Shipping insecurity in Tanzania

Ports and geopolitics are increasingly intertwined in Africa, with regional conflicts and security threats affecting economic stability. The ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict has had a ripple effect on African markets, while Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea and Suez Canal have heightened shipping insecurity. These disruptions are leading to increased freight costs and cargo delays in East African ports, ultimately undermining the local economy. Journalist: Goodhope Amani

Publications

Economy 6 April 2023

Food self-sufficiency in the Congo

In the North Kivu province, ravaged by the war between the Congolese armed forces and the M23 rebels, the agricultural sector is now severely affected. Bernard Bahati is a Congolese entrepreneur from eastern DRC who is convinced that food self-sufficiency is a prerequisite for economic development and even the return of peace. With his maize processing factory, Okapi-Agrobusiness, which employs 50 people and which he financed himself, he has decided to contribute to food security in the region.

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.