Home to 60% of the world’s arable land, Africa has the potential to meet not only its own food needs, but also those of the rest of the world. Agriculture remains one of the most important economic sectors for the continent, employing the majority of the population and accounting for 14% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa. The Agriculture in Africa 2021: Focus Report outlines the region’s export…
– Covid-19 has accelerated the shift from hydrocarbons to renewable energy sources – While investment in oil and gas slumped, renewables remained resilient throughout 2020 – Cobalt, nickel and copper are central to the production of rechargeable batteries – With its vast reserves, sub-Saharan Africa stands to benefit from the surge in demand Covid-19 and the resulting fall in oil prices…
Following the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the UK and Côte d’Ivoire in October 2020, the event will be led by senior government officials from President Ouattara’s newly formed Government, the Lord Sheikh and the private sector. Free to attend it will focus on trade and investment in multiple sectors including alternative energy and financial services. For more…
The pandemic has created an urgent need for more patient capital in Africa. With governments across the continent facing budgetary constraints while recognising the importance of investment in essential infrastructure and services, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) offer an attractive avenue for financial support. Covid-19 has also accelerated digitalisation in key African markets, which…
Côte d’Ivoire has made significant strides on a number of fronts since the end of the civil unrest in 2011. Progress achieved in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and financial services have driven GDP by an average 8% annually since the turn of the decade. On the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, economic growth is expected to slow to 1.8% in 2020, down from the initially…
The onset of a Covid-19-induced global recession has affected both labour markets and financial flows around the world. At the confluence of these two are remittances, which have increasingly been among the top contributors to GDP in many emerging markets over recent decades. The issue is particularly pertinent for the countries located in the so-called yellow slice of the global economic pie…
Although trade flows among African states remain below their potential, an ambitious project is under way to accelerate economic integration and significantly expand intra-continental trade. Spearheaded by the African Union (AU), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was signed in March 2018 and aims to reduce both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. As of December…
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a far-reaching plan for transnational infrastructure development, linking five continents through land and sea corridors, and industrial clusters. Launched in 2013, it was initially planned to revive ancient trade routes between Eurasia and China, but the scope of the BRI has since extended to cover 138 countries, including 38 in sub-Saharan Africa, and…
