insert_link Africa African MMA fighters are not just flourishing on the global stage, they’re igniting a wildfire of growth back home. By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency The triumphs of African fighters in global mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments are not just fueling a new generation of competitors entering the rigorous sport; they are establishing a distinct presence for MMA on the continent. Dricus Du Plessis, the 30-year-old South African professional mixed martial artist who kicked and punched his way into carrying the UFC middleweight championship belt on Saturday, […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 3
Africa IMF tracking shows that no African state has sought comprehensive debt relief in over a year indicating a trend of growing fiscal hygiene across the region By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Countries in Africa are showing signs of improving fiscal management, as they navigate through a cascading set of global shocks that exacerbated their debt vulnerabilities. Remarkably, no state has sought comprehensive debt relief since Ghana’s request over a year ago, signalling a trend of growing fiscal discipline across the region. The improvement bucks the trend of recent years, given that […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 7
insert_link South Africa South Africa bets big on natural gas as it begins a belated push to revamp its energy supplies and slash emissions, bolstered by EU endorsement of investments in gas. By Seth Onyango, bird story agency South Africa is emerging as an early beneficiary of the European Parliament’s vote last July to designate natural gas and nuclear projects as “green energy” investments. The vote was seen as an opportunity for natural gas-endowed states in Africa to continue ploughing billions from the sale of the commodity into their economies. The recent unveiling of a gas terminal project in South Africa led […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Blinken sees growing partner in Angola on Africa democracy tour US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday will explore greater coordination with emerging regional partner Angola, capping a tour of Africa to champion US-friendly democracies as global crises mount. After years of estrangement with Washington during the Cold War, Angola has seen growing common ground with the United States including by working together to address violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Blinken arrived late Wednesday in the oil-rich […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 6
insert_link Africa African startups turn to debt as equity powder dries up By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency In 2022, when funding from venture capitalists began to dry up in Africa, Treepz, a shared mobility startup, was faced with a difficult decision... throw in the towel or grow the business without new investors. As part of their decision to keep going, they changed their core business model. “Towards the end of 2022, we knew the funding draught would happen […] todayJanuary 24, 2024 11
Africa Africa’s cashless revolution is on, banking on virtual cards By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency International card companies are vying for Africa's fast-evolving electronic payments market as middle-class incomes rise and the quest for cashless transactions intensifies. UnionPay International, a subsidiary of China's Union Pay, is the latest entrant in the African card payments market, warming up to face-off with Visa and Mastercard. Notably, UnionPay International is partnering with the Standard Bank Group, the largest bank in […] todayJanuary 23, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Rwanda pushes Africa towards universal smartphone access By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Progressive policy reforms and the influx of budget-friendly smartphones are steering Africa towards complete digital connectivity in just over a decade. Rwanda's recently-announced, three-year target is the most ambitious on the continent, although statistics show that other nations are also rapidly closing in on similar milestones. As part of Kigali's innovative funding scheme, citizens can obtain handsets at the subsidised price of […] todayJanuary 22, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Davos: Global economists see bright spots in Africa growth prospects By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Top economists agree that Africa's economic prospects for 2024 are positive, as small countries sparkle in the face of sluggish global growth projections. Chief economists from the World Economic Forum, World Bank and United Nations project Africa’s economy will defy the impacts of weak investments, debt crises, inflation, tight financial conditions and extreme weather patterns to record an improvement over 2023. A strong majority […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 22
insert_link Africa Yango supports football fans and local talents during Africa’s biggest Football Festival Yango, an international tech company and one of the leading ride-hailing services in Africa, is not standing on the sidelines of this African football celebration ongoing in Côte d'Ivoire. Football unites different nations and people. This championship is not only a celebration of football in Africa, but also a competition of national teams. To show its support and enhance the journey of the fans, Yango has produced an […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 16
