Browsing: Africa

The Director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) African Department, Abebe Aemro Selassie, expressed significant optimism about Africa’s economic recovery from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic during a recent media roundtable discussion.

A global nature conservation group, African Parks, has committed to investigating allegations of human rights abuses at one of its parks in the Congo. The accusations were held by The Rainforest Foundation UK and Resource Matters, which presented strong claims of unlawful evictions, intimidation, harassing incidents, and misuse of force against park residents.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sounded a desperate warning over the escalating education crisis in East Africa, resulting from a harrowing combination of climate-related disasters and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Namibia mourns the loss of its long-standing leader and president, Hage Geingob, following an announcement from the presidency confirming his death at the age of 82 years old.

The growing influence of the internet as a tool for economic development cannot be underestimated, especially in light of its role in transforming Africa’s socio-economic landscape. The assertion hinges on several research studies, underscoring the undeniable significance of affordable and reliable internet access for businesses and households alike on the continent.

In a compelling address on World Cancer Day 2024, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, stated that approximately one-third of cancer cases in Africa can be prevented. Furthermore, she emphasized that an additional third can be fully cured if identified at an early stage and treated effectively.

In a strategic move aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, in partnership with his charitable foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched an innovative COVID-19 surveillance system. This groundbreaking measure will primarily be focused on sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa has imposed an 8.5% increase in the national minimum hourly wage, enhancing it to $1.46. Predicted to impact the lives of the country’s 6.44 million workers who earn the minimum wage, the decision comes amidst tracking inflation rates, currently recorded at 5.7% according to the National Department of Employment and Labour.

South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has embarked on an unprecedented operation to enable prison inmates across the country to participate in the forthcoming local government elections. Taking the constitutional right to vote to another level, the commission registered eligible voters in 147 correctional facilities in a recent drive.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has marked a significant milestone in environmental and sustainable finance by unveiling its first-ever USD Global-Sustainable Hybrid Transaction. This unique transaction is comprised of $1 billion in sustainable bonds under both fixed-rate and floating-rate notes. This innovative initiative is particularly significant, being the inaugural 15-year-term transaction performed by any supranational AAA-rated issuer beyond green or social bonds in the Colony Capital markets.