Having welcomed over 300 market leaders in 2023, GTR East Africa reaffirmed itself as the region’s leading platform for crucial debate on the key issues impacting the region’s trade, commodity, and infrastructure financing markets. Returning to Nairobi, Kenya on May 21-22, 2024, GTR East Africa will deliver a highly anticipated opportunity to connect with key players and access to a full spectrum…
– Digital transactions expanded rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa due to Covid-19 – Governments have sought to tax e-money to make up for fiscal shortfalls – Levies on digital transactions have been met with criticism and protests – Such levies could hinder the growth of e-commerce and financial inclusion A number of sub-Saharan African countries have sought to introduce taxes on electronic…
– Fintechs focused on remittances are capturing legacy lenders’ market share – The UN and other bodies are calling for remittance fees to be capped at 3% – Emerging markets have been at the forefront of mobile-first fintech growth – Cryptocurrency is also increasingly disrupting the remittances space A number of remittance-focused financial technology (fintech) start-ups are gaining…
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 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 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…
In early November Kenya’s Parliament agreed to remove a cap on interest rates that had been in place since 2016. The limit was initially introduced to rein in high borrowing costs, but gave rise to a slowdown in lending and has been blamed for stymieing economic growth. Micro-, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) were particularly affected by the cap. “More than 80% of the businesses…
Africa was the first continent to which Islam spread from South-east Asia and it is now home to almost one-third of the world’s Muslim population. Although interest in Islamic finance continues to spread across this diverse yet complex continent, it has remained a difficult market to penetrate. With this in mind, IFN will organize the inaugural IFN African Roadshow that will stop in three of the…
Interview :Patrick Ngugi Njoroge How can the banking sector help to support the goals of the Big Four agenda? PATRICK NGUGI NJOROGE: Banks are well positioned to fund the agenda’s priorities through credit extension, targeted products and incentives. In housing, banks can boost supply and demand by providing syndicated loans to contractors, as well as mortgage and asset financing options.…
The STANLIB Fahari I-REIT (FAHR) is the only listed REIT on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). FAHR is an income REIT (I-REIT), which is a type of REIT that owns and manages income-generating real estate for the benefit of its shareholders. I-REITs are required to distribute at least 80% of their income as dividends. With the listing of FAHR, Kenya became the fourth African country to have a listed…
