economic activity...

13 July 2021, JUBA—National consultations and an online survey have been launched by stakeholders in South Sudan to provide a platform for women in trade and business to voice their needs and interests with regards to participation in regional and continental trade, to inform the proposed Protocol on Women in Trade of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The online survey was launched by the UN Women Regional Offices of West and Central Africa, East and Southern Africa and the Arab States, in partnership with UNDP and the AfCFTA Secretariat. “South Sudanese women entrepreneurs face similar challenges to women in other locations, and our goal is to fully integrate the Women in Trade Protocol into the AfCFTA agreement. Consultations are an important element in making the development of the Women in Trade Protocol participatory, inclusive, and responsive to the needs and priorities of the women of South Sudan,” said Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Hon. Ayaa Benjamin Warille, during opening remarks at the launch of the national consultations at Dembesh Hotel in Juba on Tuesday. “We know that if a woman is doing business, she will be doing it for the benefit of her family, the benefit of her community and the benefit of society,” said Hon. Agak Achuil Lual, Undersecretary of Trade for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, adding encouragement: “Although there will be challenges and people may discourage you, work with your sisters and colleagues in the 10 states, and share your ideas [on...

Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition has said that the African Continental Free Trade agreement which came into place on 1st January 2021 is a great opportunity for African SMEs especially those supplying nutritious foods because it offers a platform for them to grow and shape their food system in a way that is more equitable, sustainable and nutritious Dr. Haddad made the remarks at the launch of Nutrition Conversations Africa recently. This is a platform that will enable exchange of ideas on best practices for nutrition in Africa. The initial webinar under this platform addressed ways in which nutritious food SMEs can take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Many SMEs in Africa fail to launch off efficiently or totally fail to launch fully due to challenges arising from financing. The African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Directory of Agriculture and Agro-Industry has made it possible for African SMEs in the food and nutrition sector to access finances that will enable them to scale up their businesses and offer more efficient services to the consumers. “We have three programmes that have come into effect as a result of the African Continental Free Trade agreement; One is the wholesale credit guarantee schemes which will see the AfDB guarantee up to 80 per cent pay back on financing for banks supporting SMEs in nutrition. Read original article