(file photo)
Business as Usual for Africa in 2019
2019 was another topsy-turvy year for Africa - From the wealthiest cities in Africa to Ethiopia getting its Teff back, from planes flying low on jet fuel in Kenya, to that country being the first in Africa to export avocados to China. All this as Uganda signed a deal with Canada to provide medical marijuana to over 20,000 pharmacies. DR Congo wants membership to the East African Community, a new Eco currency is coming to West Africa in January 2020, while South Africa and Nigeria relations became strained over xenophobic attacks of citizens in South Africa. The Kampala-Entebbe Highway became the most expensive road in the world, while Zimbabwe artisanal diamonds were banned by the U.S and the spotlight fell on East African Community member countries, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania who have together accumulated more than U.S.$100 billion domestic and foreign debt, stretching their repayment budgets to the limit. Let's see what 2020 brings for the continent.
InFocus
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The report titled, Africa Wealth Report 2018, was conducted in collaboration with The AfrAsia Bank. It unpacks wealth trends in Africa over the past 10 years. Johannesburg, Cape ... Read more »
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The Ethiopian government is celebrating a major victory in a long-running dispute over who owns the patent for products made from teff - an ancient grain that for Read more »
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The whereabouts of the fuel remains a mystery and the oil marketers have written to Hudson Andambi, the acting managing director of the Kenya Pipeline Company. Read more »
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It is estimated that when the agreement is fully implemented, the Chinese market will absorb over 40% of the country's avocados, making it one of the largest importers of the ... Read more »
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Medical cannabis orders worth U.S.$160 million from at least 20,000 pharmacies in Canada and Germany have been confirmed. Read more »
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Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has written to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, who is the current chairman of the EAC, seeking to join the community whose member ... Read more »
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The ECOWAS commission has adopted the Eco as the single currency to be issued in January 2020. The idea of the single currency for the West African region was first mentioned ... Read more »
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The South African government has expressed concern over the call by the National Association of Nigerian Students for the expulsion of South Africans and their investments from ... Read more »
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The construction of the highway is costing a whopping U.S.$476 million, with a shocking cost of U.S.$9.2 million per kilometre over and above the average $2 million per kilometre ... Read more »
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The U.S. has banned the trade of artisanal rough cut diamonds from Marange on allegations that they were produced using forced labour as problems continue to mount on President ... Read more »
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Five East African Community member countries, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania have together accumulated more than U.S.$100 billion domestic and foreign debt, stretching ... Read more »
