Economy 26 May 2023

Interview Gagan Gupta

Gagan Gupta is the founder and CEO of Arise IIP, an Africa-based investment fund that develops and operates industrial ecosystems in Gabon, Togo and Benin. Industrial zones are currently under construction in Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, Chad, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. This Indian entrepreneur is behind the Nkok special economic zone in Gabon, the GSEZ. He aims to change the development model in Africa to reduce unemployment and income inequality while helping preserve the environment. To do this, he recommends creating value within the country by eliminating intermediaries and obtaining fair prices, creating jobs on the continent and reducing the carbon footprint by relocating the processing of raw materials to produce finished products.

Tech 25 May 2023

Training of African engineers

In Africa, specifically Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, young people are turning to engineering education to acquire the knowledge and tools to meet the continent's energy, agricultural and cyber security challenges. Our correspondent in Douala, Cameroon, Maxime Farrell, had the pleasure of meeting these young engineers who want to contribute to the development of green energy in Africa and are working on drone projects, storage software and data protection.

Environment 19 May 2023

Gabon: towards a greener economy?

In Libreville, Gabon, there is a multi-sector industrial park called the GSEZ - Gabon Special Economic Zone of Nkok, which covers 1,126 hectares and was ranked as the world's best special economic zone in the timber sector in 2020. The GSEZ helps to tackle deforestation and defend the forests that cover more than 85% of its territory by participating in the creation of green value chains to contribute to the country's development. This economic zone brings together 144 companies from 16 countries operating in 70 industrial sectors, including a wood processing cluster with 84 companies.

Environment 12 May 2023

Vincent Kunda, President of the Kongo River Association

The Congo River, this gigantic African ecosystem, is threatened by industrial and domestic pollution, an obstacle to its tourist and economic development. Vincent Kunda, president of the Kongo River association, is fighting against impotence and indifference towards this treasure of humanity's heritage. Since 2011, he has set the goal of protecting and enhancing the largest river in Africa, shared by 450 ethnic groups. This artist has developed a holistic approach to the challenges of the river through an annual festival, which is both a scientific meeting and a festive event. This year's edition will take place in June in Muanda, west of the DRC.

Health 11 May 2023

Zambia – Watch out for dementia

A recent study shows that Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are increasing in Africa at the same rate as the ageing population. People with dementia behave strangely and lose their memory. In Zambia, this neurological condition has long been associated with witchcraft. An organisation called Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia in Zambia has been working to raise awareness, hoping to draw the attention of the authorities to the condition and avoid stigmatisation of the patients.

Tech 5 May 2023

RMobility, the carpooling solution for Africa

RMobility is a carpooling platform that is revolutionising urban transport in Benin by bringing together several modes of transportation; motorbikes, cars, intercity taxis and buses. This collaborative platform was launched in April 2021 by Raynald Ballo, the head of Raynis, a company specialising in digital solutions in the field of mobility. Today, it has over 10,000 users and employs seven people in Abomey-Calavi. The company is actively preparing to raise funds in Benin and France to Africanise the platform and make it a truly continental application to create the new African Blablacar.