En Français Business environments around the world are changing in response to new investor demands, moving towards tighter regulations and greater transparency. This Focus Report explores the current state of governance, risk-management and compliance (GRC) trends across West and Central Africa. Even if progress is being made on many fronts, led primarily by the central banks of regional economic…
En Français Economic zones in Africa have had a significant impact on trade volumes across the continent, as well as on job creation and foreign direct investment inflows. The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement presents an opportunity to extend the activities of these zones and promote intra-African trade, developing regional value chains and industrial complementarity in the process. This…
La pandémie a créé un besoin urgent de plus de capital patient en Afrique. Les gouvernements de tout le continent étant confrontés à des contraintes budgétaires tout en reconnaissant l'importance des investissements dans les infrastructures et les services essentiels, le PE et le VC offrent une voie intéressante pour le soutien financier. La pandémie a également accéléré la numérisation…
On banks’ role in supporting industrial and infrastructure development in Africa How was the Gabonese banking sector affected by the Covid-19 pandemic? HENRI-CLAUDE OYIMA: The pandemic definitely forced banks to show agility, responsiveness, efficiency, speed and flexibility in their organisations and strategies for the future, aiming both to ensure the continuity of services and meet the needs…
En Français While West Africa is one of the largest producers of cotton, it has the ability to process less than 2% of the crop locally; around 90% is exported to markets in Asia, where value is added through spinning and weaving. The industrialisation of West Africa is therefore essential for the region to fully capitalise on its resources, boost growth and create employment along the value chain. The…
– Textile and fashion is the world’s second-largest industrial polluter, behind oil and gas – Concerted efforts are being made to create more sustainable business models – Two solar-powered, sustainable textile plants under construction in Togo and Benin – Increased cotton processing could mean value-added textile earnings stay in West Africa With textiles and fashion expected to…
On fuelling economic growth in Africa through insurance penetration In what ways did the Covid-19 pandemic impact the insurance sector in Africa? FARID CHEDID: Government measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 such as national lockdowns have translated into slow economic growth, and in some cases recession. The performance of the insurance sector is traditionally closely linked to that of the…
The African PE industry has become increasingly complex and diverse, with the arrival of global institutional investors in recent years paving the way for some of the world’s largest firms to enter the market. Between 2014 and 2019 the total value of the 1053 PE deals reported in Africa reached $25.4bn. While deal volumes have maintained an upward trend, their value has gradually…