Photo : L – R: Deji Alli, Ute Redecker, Philippe Valahu and Jens Zimmerman
Speakers and panellists at the 5th Edition of Africa Business Day (ABD) held recently in Zug, Switzerland discussed the issues of infrastructure deficit in Africa and agreed that Africa should prioritise its power sector to boost the continent’s economy.
Overcoming the infrastructure gap is a big challenge in Africa but is one that can bring huge opportunities, [for the continent and Swiss investors] asserted Mr. Jürg Sprecher, Head of Section Bilateral Economic Relations Middle East and Africa, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in his address at the 5th Edition of Africa Business Day (ABD) a business platform between Africa and Switzerland organised by the Swiss-African Business Circle (SABC).
Under the banner of “International Geneva”, some consider Geneva as a city rich in cultural diversity. While it welcomes a varied cultural life, it is a commonly accepted reality that this diversity must be created and brought to life by those who wish to experience it fully.
William Kentridge during Conversations talk
Art, art and more art!! For art collectors and art lovers, there are a lot of major art events taking place in Europe this year. From the eponymous Venice Biennale to the FIAC in Paris, Frieze in London, to Art Basel in Switzerland, there is a lot to see and buy. It will of course require quite a bit of travelling and an investment in sturdy shoes but it is all worth it.
The South Africans celebrated the 25th anniversary of Freedom Day that ended Apartheid rule in 1994 after decades of obnoxious era.
A PAUWES Class of 2017 graduate smiles at her graduation ceremony on 29 October 2017 (Photo PAUWES)
ALGERIA -- The Pan African University Institute for Water and Energy Sciences including Climate Change (PAUWES) in Tlemcen, Algeria provides higher education and applied research in the fields of water, energy and climate change – an important contribution to sustainable development in Africa.
Verena Utzinger, President, Swiss-African Business Circle, (Photo SABC)
It is no gainsaying that the growth of Africa’s economy has been hampered by poor and inadequate infrastructure. This is notable in poor and unreliable energy, transportation and communication systems, and health among others.
The finalists for the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation have been announced. They were chosen for the innovative ways engineering was used to solve every day problems, and come from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.
As announced earlier by Business in Cameroon, President Paul Biya issued a presidential order May 29, amending and supplementing certain provisions of the 2019 Finance Act.
Dr Bahle Zondo & Leon Rohrs shaking hands and Nuradin Osman standing next to them in a Burgundy silk jacket(Source: AGCO Corporation
SOUTH AFRICA -- Six months ago, founder and chairman of the Bahle Zondo Foundation, philanthropist and entrepreneur Dr. Bahle Zondo walked into the AGCO Africa (www.AGCOcorp.com) office announcing that he would like to set up a successful agribusiness in his community of Msinga. He was quick to add, that he knew nothing about farming.
Cyril Ramaphosa Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
National Treasury has welcomed and noted the key risks identified and proposed policy recommendations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during a recent visit to the country last month.
Government has called on young people to enter an international contest on social anti-corruption advertising by designing a poster or developing a video to raise awareness on corruption.
Group photo of the participants
COMOROS -- The AU Technical Customs Working Group on Pre-Shipment Inspections deliberated on the termination of contracts with inspection companies at a meeting held in Comoros Island on 31 May 2019.
President Lourenco (Photo: African Energy Chamber)
SOUTH AFRICA -- President João Lourenço reform is yielding dividends, evident in the growth in Angolan oil and gas sector and the opportunities awaiting businesses in all sectors for those who are keen to increase their exports into new markets.
On 18 January, the President of the International Criminal Court, Chile Eboe-Osuji, opened the 2019 judicial session, already marked five months later by four major controversies.
For years the Office of the Prosecutor was seen as the problematic organ harming the reputation of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Now the ICC judges have triggered multiple controversies on their morality, integrity or independence. The latest incident involved a French judge.
After its highly successful 5th edition of Seedstars Forum last month, and the launch of $100 million breathtaking pan-African venture fund in partnership with First Growth Ventures on April 17, Seedstars was selected at WorldBlu 13th annual award event that took place in Geneva on May 14, 2019 to receive Worldblu Freedom-Centered Cultures’s certificate.
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Vanessa Moungar (Photo AfDB)
NIGERIA -- MTN Nigeria has paid the whole $1.6 billion fine it received in 2015 for not deactivating 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards. The operator has indeed paid the NGN55 billion, which is the sixth and last tranche of these payments started in 2016.
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) will introduce new banknotes, Patrick Njoroge (photo), the governor, announced last weekend.
Fayez al-Sarraj
LIBYA -- The national unity government (GNA) has threatened to suspend the activities of 40 European firms among them Total and Siemens operating in the country.
Government’s political will is to ensure the tough enforcement of the implementation of the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila wanted his successor, Felix Tshisekedi, to appoint Albert Yuma, a Kabila ally and chairman of state mining company Gecamines, as prime minister, but Tshisekedi refused, sources familiar with the matter said.
President George Manneh Weah. (Photo: Executive Mansion)
LIBERIA - The President, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, has signed into law two major legal instruments, the Kamara Abdullah Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom and the Act to name certain Roads and Bridges within the Republic of Liberia.
The eCommerce Africa Conference and Exhibition, delivered by DHL, is hosted by South African conferencing company, Kinetic
SOUTH AFRICA – DHL Express (www.DHL.com) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has announced that the company has once again signed on as lead sponsor for the 2019 DHL eCommerce Africa Conference and Exhibition, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Center on the 19thand 20thof March 2019.
The Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Manuel Sager presented Water Management at the agency's annual press conference held recently as the agency's priority for 2019 and its main focus on international cooperation for 2021–2024.
[VOA] The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is affecting more children than normal. The United Nations Children's Fund says kids represent nearly one-third of current total cases, compared to about 20 percent in previous outbreaks.
[East African] The relationship between health resources and neonatal deaths in East Africa's urban centres compared with rural areas had left researchers baffled.
[Premium Times] President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to make the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) compulsory for all Nigerians.
[Premium Times] Officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed the death of the first Ebola Patient in Goma, the largest city, east of the country.
[Ghanaian Times] Bolgatanga -The Upper East Regional Population Officer, Mr Alosibah Akare Azam, has observed that adherence to Family Planning (FP), which is central to gender equality and women empowerment, could lead to poverty reduction and improved living standards of the people.
[Observer] Prominent biomedical scientist and social activist, Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, has said that, "a major outbreak of Cholera and Hepatitis A infection may be looming over Liberia, if the government does not urgently address the proper disposal of mountains of garbage and solid wastes that has accumulated and sits in and around the Capital, Monrovia and its environs."
[Shabait] Asmara -The Asmara Music School has graduated 16 students on 14 July. The students were provided three years theoretical and practical training in various music instruments.
[Observer] If the success of his hit single, Kyarenga were to teach us anything, is that Bobi Wine gains more political mileage as an entertainer than a mainstream politician: the song was played at weddings and funerals alike; it was played at political rallies and birthday parties.
[Govt of SA] The Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture has noted with sadness the passing of the legendary Maskandi musician and founder member of Savuka, Mr Johnny Clegg.
[Govt of SA] It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of the great Johnny Clegg.
[SAnews.gov.za] The Nelson Mandela Foundation says South Africa will always be grateful for the life and work of musician and activist Jonathan "Johnny" Clegg.
[The Herald] Zora music star Leonard "Karikoga" Zhakata last Friday cancelled this gig at last minute, leaving fans stranded. Zhakata was billed to perform at City Sports Bar, but aborted the show on the 11th hour with reports that he failed to agree with management at the joint over payments.
[Radio Dabanga] Khartoum -Sudanese university professors conditioned the resumption of studies with realisation of nine demands, the top among them dismissal of university directors and their deputies who were appointed by a decision of ousted President Omar Al Bashir.
[Ghanaian Times] Cape Coast -The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has launched activities marking its 40th anniversary celebration at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
[This Day] The Rotary Club of Ikeja has concluded plans to raise not less than N35 million for humanitarian projects at the investiture and fund raising ceremony on July 21 at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.
[Nation] Critics of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) have been told to keep politics out of education reforms.
[Govt of SA] Statement by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga at the media briefing preceding the budget vote, Cape Town
[Ghanaian Times] At least 200 tertiary students across the world have converged in Accra to participate in a three-day Model United Nations (M-UN) Conference.
[This Day] Aviation industry stakeholders have rejected the plan by Ethiopian Airlines to set up a domestic carrier in Nigeria, using local investors.
[Seychelles News Agency] The Seychelles Tourism Board is calling on hotels and airlines to combine efforts to provide promotional packages for May and June, the island nation's lowest-performing months for tourist arrivals.
[Ghanaian Times] Ho -THE 2019 National Road Safety Performance Review Conference opened in Ho on Monday with serious public concerns over the conduct of tricycles operating as taxis on the roads.
[News24Wire] Guests and staff members at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town were robbed of their personal belongings when armed men entered the hotel on Tuesday night, Western Cape police have said.
[Observer] Residents of Liberia who wish to visit France will no longer encounter the inconveniences associated with traveling first to the la Cote d'Ivoire for a visa, but will receive it right here in Monrovia, as of the end of September 2019.
[New Zimbabwe] Chimanimani -Five months after a devastating tropical cyclone ripped through south-eastern Manicaland killing more than 400 and leaving some 40 000 homeless as well as trail of destruction, the tourism industry in this part of Zimbabwe is slowly picking up the pieces.
The Sicilian writer penned the Inspector Montalbano best-sellers. The novels were later translated to the small screen, where they became a global popularity.
The world paid tribute Wednesday to the South African entertainer known as the "White Zulu" for his enduring activism against apartheid, and his campaigning for Nelson Mandela's release from prison.
Already hailed as one of the major pianists of the 21st century, the Russian multi-talent gave a powerful rendition of his own piano concerto at the Rheingau Music Festival.
As she turns 65 on July 17, DW looks at how the German Chancellor has been depicted by artists. Across nearly 15 years in high office, Angela Merkel has graced everything from "Time" magazine to city street art walls.
[Namibia Economist] A Namibian children's book has become the motivation for a new project to distribute copies of the book to schools, and to use the proceeds from actual sales to buy solar lamps for learners.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, DW spoke with astrophysicist and author Ben Moore about how people have mythologized the Moon over the ages.
[Ghanaian Times] Manga -The World Food Programme (WFP) has handed over 60 donkeys and 24 wheel carts with other accessories to women farmers in five districts in the Upper East Region.
[Ghanaian Times] Koforidua -Two persons have been arrested by the Eastern Regional Police Command in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old woman, at Abrewa Nkwantam, a suburb of Koforidua, in the Eastern Region.
[New Dawn] Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor says the Domestic Violence Bill that was passed by the House of Representatives and sent to the Liberian Senate for concurrence needs to be signed by the President before it be passed into law.
[Daily News] ACTORS from across the world have met in Dar es Salaam to discuss, among other issues, strengthening the capacity of regional and national institutions for violence against women (VAW) in data collection, analysis, dissemination and use, in line with globally agreed methodological and safety standards.
[Malawi News Agency] Lilongwe -Her Excellency Professor Getrude Mutharika has applauded members of the press for their tireless efforts in bringing out issues meant to induce the public and duty bearers to act towards the development of the nation.
[Capital FM] Maasai Mara -First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has called on education sector stakeholders in the country to create more opportunities for women and girls especially those whose education is disrupted for whatever reason.
The US state of Louisiana has funded a program to slaughter nutria, or swamp rats, laying waste to the coastline. The animals eat the roots of swamp vegetation to the point they have no chance of growing back.
From leaving the pitch in tears to being touted as a Ballon d'Or contender, the turn of the year did wonders for Sadio Mane. With Senegal chasing a first AFCON title, 2019 isn't over yet though.
The German capital's fame as a cyclist's paradise has attracted many rental bikes companies. And now electric scooters have joined this fast-paced business race. The fight for this new market has started.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party, has replaced Ursula von der Leyen as defense minister. The announcement came as a suprise to many in Berlin.
Children in Germany will have to prove they've had a measles vaccination before they can attend kindergarten or go to school, under a new draft law. Parents who object to immunizing their kids face hefty fines.
The Sicilian writer penned the Inspector Montalbano best-sellers. The novels were later translated to the small screen, where they became a global popularity.
[RFI] Sudan's military council and an alliance of opposition groups have signed an initial political accord as part of a power-sharing deal that would lead to a civilian administration of the country. Live television reports showed the signing ceremony, in the presence of African mediators.
[VOA] Activists are calling on Sudan's military and opposition leaders to open the country's political process to women when the sides begin to implement their recent power-sharing deal.
[New Zimbabwe] A Chipinge white commercial farmer stunned MPs sitting in the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture Tuesday after breaking down while giving oral evidence and later requesting for a minute of silence for late war hero General Josiah Tongogara.
[New Zimbabwe] At least half of Zimbabwe's population is facing the prospects of starvation and will need food aid after it emerged that rural food insecurity in the country is projected to reach 59% during the peak hunger period between January to March 2020.
[New Zimbabwe] Zimbabweans in Matebeleland North are still using the bush to relieve themselves, a 2019 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) report has said.
[New Zimbabwe] An ethnically inspired attack of five local Councillors in Bulawayo last week has brought the MDC fighting with the opposition party's provincial women's assembly demanding an end.
The German capital's fame as a cyclist's paradise has attracted many rental bikes companies. And now electric scooters have joined this fast-paced business race. The fight for this new market has started.
Car sales have fallen in all key regions, especially in China, the world's biggest auto market. With concerns about the economy and stricter emissions rules looming, there is no end in sight for carmakers' troubles.
For years we have been talking about autonomous, self-driving vehicles. Yet we don't see them on the streets. But be patient, even if you can't see them, something is happening.
Facebook's plan to introduce its own cryptocurrency has come under sharp criticism from many countries. The social media giant announced in June that it would roll out a new digital currency, called Libra, from 2020.
[VOA] For decades, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo -- the Ituri and North Kivu provinces especially -- has endured ethnic violence leaving thousands dead and many more seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
[New Zimbabwe] A High Court judge has given Buhera South legislator, Joseph Chinotimba the green-light to attach a property belonging to Chinese owned firm, Sunny Zimbabwe International in order to recover US$65 755 debt for supplied macadamia nuts.
From leaving the pitch in tears to being touted as a Ballon d'Or contender, the turn of the year did wonders for Sadio Mane. With Senegal chasing a first AFCON title, 2019 isn't over yet though.
Sebastien Haller has made his record move to the Premier League side a day after a deal was agreed with Eintracht Frankfurt. Keep up with all of the Bundesliga moves right here!
Australia's sprint specialist Caleb Ewan has put early disappointments to one side to claim his first stage on the Tour de France. Mark Cavendish may be absent this year, but his aerodynamic sprint style's still on show.
Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have lost one of their key strikers, albeit for a hefty fee from a Premier League team. Despite many positive aspects to the transfer, the move does send the wrong message.
[RFI] Cairo -Cameroon football chiefs sacked the national team coach Clarence Seedorf on Tuesday night following what they deemed an early exit from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
[News24Wire] Cape Town -Playing in Europe may seem a lucrative and viable option, but South Africa should always aim to have teams plying their trade in the southern hemisphere.
[Ghanaian Times] The Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly (AWMA) in the Greater Accra Region last Friday, presented assorted items and cash to 44 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the municipality.
[Ghanaian Times] The need for a common platform to harmonise the contributions of corporate entities to socio-economic growth took a centre stage at the seventh edition of the national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Partnership Conference held in Accra yesterday.
[Ghanaian Times] The government has issued commencement certificates to the Northern Development, Coastal Development and the Middle Belt Development authorities, for the execution of development projects.
[Ghanaian Times] Kumasi -The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Shani Cooper, has stated that her country is prepared to help Ghana develop its agriculture, education, health and human development potentials.
[Ghanaian Times] Chief Executive Officer of one of Ghana's leading pensions administrators, Negotiated Benefits Trust Company (NBC Ghana Trust), William Asiedu Yeboah has charged Ghanaians to take pension serious and reduce the burden on their children and family members.
[Observer] Miss Liberia Wokie Dolo on Saturday, July 13, 2019 donated several waste collection materials to the Duala branch of the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) to enhance its waste collection ability, a release has said.
[Namibian] With the country still facing tough times, it is imperative that entrepreneurs come up with innovative and creative ways to survive.
[Vanguard] Enugu -The University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, has proposed producing solar-powered cars as an improvement to its 5-seater electric bus it unveil at Nsukka Campus on Monday.
[Times of Zambia] Science communication plays an increasingly important role in promoting a better understanding of issues facing our lives, thereby stimulating wise and timely action.
[SAnews.gov.za] South Africa must not be relegated to catching up to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) but must be part of the innovators, says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula.
[News24Wire] The first aircraft assembled, and flown, by South African teenagers arrived safely in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday, after it jetted off from Cape Town last month.
[This Day] Ilorin -The Kwara State Government has said it is seeking to benefit from the N200 billion intervention fund of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that had been set aside to promote entrepreneurship.