Category Archives: South Africa

E-motorcycle manufacturer declares war on poachers

Poachers in South Africa are making life difficult for the rangers there, depriving them of elephants, rhinos and other wild animals. To make it easier for the animal protectors to take on the criminals, they are to be equipped with electric motorcycles.

The Swedish company Cake, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles, has teamed up with the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) to combat illegal poaching. In the future, rangers hunting illegal poachers in South Africa will use electric motorcycles specially developed by Cake to move through the bush. In contrast to the currently used motorcycles with combustion engines, these are more environmentally friendly and – most importantly – noiseless. It is the noise of conventional motorcycles that often warns poachers well in advance that rangers are on their way.

Source: chip.de

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Africa’s direct investment rebound

The number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Africa increased by 6 % in 2017, despite the continent experiencing sluggish growth, according to a report by EY. The top five FDI destinations – which accounted for over half of total investment – were South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia. The uptick in projects came as economic growth in Africa recovered following the lowest growth in over 20 years in 2016.

Source: African Business, Dec/jan 2ß10

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Upcomming Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa

During November 7-9, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Africa Investment Forum is where project sponsors, borrowers, lenders, and public and private sector investors will come together to accelerate Africa’s investment opportunities.

The African Development Bank is championing the inaugural Africa Investment Forum (AIF) a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary collaborative platform for the economy and social development of the continent. The Africa Investment Forum is totally transactional marketplace dedicated to advancing projects to bankable stages, raising capital, and accelerating the financial closure of deals.

Interested parties can register here: https://africainvestmentforum.com/

Source: Africa Investment Forum

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South Africa slips to Africa’s third-largest economy

South-Africa has been known as the continent’s second largest economy since Nigeria rebased its gross domestic product (GDP) data in early 2014. However, the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook, released in mid April 2016, revealed that the South African economy is now only the third-largest economy on the continent after Nigeria und new silver medallist Egypt.

By the end of 2015, Nigeria’s GDP was estimated at US$ 490 billion, followed by Egypt with US$ 324 billion and South-Africa with US$ 313 billion.

Egypt overtook South Africa mainly owing to the slump of its currency, the Rand. As a result, the nominal dollar value of South Africa’s GDP has dropped by an average of almost 7 percent a year over the past four years.

South Africa, however, remains the continent’s most developed economy and has a more diversified base than any other on the continent. It is ranked as an upper-middle-income economy by the World Bank –   one of the only four countries in Africa (alongside Botswana, Gabon and Mauritius).

Source: African Courier, June/July 2016

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Sub-Saharan spending to grow 10 % a year

Overall infrastructure spending in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow by 10 % a year over the next decade and will exceed  $ 130 bn  by 2025, says a PWC report. Nigeria and South Africa dominate the infrastructure market, but Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania are also poised for growth.

South Africa’s spending will grow to $ 60 bn by 2025, having grown by 10 % average a year, but it may lose share relative to Nigeria because of Nigeria’s better fiscal position and oil revenues. Overall infrastructure spending in Nigeria is expected to grow from $ 23 bn to $ 77 bn in 2025.

Source:  African Business, november 2014

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