From Europe to Cameroon: A new lease of life for microbrewing in Cameroon

Swiss African Premium Beverage (SAPB) is a microbrewery based near Douala that is revolutionising the brewing scene in Cameroon. Competing with the big local breweries, SAPB is winning over consumers with ROX, a unique beer combining Swiss know-how and Cameroonian flavours. We take a look behind the scenes of this adventure, which is redefining the beer landscape in Cameroon. Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health and should be consumed in moderation. Journalist: Maxime Bounya

Publications

Economy 24 March 2023

Cashew nuts boom in West Africa

Cashew nut production in West Africa increased by 5.4% last year to a total volume of 2.6 million tonnes. Cashew cultivation is prevalent in the region, which includes producing countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, which accounts for 44% of West African production, but also Nigeria and Guinea Bissau. In Guinea, farmers are starting to grow cashew nuts, more profitable than bauxite mining. Cashew remains one of the most lucrative commodities on the international market.

Economy 15 March 2023

TOTOT restaurant, reviving Ethiopian traditions

Tenkir Teni started as a shoeshine boy over thirty years ago and now owns TOTOT, one of the few multi-million dollar, top traditional food restaurants in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Economy 24 February 2023

Dakar 2 Summit “Feeding Africa: food sovereignty and resilience”

The Dakar 2 Summit was held from 25 to 27 January in Senegal and brought together several dozen dignitaries, heads of state and government, and development partners invited by the African Development Bank and the Senegalese government. The summit's main objective was to unlock Africa's food potential by mobilising and bringing coherence to private sector financing, government resources and development partners. Worldwide, 828 million people suffer from hunger, and 249 million are in Africa. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 of zero hunger, the goal should be first met in the continent.

Economy 10 February 2023

Learning Chinese, a solution to unemployment in Africa

China is Benin's third largest trading partner, with trade valued at more than US$60 billion a year, and Africa's first. According to a report released in Beijing in 2021 by China-Africa Business Council, Chinese private companies account for about 70% of investment in Africa. China carries out more than a third of infrastructure projects on the continent. In 2009, the Confucius Institute was created and set up on the Abomey-Calavi campus, offering training for a degree in Chinese translation and interpretation. Students from this school are the most sought-after in the African job market. Some also work as tourist guides.

Economy 3 February 2023

Interview Natty Ngoy founder of the accessories and leather goods brand INADEN

Natty Ngoy is a French entrepreneur from the African diaspora who works with master artisans in leather workshops in Ethiopia to create leather goods and accessories. She created her company in 2013, intending to promote African work, creation and products. 97% of the raw materials used are from the continent. INADEN is pronounced [inadene] and means Artisans in the Tamasheq dialect, a language of Berber origin.

Economy 26 January 2023

Transforming bauxite in Guinea, an impossible mission

Guinea holds one-third of the world's bauxite reserves, a mineral used for aluminium production. The government plans to create refineries and, in the long term, to become a world leader in the alumina sector.

Economy 13 January 2023

Cameroon : Cassava flour as an alternative to wheat flour

Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, wheat flour has become too expensive and scarce in several African countries. In Cameroon, young entrepreneurs have started to produce cassava flour. In Douala, you can find pastry and couscous made from this flour.

Economy 4 November 2022

Tears over the construction of the Abidjan underground

In Côte d'Ivoire, economic progress imposes heavy social and human sacrifices on the population. The construction site of the urban underground of Abidjan confronts the local residents with the demolition of their houses. Residents near the 43rd Infantry Battalion of the French Navy camp in the seaside town of Port-Bouët have been ordered to leave their homes without notice. More than 150 families out of the 13,000 affected by the project are concerned. Finding a home, educating their children... This hasty change of life now threatens their future.

Economy 2 November 2022

GIMAC card shakes up the digital banking market in Central Africa

Valentin Mbozo'o, Director General of the Groupement Interbancaire Monétique de l'Afrique Centrale (GIMAC), wants to bring digital into all African homes with simple and secure systems for money transfers and payment cards. In 2015, he launched the GIMAC interbank card with the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC). This democratised the use of the bank card within the six member countries of this entity and has facilitated mobile transfers and transactions for its users. Today, in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), the GIMAC card is second only to the VISA card.