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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 28, 2023/ — The U.S. Commercial Service and the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) have announced a new strategic collaboration in a move to drive digital transformation across Africa.
Unveiled on the sidelines of the Africa Tech Festival held in Cape Town, South Africa, this collaboration paves the way for a series of dialogues on how U.S. digital innovation can support development goals across Africa. The discussions will focus on key themes such as embracing new technologies, improving internet access, enhancing skills, and creating a regulatory environment conducive to innovation. Both parties will explore how African governments can collaborate with American technology firms to grow their economies and how U.S. businesses can tap into new opportunities in Africa’s emerging markets.
Ashley Ndir, senior U.S. Commercial Liaison to the African Development Bank, emphasized, “We are at a turning point in Africa’s technological advancement. By bridging insights from the U.S. private sector with Africa’s vibrant markets, we aim to drive innovation and economic growth. This partnership is a testament to that mission.” Head of ICT Operations Nicholas Williams from the African Development Bank said, “Africa has made significant investments in pivotal infrastructure and policy enhancements to create an innovative digital economy. As Africa’s premier development finance institution, the African Development Bank will help push Africa’s digital boundaries even further by forging strategic relations, building on historical investments and, more importantly, tapping into the energy of our young population, who are digital natives. We value the insights that the U.S. private sector may bring.”
The initiative builds on the African Development Bank’s $2 billion investment in digital infrastructure, which includes regional and national broadband development, creating favourable policy environments for private sector investments, scaling digital skills, and nurturing innovative enterprises. The Bank’s efforts have reduced the cost of internet access, enhanced digital literacy, and fostered a conducive business and policy environment. It will also benefit from the U.S. Commercial Service’s experience in fostering international trade.
This collaboration promises to champion the digital transformation in Africa, aiming for a future where technology empowers growth and prosperity.
With this partnership, both the U.S. Commercial Service and the African Development Bank reaffirm their commitment to not only elevate digital capabilities in Africa but also to ensure that the continent’s potential is fully realized in the digital era.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
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Tag: South Africa 2023
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United States (U.S.) and African Development Bank Collaborate to Accelerate Africa’s Digital Transformation
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Accounting and Financial Professionals Must Lead Africa’s Transition to Sustainable Development
OHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 27, 2023/ — Accountants must be fit to lead Africa’s inclusive sustainable growth and economic recovery ensuring the continent’s place in the global arena, says ACCA, (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) (www.ACCAGlobal.com) as it readies for its annual conference held for the first time in South Africa.
Hundreds of accounting professionals from across Africa are expected to gather at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, for the fourth Africa Members Convention (AMC 2023) from December 6-8.
Themed Empowering Finance Professionals for Sustainable Development in Africa the conference will develop earlier conversations on innovative technologies, integrated thinking for sustainable business practice, international sustainability reporting to drive accountability, developing trade competencies towards supporting intra-Africa trade and enabling members develop careers toward building a better world.
“The accountancy profession has a fundamental role to play in the transformation of Africa’s economy, as outlined in Africa’s Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want – which prioritises inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, democratic governance and peace and security amongst other issues, “ said Jamil Ampomah ACCA Director Africa, responsible for implementing ACCA’s strategy in the region and managing ACCA’s relationships with key African stakeholders – governments, regulators, policy makers, employers, international agencies and regional organisations.
Several African governments have issued policies toward meeting their sustainability commitments underpinned by environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. Their adoption indicates the increasing importance of the sustainability agenda in both the private and public sector in Africa.
The conference will look at sustainability from many angles including financing sustainable development programmes, ethics and professionalism; technology and AI; support of developmental policy, corporate social responsibility and developing accounting career for the future.
The programme line-up brings together senior commercial and government financial professionals, from across the globe, including the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and South Africa’s Deputy Auditor General.
Jane Ohadike, Regional Head of Public Affairs for ACCA – Africa, responsible for setting the strategy for public sector and governments across the region said: “Accountancy and finance professionals are important agents of change and we have identified seven priority areas in which accounting professional have a role. There are building resilient economies, developing the talent of tomorrow, driving sustainable business, advancing standards and regulation, transforming the public sector, supporting entrepreneurial growth and strengthening ethics and trust.
“I really want to encourage accounting and financial professionals to attend the 2023 ACCA Conference to share their expertise and thinking while also using this platform to network and make strategic business connections.
Registration is now open and more information can be found online at Africa Members Convention (https://apo-opa.co/47suIsj).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).For media enquiries, contact:
ACCA News Room
E: newsroom@accaglobal.co -
Africa Tech Festival Announces Top 10 Finalists for Start-Up World Cup
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 27, 2023/ — The results are in and today, organisers of the annual Africa Tech Festival (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu), taking place in Cape Town 14 – 16 November, announced the top ten finalists of the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition who will battle it out to win the opportunity to represent the African continent in the Startup World Cup (https://www.StartupWorldCup.io/) on 1 December this year. Making the announcement, James Williams, Senior Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech, remarked: “Congratulations to everyone who entered. We called for the continent’s brightest, most inspiring founders to apply to help build the African innovation ecosystem and they certainly delivered.
“I know I speak for my colleagues, the investors and judges who will be closely monitoring the pitch competition, when I say that Africa’s talent, ingenuity, and unmatched potential is abundant and diverse, and this is clearly represented in this broad array of finalists. It is therefore going to be no small task to select just one winner who will represent the continent at the Startup World Cup Final, held by Pegasus in San Francisco on 1st December.”
Providing insight as to what she will be looking for in the winning pitch, investor, and AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition judge, Keshni Morar of Investable (https://www.Investable.Business/), warns contenders to come prepared. Morar will be looking for the granular detail in the presentations, with a demonstrable understanding of the market in which the start-up is looking to play or is already active. Depth of the go to market strategy too for those start-ups at pre-seed capital, is a vital consideration.
But in short, Morar says: “Like every other serious investor out there, I look for the coherence between the pitch story and the data points. If it’s not there, there’s no chance of us getting involved.”
The top ten looking to win the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition Final are:
AsaanaPay (https://apo-opa.info/46O2WGc)- a payments and rewards platform for minority owned businesses enabling offline and online payments and unrestricted cash back rewards to attract and retain customers. Asaana facilitates local and global payments through a variety of channels from mobile wallets and traditional banks to everything in between. Headquartered in Kenya, Asaana services the world.
Tausi App (https://TausiApp.com/)– beauty is freedom and beauty is also big business in Africa, which is how Tausi came about. An app that connects beauticians to clients and provides professional hair and make-up and other services to make clients feel fabulous, with a rating system and in-depth onboarding process that is simple to use. Headquartered in Kenya with more than 6000 registered beauticians on their books and having helped more than 20 000 clients.
Bus54 (https://Bus-54.com/)– Based in Nigeria, Bus54 is a mobility technology company providing a platform to aggregate intercity bus transportation in Africa, allowing passengers to search, compare, book, and manage their journeys online. The platform enables transport operators to manage their end-to-end operations from a secure portal with no need for additional investment in IT software or hardware, and an additional channel to sell their tickets.
Delta Scan (https://DeltaScan.global/)– a specialist engineering inspection, digitisation and BIM company based in South Africa that digitize the world around us to create powerful analytical 3D models to extract engineering value. The company, based in South Africa, strives to improve efficiency, bring down costs, and provide comprehensive information to make better informed decisions. Combining cutting edge aerial platforms and scanning technology together with 3D digitization, artificial intelligence and engineering analysis principles.
Oneway Connect (https://www.OnewayConnect.co.za/)- a cutting-edge job matching and recruitment software prioritizing cultural alignment that is shaping the future of hiring. Beyond traditional CVs, the platform evaluates capabilities and traits, fostering purposeful performers for businesses. At the heart of their mission is creating a fair candidate experience. With a simple click, jobseekers are seamlessly connected to their ideal roles while assessments empower employers to truly understand candidates’ potential beyond mere keywords.
Ukwenza VR (https://UkwenzaVR.com/)- a social enterprise based in Kenya that focuses on creating educational Virtual Reality (VR) content to complement classroom learning and offer additional learning on social and environmental issues e.g. conservation and plastic pollution.
We work with schools & educators to create and deliver the content to ensure it meets learning standards that serve the community.
Hippocampus Education (https://HippocampusEducation.io/)- Hippocampus is an adaptive tutoring Facebook Messenger bot that provides differentiated instruction and instant feedback that is customized to meet each individual’s learning needs. It acts as a liaison between the lecturer and the student or between the tutor and the student, supporting in assessment activities, facilitating a learning environment that meets each student’s learning needs, and provides positive and constructive feedback on the progress and performance of the student.
BenaCare (https://BenaCare.or.ke/)– a Kenyan based social enterprise that delivers affordable clinical and supportive care to patients with life limiting illnesses at the comfort of their own homes. They also reduce and re-distrinbute unpaid care performed by women family caregivers in rural Kenya, by training them on the basics of caregiving like wound care, vitals taking, grooming, ambulation, pressure are care and toileting. IN this way Benacare improves the outcome of the patients taken care of and equip these women with caregiving skills which can then earn them a living.
Gradlinc (https://Gradlinc.co.za/)– more than a matchmaker between graduate and employer and vice versa, Gradlinc helps prepare graduates for the workplace from helping with CVs to creating personal brands and is free to graduates. It is a vital two-way bridge between ‘people’, not jobs and workers, as matching values, and individuality in people – whether the graduate or the employer – builds long-term successful relationships with mutual benefits.
Kyanda Africa (https://Kyanda.co.ke/)– seamless payment solutions with easy financial reach, Nairobi-based Kyanda Africa provide safe and easy access to financial and related services simultaneously in an affordable, efficient, and transparent manner for all at all times. They are on a mission to drive down the number of unbanked and underbanked people across Africa.
The AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition Final takes place at Africa Tech Festival in the Auditorium 2 of the CTICC on 16th November from 2pm to 3.30pm. An open-to-all feature, the Final will bring a great crowd of founders, tech leaders and investors to witness who will be crowned winner. Free entry to start-ups and visitors is available – please see below for further details about registration.
For more information about Africa Tech Festival, please see website here: https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu
For more information about the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition, please visit: https://apo-opa.info/46I88vaFor more information about the Startup World Cup, powered by Pegasus, please visit: https://www.StartupWorldCup.io/View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r)For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson kaz@networxpr.co.za or call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
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Green Hydrogen: Shaping Africa’s Sustainable Energy Future in Partnership with Europe
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, October 17, 2023/ — As Africa and Europe jointly spearhead the global green hydrogen economy, energy dynamics are undergoing a significant transformation. The abundant renewable energy potential in Africa, coupled with Europe’s ambitious production and import goals, is forging new energy pathways and redefining existing standards.In line with this, African Energy Week 2023, the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) premier energy event, featured a dedicated Hydrogen Summit under the theme ‘Powering the Future: Africa and Europe Unleashing the Green Hydrogen Revolution.’ The session, which was moderated by Ashutosh Singh, Director, Financial Services, S&P Global Commodity Insights, explored the far-reaching implications of this transformative shift.
The discussion opened with a keynote by Kgosientsho Ramakgopa, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, South Africa, underscoring the importance of green hydrogen in South Africa’s energy strategy.
“By 2040, Africa could produce 50 times more energy from renewables than the world’s estimated demand,” he said.
Speaking on South Africa’s ambitions, he added, “We are looking at $1 per kg by 2050, equivalent to indigenous low-cost energy, making South Africa one of the competitive industrial economies.”
The government has recognized green hydrogen as a key aspect of its just energy transition. It has implemented regulatory changes and introduced the Hydrogen Society Roadmap, serving as the industry’s comprehensive framework to facilitate large-scale investments.
“The intention of this kind of strategy is to ensure that we are able to develop the kind of standard required for green hydrogen in the future,” said Ramakgopa.
Meanwhile, in West Africa, Mauritania is spearheading large-scale projects, including the massive Aman project, the Nour Electrolyzer project and the Masdar-Infinity-Conjuncta green hydrogen project.
“We have big potential in renewable energy and green hydrogen is available,” explained Nani Chrougha, Minister of Petroleum, Mines, and Energy, Mauritania.
“We are working on the legal framework, which will help to see investments into these resources. We want to put the investors in a position that makes them comfortable investing,” he continued.
With green hydrogen in demand, Africa can benefit from cutting-edge research and technological advancements in hydrogen production, allowing the continent to harness green hydrogen’s potential more effectively and contribute to its energy transition and economic growth.
While there is a need for Africa to adopt technologies for green hydrogen and learn from the necessary experiences from European nations, Minister Ramakgopa stated, “We are not the recipients of technologies; we also have the capacity to develop it.”
The panel discussed the need for infrastructure required to support the green hydrogen supply chain in Africa, highlighting some challenges and opportunities in its development.
Minster Chrougha said, “We need to access financing to access our important resources, and this will be investment in infrastructure and in the mining sector, and we need to develop capacity in the mining sector, and these are two challenges.”
Developing a skilled workforce is essential for advancing the production and utilization of green hydrogen. “For African countries, it is very vital to build local capacity. This is a technology that we have not been working on in a long time, so it is extremely important that governments and institutions start to work on building capacity across the entire value chain,” said, Solomon Nwabueze Agbo, Scientist and Project Coordinator at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH.
Finally, to drive investment in green hydrogen, Africa can draw inspiration from Europe’s success stories. By implementing supportive policies and fostering international collaboration, the continent can attract the investments necessary for a thriving green hydrogen industry.
“For us to get to the point of $2 per kilo, we need to get everyone around the table, including off-takers and financiers,” stated Chinnan Maclean Dikwal, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, African Energy Council.
He added that for nations that haven’t had the resources for green hydrogen development, it necessitates strategic collaborations. Partnerships are likely to play a significant role.
#AEW2023 takes place this week in Cape Town under a mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030. Keep following www.aecweek.com for more exciting information and updates about Africa’s premier energy event.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.SOURCE
African Energy Chamber -
Energy Investment Village 2023 Finalists Announced
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 15, 2023/ — Africa’s boldest and most ambitious cleantech start-ups will take part in the Energy Investment Village (https://apo-opa.info/468SsAw), an exciting deal-pitching event at the Green Energy Africa Summit (https:// GreenEnergyAfricaSummit.com), to be held in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Town on 10-11 October at the CTICC2. Held under the theme, “Unlocking Africa’s Sustainable Energy Potential,” the Green Energy Africa Summit (GEAS) will provide unrivalled opportunities throughout its two-day programme for the continent’s leaders in energy, finance, and social development, to meet with international investors, to find sustainable solutions to Africa’s energy needs and a just transition to a green economy.
This highly anticipated event advocates for the harmonisation of Africa’s natural resources, as well as policy reforms, to help usher in an energy transition that ensures the continent remains competitive and attractive to global finance. With over 1000 delegates from 67 countries, GEAS invites both public and private stakeholders across the energy value chain to collaborate, offer solutions, and build partnerships to help unlock Africa’s true socioeconomic potential.
GEAS is thrilled to welcome its strategic industry partners, including The Banking Association of South Africa (https://www.Banking.org.za/) and The African Forum for Utility Regulators (https://AFURnet.org/). This year’s agenda features a strong mix of discussions within dedicated content streams, from the Energy Strategy Forum on day one, to the Green Energy and Green Finance Forums on day two. Attendees can look forward to country and regional spotlights on South Africa and West Africa, as well as sessions led by finance and energy heavyweights. Find the full GEAS 2023 agenda here: https://apo-opa.info/3rfJNxm
The Energy Investment Village (EIV) is the GEAS’s Lion’s Den-style pitching event for cleantech companies, which will be held on 11 October. The finalists will be given an extraordinary opportunity to gain exposure, network with potential clients, and receive vital market validation. Most importantly, they will be given the chance to pitch for funding (https://apo-opa.info/468SsAw) from international investors.
“Africa’s traditional, fossil-fuel-based energy cannot keep pace with its swift development. While the continent’s abundance of natural resources can enable clean energy innovations, constraints like access to finance impedes the opportunities for local clean-tech innovators. Events such as the EIV open up direct pathways to decision-makers and funders, and are a critical enabler of the clean-tech ecosystem,” says RIIS CEO Davis Cook.
In partnership with Saldanha Bay Innovation Campus (https://www.InnovationCampus.
co.za/), RIIS (https://EnablingInnovation. Africa/), and Anza Capital (https://Anza.Holdings/), and supported by Africa Scotland, JSE, Oceanhub-Africa, Savant, Firecracker, CHIETA, and SASOL, the EIV is delighted to introduce the outstanding finalists that have been selected to present their projects, which aim to revolutionise the energy landscape and promote sustainable development in Africa: - Therm Development: Pioneers in sustainable heating solutions, utilising innovative technologies for efficient energy consumption.
- AET Africa: Visionaries in renewable energy systems, specialising in solar and wind power generation across the African continent.
- Ceneco Green Power Limited: Experts in developing and operating environmentally friendly power plants, focused on reducing carbon emissions.
- Energy Cubes: Innovators in energy storage, offering scalable and cost-effective solutions for optimising power distribution.
- Powerstove Energy: Trailblazers in clean cooking solutions, providing efficient and clean-burning stoves for households and communities
- Revive Earth Limited: Leaders in waste-to-energy conversion, turning organic waste into renewable resources while mitigating environmental impact.
- Green Share Virtual Power Plant: Pioneers of a decentralised energy management system, enabling communities to generate, store, and share renewable energy.
- Thinkbikes: Innovators in sustainable urban transportation, designing and manufacturing electric bicycles for eco-conscious commuters.
- FLX EV: Visionaries in electric mobility, offering cutting-edge electric vehicles with a focus on performance, affordability, and sustainability.
- Impact Free Water: Experts in water treatment technologies, providing sustainable solutions for clean and accessible water in resource-challenged regions.
Don’t miss out on the chance to engage with these visionary entrepreneurs and experts, as they demonstrate how their projects will address the energy challenges across Africa. From scalable solutions for rural communities, to innovative grid technologies, these finalists promise to inspire, educate, and shape a greener future for the continent.
Organised by Hyve Group Plc., the Green Energy Africa Summit is where the world connects with the African Energy sector. Register to attend here https://
GreenEnergyAfricaSummit.com/. Attend the Green Energy Africa Summit to be part of the solution and connect with industry leaders, charting the way towards a sustainable clean energy transition for Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Green Energy Africa Summit.Media Contact:
Amie Sparrow
PR Manager
amie.sparrow@hyve.group