Connecting Africa’s Skilled Professionals
ReConnect Africa is a unique website and online magazine for the African professional in the Diaspora. Packed with
essential information about careers, business and jobs, ReConnect Africa keeps you connected to the best of Africa.
A Global Salary Survey by recruitment company, Robert Walters, puts London tops in many sectors, with Sydney and Johannesburg close contenders. International recruitment consultants, Robert Walters, have just released their 12th Global Salary Survey - an in-depth analysis of salaries earned around the world by both permanent and contract workers. The survey is taken across a wide range of sectors which include banking, accounting and finance, legal, HR, IT and commerce, amongst others. It also provides an insight into recruitment trends in these areas. For newly-qualified accountants in the commerce and industry sector, Johannesburg rates of pay are higher than that of both Dublin and Auckland, while for newly-qualified accountants in the financial services sector, London still pays top dollar. Some of the key findings that the company noted in the London recruitment market in 2010 were an increase in hiring levels, particularly in the investment banking arena, as well as a return of growth-focused roles as employers looked to take advantage of improving market conditions. They also noted a slight increase in pay across the board. In the contract division, hiring levels increased dramatically in the first three quarters of 2010, particularly within financial services, with project managers, change managers, business analysts and accounting systems specialists particularly sought after.
A University of Exeter business has created a website to help small companies seek investment from the public. Crowdcube, which is based at the university's innovation centre, makes it possible for people to buy shares in start-ups and growing businesses. Crowdcube aims to make access to finance easier for entrepreneurs of newly formed and growing small businesses. The new website acts as an alternative to seeking business angel or venture capital funding. According to the company, they were driven to create the website because they had experienced first-hand the real challenge of securing business funding, particularly in the current economic climate, where banks are adopting a no-risk approach to lending. Other forms of funding, they say, such as approaching ‘business angels’ or using venture capital firms are difficult for small business owners to access. Crowdcube is expected to make the difference to the success of up to five million small businesses in Britain seeking to start or grow.
The 2011 Chamber Awards, which celebrate the success and achievements of businesses around the UK, are now open for entries. Awards available include the following categories: Business of the Year, Finding New International Markets - (new for 2011), Award for Innovation through Technology, Most Promising New Business and Entrepreneur of the Year. Entry is exclusive to UK-accredited Chamber of Commerce members and winners may be requested to participate in post-event publicity. The overall winner will receive £50,000, and previous winners have experienced year-round exposure from the awards programme, including appearances on television. The closing date for receipt of applications is 24 June 2011. Applications may be submitted online at the Chamber Awards website.
The Peter Jones Foundation has won a bid to drive Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011. The Foundation set up by Dragons' Den judge Peter Jones has won the right to run the 2011 event, together with a range of other activities, following the closure of Enterprise UK. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a national celebration of enterprise with thousands of events and activities happening across the UK. The campaign is designed to inspire people to pursue their ideas, create jobs and build global ambition among young people and business owners alike. GEW brings together a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality. Last year’s event was the most successful ever reaching over 10 million people in 104 countries worldwide. In the UK, more than 500,000 people attended over 5,000 events. The Peter Jones Foundation's partners will use GEW to launch something new, showcase their projects or generally raise the profile of entrepreneurship in their locality, capitalising on the idea that entrepreneurship can lift people out of poverty, enable them to take control of their own lives or simply turn their passions into profit. A wide range of organisations are involved in Global Entrepreneurship Week. Schools, colleges, universities, youth organisations, businesses, third sector and community organisations, social enterprises, business support organisations, public sector organisations and networks are all encouraged to take part. Further information is available at the GEW website.
A raft of the UK's leading law firms are set to increase the number of universities they target for graduate recruitment in a bid to attract a wider pool of students. Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells and Bird & Bird are all planning to up the number of universities they visit during the next recruitment round, starting in September. The move, set against a backdrop of growing pressure on leading law firms to look beyond Oxbridge and increase diversity, comes after Pinsent Masons, Slaughter and May and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) all expanded the number of universities they targeted during the last recruitment round. It means that seven of the UK's largest 20 law firms by revenue will have increased their university links since September 2010. Some of the additions are due to firms trying to improve diversity, particularly in the wake of Lord Browne's review of student funding, which will allow universities to charge fees of up to £9,000 each year - a decision which could see more students choosing universities closer to their homes in an attempt to reduce debt. Other firms are rebuilding their campus links after scaling back to cut costs during the downturn. Simmons & Simmons is the only firm within the UK top 20 to buck the trend, decreasing the number of universities it visits from 15 to 11 over the last two years. The remaining top 20 firms have not made changes to their campus visits. Allen & Overy and Eversheds have emerged as the firms with the broadest reach - each visiting 40 universities.
Business Thinking 2011 combines funding opportunities with a celebration of the fact that the UK has some of the world's best business thinkers. HSBC is offering extra lending over and above its normal threshold to reward the best UK business thinking. Two finalists from each of the nine UK regions will receive up to £6 million lending plus a financial reward of up to £120,000 each. One of those 18 finalists will be named overall Business Thinking 2011 winner at an event in front of an international audience, and receive a further financial reward of up to £120,000. The Competition is open to businesses (sole traders, partnerships and companies) based in the UK (including Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands) or UK-based subsidiaries. Applications may be submitted at the HSBC website until 10 June 2011.
The UK Government has launched a £50 million a year fund designed to help businesses develop the skills essentials to drive economic growth. The Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF) will deliver targeted help for employer groups to overcome barriers to growth within their sectors and industries. The funding could deliver new training to boost innovation and productivity, enable industries to set new professional standards, or support new or extended National Skills Academies. The Department for Businesses, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is investing up to £50 million a year in partnership with businesses, whose investment alongside Government could deliver a total of up £100 million a year. GIF, which will be delivered in partnership by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), invites proposals from employer organisations such as Sector Skills Councils, professional bodies and trade associations. The Fund will invest in a range of projects to raise skills levels and support growth. The deadline for the receipt of applications of 3 June 2011. The GIF prospectus can be found on the UKCES website.
The CIPD People Management Awards (CIPD PMAs) have been established in the HR calendar since 1996 and are run in association with People Management magazine. As the leading and most coveted HR Awards within the UK, they recognise outstanding achievement in HR, people management and development and the contribution that HR makes to business sustainability and success. The awards recognise the outstanding achievements that today’s top UK organisations have made in HR, people management and development. So, benchmark your HR practice and innovation against your peers to gain recognition and reward for both your HR function and your business. Plus winning a CIPD recognised Award positions you as an excellent employer that values its people and the contribution they make. 2011 is an exciting time for the CIPD PMAs. For the first time in their history the Awards will become a standalone event in London, in addition, this new website will help simplify the online entry process. The CIPD have also introduced four new categories: • Building HR capability, • Change management, • Health and wellbeing, • SME HR initiative of the Year, • Also don't forget the Michael Kelly Outstanding Student Award http://www.cipdpmas.co.uk
The worldwide media industry continues to struggle with gender equality, with new research showing women are still under-represented in the majority of newsrooms across the globe. The study, conducted over a two-year period for the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), covered 170,000 people in the news media and involved interviews with 500 companies in 59 countries. On average women are underrepresented in all media positions, in sectors ranging from news media ownership, publishing, governance, reporting, editing, photojournalism, and broadcast production. Among the ranks of reporters, men hold nearly two-thirds of the jobs, compared with 36 per cent held by women. However, in senior professional positions, women are nearing parity with 41 per cent of the news-gathering, editing and writing roles. And despite increasing numbers of women in top jobs in journalism over the past two decades, men still dominate executive level positions. Researchers found 73 per cent of the top media jobs were occupied by men and that women faced invisible barriers, or "glass ceilings" to management in 20 of the nations studied, including the UK. According to IWMF executive director Liza Gross, the report has served to highlight continued inequalities for the media to address. Gross said although the study was descriptive, not prescriptive, researchers had been able to identify patterns between regions. "There is a correlation of high representation of women in newsrooms and broad gender legislation in countries, not only in what we would call advanced countries such as the Scandinavian nations but for example in African countries that have written into law issues of gender parity," she said.
A new seed investment programme run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs has opened, offering applicants the chance to receive funding for their new or evolving enterprise. Kick Start is a seed investment programme for entrepreneurs starting out in business in the UK. The programme offers investment of up to £30,000 as well as personal advice, support and mentoring. Funding offers will depend on the start-up's particular circumstances, but will typically involve taking a minority stake in a company's equity in return for an investment. Entrepreneurs in the UK are invited to apply to Kick Start. The programme will support those who have a well thought through idea that they feel passionately about, those who have developed a product or service that is ready to be launched and those already running a business and need help to really take it to next level. The deadline for entries is 6 May 2011. Entries may be submitted online at the Kick Start
The Netherlands is ending its development relationship with seven African countries. The partnership with the DR Congo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa will be terminated, according to Dutch newspaper Trouw. The new list of partner countries contains 15 countries, ten of which are African. But uncertainty about the final composition of the new partner list remains, since the list is only a draft that has yet to be agreed upon by the cabinet. And after this agreement, the list will be sent to Parliament for consideration.
African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation are proud to announce the Anzisha Prize, the premier award for Africa's young entrepreneurial leaders. This annual Prize - the first of its kind for youth in Africa - seeks to celebrate young innovators, ages 15-20, who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to challenges facing their communities. $70,000 USD in Prize money will be awarded to Prize winners from across Africa and ALA will collaborate with its vast network of partners across Africa to help identify young leaders whose passion for Africa drives them to design and develop innovative projects that transform their communities and continent. Anzisha Prize applications are available at www.anzishaprize.org. Both for-profit and non-profit efforts are eligible for the Anzisha Prize, and applicants will be judged on the impact, ingenuity, and scalability of their entrepreneurial efforts.
Google is recording record growth in sub-Saharan Africa, benefiting from 50 percent annual growth in search requests coming from the region. At a conference in Senegal hosted by the search engine giant, Business Development Associate Ayite Gaba also revealed that four out of every 10 Google search requests come from a mobile phone. The implementation of mobile technology has also seen social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube receive substantial hits. Facebook now receives 100,000 new Senegalese users each month according to Gaba. Although less than 10 percent of sub-Saharan Africa enjoys internet access, Gaba believes that Google's presence in the continent is set to grow with mobile users dominating the market. Google's Vice President for Operations in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, and Africa Carlo d’Asaro Blondo said: “We are here for the long term. We are convinced by the potential of Africa and the importance it will play in the world.”
Manpower Inc. a world leader in innovative workforce solutions, and Microsoft, the world’s leading producer of software and software development systems, have announced they are developing joint programs to help young people across the globe to win in the world of work and seize early opportunities for entrepreneurship. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, cooperation activities will begin in the Middle East and Africa, the global regions with the highest rates of youth unemployment. Microsoft and Manpower are working with other partners to develop a training curriculum for young entrepreneurs that include leading-edge technical, organizational, and business development skills. In addition, they will participate jointly in training, mentoring, career guidance, work-preparation, job-linkage, and entrepreneurship projects for youth, first in the region and then across the globe.
TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is now accepting applications for its postgraduate, postdoctoral, visiting scholars and advanced research fellowship programmes. The fellowships are offered to scientists from developing countries and are tenable at centres of excellence in various countries in the South, including Brazil, China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan and Thailand. Eligible fields include: agricultural and biological sciences, medical and health sciences, chemistry, engineering, astronomy, space and earth sciences, mathematics and physics. http://www.twas.org > Programmes > Exchange > Fellowships (http://twas.ictp.it/prog/exchange/fells/fells-overview) for the latest information regarding all these programmes, including eligibility criteria, deadlines, etc, and to download the application forms and guidelines. Women scientists are especially encouraged to apply.
Transparency in the mining and metals sector is on the rise, according to new figures released by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). A growing number of ICMM member companies are disclosing social and environmental data, with 17 out of 18 reporting in line with GRI standards last year. This is revealed in the latest performance assessment published in ICMM's 2010 Annual Review - Making progress through dialogue. Fifteen out of 18 companies obtained a G3 A+ application level. This means they reported on all the indicators required in the GRI Mining and Metals Sector Supplement and sought independent third party assurance. In 2009, eight companies reported to this level. The sector supplement was developed by GRI in partnership with ICMM and sets the standard for the entire industry. Today, mining accounts for the fifth highest number of GRI reports globally. The 2010 data from GRI reveals a 12% increase (from 103 to 115) in reporting among mining and metals companies from the previous year. More than half (62) of these reports now follow the sector specific guidelines. ICMM represents many of the largest companies in the sector. As part of their membership commitments, all companies are required to report in line with the GRI G3 Guidelines, the sector supplement as well as their implementation of ICMM's ten sustainable development principles. The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) was established in 2001 to act as a catalyst for performance improvement in the mining and metals industry. Today, the organization brings together 18 mining and metals companies as well as 30 national and regional mining associations and global commodity associations to address the core sustainable development challenges faced by the industry.
Cape Town International was recently named the top airport in Africa at the 2010 global awards hosted by Airports Council International (ACI). The council awarded Cape Town’s facility the title of Best Airport in Africa in the Airport Service Quality’s (ASQ) accolades for 2010. The airport was also named Best Improved Airport on the continent. Management attributes the award to massive structural improvements that were made as part of preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. All refurbishments were completed well in time. According to the ACI’s survey, the airport scored well in areas such as availability of parking facilities and trolleys, as well as the cleanliness of washrooms. More than 190 surveys, which tested overall passenger experience, were conducted in over 50 countries. The ease of finding one’s departure zone was also identified as a major improvement at Cape Town International. The facility’s new central terminal building was opened in November 2009, after being expanded to accommodate 14-million passengers a year. Upgrades included the addition of 8,000 new parking bays. The airport also scooped the Best Airport in Africa title in the Skytrax International Awards in 2010. It’s currently ranked 35th out of 150 airports in the world.
MTN has emerged as Africa’s most valuable brand and the only African global brand in the 2011 BrandFinance Global 500. BrandFinance® Global 500 is the world’s most comprehensive brand value league table that ranks the most valuable brands across all major markets. On its 2011 league table, BrandFinance Global 500 ranks MTN at position 199 with an AAA rating denoting “extremely strong” brand. The next African brand on the table, Standard Bank, falls marginally outside the Global 500 ranking at position 510. MTN, which has 141, 6 million subscribers and is the market leader in the majority of its 21 territories in which it operates, enjoys iconic status across its vast footprint in Africa and the Middle East, partly because the company has long highlighted the need to understand the underlying drivers of brand equity held by consumers. MTN’s efforts to understand consumers’ motivation, needs, aspirations, belief system and other values which are important in developing customer satisfaction, brand loyalty and sustainable success have been core to the brands promise and success. Although the top end of the Global 500 contains many household names brands that have existed for decades - IBM, Bank of America, HSBC - the world’s increasing dependence on the internet and technology is reflected by Google’s position at no. 1.
South Africa’s budgeting system has been rated the most transparent in the world following the recently announced results of the International Budget Partnership’s (IBP) Open Budget Survey 2010. This is an impressive achievement for the country considering it beat all developed nations surveyed. In 2008 South Africa was ranked second, with the UK coming first. The study evaluates whether central governments give the public access to budget information and opportunities to participate in the budget process, and examines the ability of legislatures and auditors to hold their governments accountable. The survey involved 94 countries and takes place every two years. According to the survey, the world’s most transparent countries are South Africa (with a score of 92 out of 100), New Zealand (90), UK (87), France (87), Norway (83), Sweden (83) and the US (82). The survey classified these seven countries as “providing extensive information”. The IBP formulated the Open Budget Survey to promote greater openness in national government budgeting systems; to document the current budgeting practices of governments; to establish standards for transparent, participatory, and accountable budget systems; and to identify countries in varying contexts and with different characteristics that are meeting or are on their way to meeting these standards. The survey also noted that several countries, including South Africa, publish the citizens’ budget online. South Africa also has the online "Tips for Pravin" system, in which ordinary citizens can send budget suggestions to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Where the public’s access to the internet is limited, the citizens’ budget is another way to inform the public about fiscal spending and policy, and can be published in newspapers and magazines or broadcast on radio and TV.Lack of transparency allows governments to hide unpopular, wasteful, and corrupt spending, the IBP says. According to the IBP, when citizens have access to information and opportunities to participate in the budget process, they are able to improve the decisions made about what to spend public money on and how the money is actually spent. That means that the allocation of scarce public resources is more equitable and effective.The first Open Budget Survey was completed in 2006, when 59 countries were studied. The 2008 survey studied 85 countries, while in 2010, 94 countries were chosen.
The move follows a Constitutional Court Ruling in 2009 giving South Africans who live and work outside of the country the right to vote in general elections if they are registered with South Africa’s chief electoral officer. Given the high concentration of South African’s living in London, estimated in excess of 100,000, the ANC wants to engage eligible voters on key party policies and issues. Given the long history of the ANC in the United Kingdom, London seemed a logical place. An ANC mission was established in London by Oliver Tambo in 1961. Xolani Xala, newly elected Branch Chair said: “The implementation of the first branch globally outside of South Africa will allow us to immediately develop a charter to deal with critical issues for our members and engage meaningfully on how the African National Congress is delivering on its promise of a better life for all. Members will have the platform to debate policy and practice within the ruling party and across a number of issues pertinent to the South African diaspora in London.” A priority of the London branch will be to unite South Africans living in the UK. The London branch also sees a role for creating platforms that are conducive to facilitating opportunities for South Africans across business, education, tourism and networking as well as promoting the brand image of South Africa abroad.
A UK-based firm, Borelli Tea Holdings owned by McLeod Russell India, the world’s largest tea producer, acquired controlling stakes in the Gisovu Tea Company which produces an estimated 1.7 million kilograms of tea annually. A cabinet meeting approved the handover on February 11 2011. Borelli acquired 60 percent shares at $2.4 m. The remaining shares were retained by the government at 30% and farmers 10%. Gisovu tea factory started in 1983. The Director General of OCIR-THE Anthony Butera said that other than attracting better management and new technologies that can enhance tea production, the takeover will increase job opportunities in the rural sector, adding that the privatisation of the tea factory is also aimed at attracting investment to develop the sector. OCIR-THE is a government tea authority charged with the development of the tea sector since 1978. Shortly after receiving the handover the Director of Borelli said that the company has long-term commitment to invest in Rwanda and they will continuously portray the good image of Rwandan tea worldwide. He thanked the government for the trust and confidence vested into them, promising full commitment. He acknowledged that Rwanda has excellent quality tea to ensure optimum return for all the stakeholders. McLeod Russell and Borelli Tea Holdings are to-date the largest single-company Investor in Rwanda.
Electronics giant Samsung has launched the Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy to tackle the shortage of technical and engineering skills in South Africa, aiming to change five-million peoples' lives through corporate social responsibility initiatives by 2015. The initiative strives to transform communities through education and skills development and in return open up skilled, well-paying job opportunities for individuals. The Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy is located in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, and will benefit the Technical High schools in the Ekurhuleni municipal area. Samsung has already signed participation agreements with four high schools in Katlehong and Vosloorus, and will accommodate more schools in the coming years. The academy boosts a state-of-the-art electronics engineering lab to be used for all the practical work, and a technology-rich space where students, sourced from Grades 10 to 12 physical science and mathematics, will undertake theoretical lessons and discussions. By tapping into the youth's interest in electronics, Samsung will equip underprivileged students attending government technical schools with the skills and practical experience required to make them competitive in the job market. The overall emphasis is hands-on, practical experience for the workplace. Furthermore, Samsung is focused on entering graduates of this class into a service centre programme. Students who graduate from the academy will also compete for an internship opportunity at one of Samsung's various service centres across the country, where they will put the skills learned at the academy to practical use for Samsung customers. Because the program provides students with the necessary engineering acumen, Samsung will help give the graduates a head start in the workplace, making them attractive recruits for Samsung, Samsung partners and or other industry players. The Samsung Engineering Academy plays a key role within Samsung's overall CSR strategy, which incorporates far more than merely monetary investment, but rather a value-added approach, incorporating elements of true involvement such as employee time, consumer education and brand alignment," said Tshenye.
The Standard Bank Group is providing funding for about 53 000 smallholder farmers across Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. So far projects have been financed across the four countries benefiting about 53 000 farmers. In Uganda, where agriculture is the most important sector of the economy and employs over 80% of the work force, Standard Bank is financing several projects. One of the projects financed by Stanbic Bank Uganda is an aggregation of 25 producer groups made up of 5 000 farmers who are linked to a local marketing company and the Kapchorwa Commercial Farmers Association (KACOFA) to provide agricultural cooperative services, benefiting about 3,000 farmers in the Kapchorwa District. The projects financed by the bank will assist in unlocking the potential of Ugandan agriculture by helping thousands of subsistence farmers enhance production and productivity. A further demonstration of partnership across the value chain comes from Ghana where Stanbic Bank Ghana is financing The Masara N’Arziki Association initiative. Masara is based on the extension and provision of quality inputs to smallholder farmers. The programme offers support across the crop-growing spectrum. It begins by alerting and educating farmers about the benefits of block farming and continues with the supply of seeds and fertilizers.
Women currently hold 27% of senior management positions in South African companies, beating the global average of 20% by seven percentage points, according to consultancy Grant Thornton. Research from Grant Thornton's International Business Report (IBR) also shows that the percentage of privately held businesses in South Africa that have no women in senior management at all has declined from 27% in 2009 to 23%, in contrast to the global average, which has risen from 35% to 38%. "The fact that South Africa outperforms the global average can be attributed to the emphasis placed by government on gender equality and employment equity," Jeanette Hern, partner and head of corporate finance at Grant Thornton Johannesburg, said in a statement on Tuesday. "However, while the South African government holds an impressive record with many women in senior positions, the private sector business community still has a long way to go, particularly in the roles that women play." Grant Thornton's survey shows that of the companies in South Africa that employ women in senior managerial positions, 21% employ them as human resources directors, followed by financial positions such as chief financial officers and finance directors (20%), sales directors (9%) and marketing officers (8%). Only 3% of the South African companies surveyed had a woman chief executive officer (CEO), which is 5 percentage points lower than the global average of 8%. According to a survey done by the Businesswomen's Association, less than 5% of JSE listed companies have women CEOs. According to Grant Thornton, G7 countries lag behind the global average with only 16% of women holding senior roles, while by region the Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) scores highest with 27%. Women have become most successful in increasing their share of senior management roles in Thailand, Hong Kong, Greece, Belgium and Botswana, where the percentage of women in these roles has risen by at least 7% since 2009. The annual Grant Thornton International Business Report is based on telephone interview lasting approximately 15 minutes with the chief executive officers or senior executives of over 11 000 medium to large privately held businesses in 39 countries.
Diageo has announced the launch of a three-year partnership with international charity WaterAid which will part fund a project providing water and sanitation to over 38,000 people in Angola. More than 1,000 participants ran in Diageo’s annual Water of Life half-marathon and 10k race, raising funds which will go directly to this new project. Today nearly 884 million people around the world lack access to clean drinking water. Angola is a country where around half the population currently lack access to safe water and sanitation. Initiated in 2006 in response to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) outlined by the UN, Diageo’s Water of Life programme aims to benefit 5 million people by providing access to clean water by end of 2011, 8 million by 2015 and many thousands more through the construction and maintenance of sites, improved sanitation and the empowerment of women. Today, only 51% of Angolans have access to safe water, and only 50% have access to adequate sanitation. Access to safe water is critical – it means that infants avoid fatal diseases, children attend school more, working adults are more productive and older people enjoy better health. For women in particular, safe water brings huge benefits: more time for family and for work, better health and a cleaner environment. Water and sanitation therefore crucially underpin broader socioeconomic development. In its first year, the project, part-funded by Diageo, will improve the health and quality of life of 8,000 Angolans through improved access to safe water and of a further 12,000 people through sanitation facilities and increased knowledge of good hygiene practices. This will broaden to reach over 38,000 people by its third year. The Water of Life half-marathon and 10k take place every year to commemorate World Water Day and to raise funds for the Water of Life programme.
The World Bank has approved a 150-million Euro loan to support the Plan Maroc Vert (PMV) launched in 2008 and planned through 2020 as a combination of agricultural investments and public sector reforms. Morocco’s “Plan Maroc Vert” or Green Plan is the country’s strategy to bring better opportunities to small and large-scale farmers by transforming its agri-food sector into a stable source of growth, competitiveness and broad-based economic development in rural areas. The development policy loan (DPL), the first in a programmatic series of two, is designed to support the ambitious PMV and its commitment to modernize agricultural management through institutional and sector reforms. The plan is designed to usher in a substantial shift away from a highly protected market to a more open market-oriented agriculture to create better opportunities for farmers. Institutionally, it represents a major shift from state intervention to one that focuses on developing Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to support the sector. The DPL program supports four key cross-cutting policy and institutional reform priorities identified in the PMV. These are improving the efficiency of domestic markets; improving the socio-economic impacts of projects directed to small farmers; improving agricultural services; and improving the use and management of precious irrigation water and the planning of irrigation infrastructure. The first phase of the DPL focuses on institutional change and the creation of an enabling environment for domestic and international promotion of the agricultural sector. The PMV involves the mobilization of a broad range of actors at both political and technical levels of Government as well as various sector stakeholders. The DPL builds on the outcomes and experiences from past and ongoing Bank operations in water and irrigation, integrated rural development, human development and public sector administration reform. World Bank participation will also bring lessons of best practice from around the world as the PMV is implemented.
Zambia has been assigned a new B+ sovereign credit rating by Standard and Poor (S&P) in respect of massive economic strides the country is undertaking. This comes shortly after Zambia received another B+ sovereign rating by the internationally-recognised credit agency Fitch Ratings. The new B+ rating will improve the country’s ability to borrow more resources to inject into construction of infrastructure such as roads. It should also enable Zambia to float its bonds and borrow finances from commercial banks and multilateral institutions.
South African farmers, in demand for their skills, are set to establish major commercial farms in 23 other African countries in an initiative between organised agriculture, farmers and the governments of these countries. The first 27 farmers leave for the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) this month to establish farms on 40 000ha in a country where there is almost no commercial agriculture and where most food is imported at huge cost. This comes after approaches made to Agri-SA, which represents commercial farmers, by 23 African countries in the past few years to get South Africans to establish farms to kick start commercial agriculture and gain a measure of food security for their territories. The move has been backed by a bilateral agreement between the governments of South Africa and the Congo and agreements between the Congo, Agri-SA and individual farmers. The Department of International Relations and Co-operation has confirmed that South Africa and Congo had signed a technical agreement in October for co-operation between the two countries in agriculture and forestry. For most of the South African farmers the move is purely commercial as there is no land to expand their ventures in this country. Brazil and China are also looking at gaining farmland in Africa. About 46 percent of arable farmland, which is not being used worldwide, is in Africa. Agri-SA has set up an Africa committee to liaise between farmers and African governments and secure bilateral agreements. Agreements with Mozambique, Namibia and Malawi are being negotiated. Next in the pipeline are Gabon, Cameroon and Guinea. Others that have approached South Africa are Angola, Uganda, Botswana, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Libya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and Benin. South African farmers have been targeted as they are among the few in the world who farm commercially without government subsidies, tax breaks or other financial help.
Keep yourself updated with our FREE newsletters now!