Marriott International continues expansion across Africa with three new deal signings

Anticipated new hotels will mark debut in Liberia while strengthening presence in Morocco and Ghana From the Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain in Marrakech, Marriott International (www.Marriott.com) announced three new deal signings across North and West Africa, reinforcing the company’s commitment to expanding its presence across the continent. The new deal signings highlight the company’s growth…

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Isheanesu Investments leading clothing manufactures in Zimbabwe

By Byron Mutingwende   Isheanesu Investments is the leading company that trains cutting and designing technicians and manufactures a wide range of clothing products in Chitungwiza and the rest of Zimbabwe.   The company has grown big from a humble background. Isheanesu Investment (Private) Limited started with one machine operating from home at 9283 Unit…

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Africa’s Travel Indaba rescheduled due to election in South Africa

South African Tourism has announced that the 2019 Africa’s Travel Indaba will be rescheduled, following SA President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Of The Nation Address last night, 7 February 2019. The President confirmed that the date of the national elections would be May 8, which falls directly within the dates scheduled for the Indaba: May 6…

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Steward Bank set to expand rural loans programme following boost of $100 million from Strive Masiyiwa

Steward Bank’s rural entrepreneurs initiative has been given a five-year grant of $100 million from the family foundation of Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa.   The money is intended to scale up an existing programme that has been going on for the last three years and has already seen Steward Bank disburse $3 million in rural…

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Major new Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme underway in Zimbabwe

The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is funded to the tune of €45 Million by the European Union through the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), and co-funded by the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM). The SWM Programme is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the French Agricultural…

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Teachers’ Job Action gathering momentum despite State Crackdown

Teachers countrywide continue to join the ongoing job action demanding a living wage. A survey conducted by Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) revealed that Matabeleland North province is the most compliant with an attendance of as low as 15%. Mashonaland East is the least compliant with an attendance of 40%. Overall attendance was…

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Masiyiwas Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is By Launching a $100m Rural Entrepreneurship Fund

Econet founder and executive chairman, Mr Strive Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi, have launched a $100m Challenge Fund to support rural entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs focusing on rural areas in Zimbabwe as part of their extensive philanthropic work in Zimbabwe and across Africa. The fund is being financed from their personal resources and will be…

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African consumers need more investment in food safety, new report finds

Development spending efforts should target improved food safety for African consumers, who need greater information and awareness to be able to demand higher standards, finds the Global Food Safety Partnership. More than half of donor funded food safety initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa are focused on overseas markets, with less than half on domestic consumers, a new report…

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How climate change is inspiring intelligent experimentation at grassroots

By Charles Dhewa During times of socio-economic stability, farmers and entrepreneurs can afford to rely on one commodity or value chain.  Not when climate change is announcing itself in unpredictable ways. That is why experimentation is no longer a preserve for schools and universities. Farming areas and markets are becoming laboratories for intelligent experimentation among…

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Drivers reap benefits of partnership with Cassava-On-Demand’s ride service

Drivers of the popular Vaya Ride shuttle service are savouring the opportunity their partnership with Cassava-on-Demand’s ride hailing service has afforded them to generate income and earn a decent living. Several Vaya drivers this week gave different accounts of how the partnership had economically empowered them since the service was launched towards the end of…

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With $100 Million Afreximbank Commitment, FEDA positioned to support African businesses

The operationalisation of the newly-created Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) moved into high gear today with the holding of the pre-incorporation meeting of the Board of Directors in Cairo. FEDA, a wholly-owned development-oriented subsidiary of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has been set up to implement the Bank’s Equity Investment Programme by providing seed capital…

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International Tourist Arrivals Reach 1.4 billion Two Years Ahead of Forecasts

2018 totalled 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals (+6%), consolidating 2017 strong results and proving to be the second strongest year since 2010 Middle East (+10%) and Africa (+7%) grew above the world average while Asia and the Pacific and Europe grew at 6% For 2019, UNWTO forecasts a 3-4% increase, in line with the historical…

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TelOne, Temba Mliswa and Norton Council in massive cleanup campaign

TelOne, in partnership with the Norton Member of the National Assembly Temba Mliswa, local authority for the town and members of the community embarked on a massive cleanup campaign at Ngoni Shopping centre before planting trees at Knowe Primary School in Norton.   TelOne Acting Managing Director, Mr Joseph Machiva said the initiative was in…

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Moovah, Zimpost partnership to enhance convenience for insurance customers

By Byron Mutingwende One of Cassava Smartech’s insurance arms, Moovah, has entered into a partnership with ZIMPOST to enhance convenience for their customers countrywide. Speaking during the unveiling of the partnership in Harare on 31 January 2019, Mr. George Nyashanu, the Managing Director of Econet Insurance and Life, said the move was in line with…

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South Sudan, Africa Energy Chamber partner in petroleum deal

The African Energy Chamber (EnergyChamber.org) has entered into a technical assistance cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum of the Republic of South Sudan to strengthen the country’s capacity to manage its hydrocarbons sector and wealth. South Sudan has over the past year demonstrated a commitment to peace, which gives the country an opportunity to…

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Vaya Ride service gets positive customer feedback

Convenient, quick, safe and reliable Cassava-on-Demand’s Vaya Ride service has received a boost from customers that have hailed the popular ride service for its convenience, cost-effectiveness, safety and reliability. Barely three months after the online, Uber-like car ride service was launched in late October 2018, Vaya has quickly grown in popularity, especially with busy urban…

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Brazil dam collapse: ILO emphasises on occupational safety

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has reiterated the crucial importance of a functioning system to guarantee occupational safety and health for miners and protection for their communities following the collapse of a dam in Brazil. ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, has issued a statement following the collapse of a dam in the town of Brumadinho, Brazil….

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A legal analysis of Internet shutdown in Zimbabwe

By Veritas In this bulletin we shall examine the legality of the Internet shut-downs against the background of the Constitution, international law and the Interception of Communications Act. On the 15th January, the second day of a stay-away called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, all Internet services across the country were switched off…

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Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) With Punch-hole Display, 3-lens Cameras Launched in South Korea

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) was recently launched in South Korea, complete with an Infinity-O display, 6GB RAM, 128 GB inbuilt storage, a triple rear camera, 24 MP selfie sensor, 3,400mAh battery, and a rear fingerprint scanner. Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) has been priced in Korea at KRW 599,500 (roughly Rs. 37,800). It is…

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Huawei Announces World’s First 5G Chipsets, Smartphones, and Router Ahead of MWC 2019

Forging ahead with its 5G plans and securing its leading position for 5G deployments — despite hardware bans in multiple countries — Huawei recently announced a collection of new chips and devices designed to make strong use of the next-generation cellular standard, notably including data speeds that may surpass competing products from rivals. For consumers, the biggest news may be…

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Zimbabwe Businesses Negatively Impacted by The illegal Internet Shutdown

The internet shutdown by government has had an adverse impact on business operations in various sectors of the economy. Government last week switched off internet connectivity in the face of violent protests, which resulted in at least 12 deaths. The shutdown, according to the government, was necessitated by security concerns. However, the High Court this week overturned…

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Tour Africa’s New Horizon Project to increase Chinese Tourists to Zimbabwe

Tour Africa’s New Horizon Project will see Zimbabwe receiving 350 Chinese tourists every month as from March 2019, Priscah Mupfumira, the Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has said. Minister Mupfumira made the remarks at Meikles Hotel in Harare yesterday where she revealed that the project is a collaboration between Ethiopian Airlines, which is providing…

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Bar Emmerson Mnangagwa from Switzerland: Silvanos Mudzvova

Switzerland should bar President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his delegation from entering their country, actor and human rights activist Silvanos Mugova has said. The Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his delegation will be arriving in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Summit in Davos, amid torture, abductions, brutality by state apparatus (military, police, Central Intelligence Organisation…

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Digitisation is ‘underplayed in the African agricultural transformation agenda’

The potential for new technology to support African smallholders receives insufficient attention, says director of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) The huge promise of technology to help improve productivity, profitability and sustainability for African smallholders should be higher on the international agenda, the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture heard. Michael…

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Spotlight on Zimbabwe’s stay-away and protests over deterioration of economy

Soldiers were deployed to residential suburbs across towns and cities as the stay away called for by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions starting Monday 14 January 2019 turned violent. According to Generation Consensus, its activists on the ground reported widespread violation of rights by soldiers and police. The reported violations included abductions and torture,…

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Jao

Angola: The grace period is over for João Lourenço

Angola’s economic troubles began in 2014 when global crude oil prices dipped and severely hampered the government’s ability to generate revenue João Lourenço has been president of Angola since 26 September 2017. About one year later, he cemented his hold on power by taking over the chairmanship of the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA)….

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NANGO calls for level heads as socio-economic situation deteriorates

By NANGO The National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO), the official umbrella body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe, notes with great concern the degeneration of the current social and political situation in the country. NANGO takes note of the the issues that a cross section of Zimbabweans have been raising over a prolonged period…

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How can the predatory nature of development efforts be tamed?

By Charles Dhewa Many rural communities in low income countries are fed up with the predatory nature of external development initiatives. According to the WordWeb dictionary, a predatory animal is one that lives by catching and preying on other animals. Predatory tendencies also include living by or victimising others for personal gain. When development agencies…

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Wetlands Shoddy Deals Expose Authorities’ Complicity

By Tendai Guvamombe The constant rise in the fight against invasion of wetlands in Harare has exposed shoddy deals orchestrated by relevant authorities amid calls for the government to subject perpetrators under investigative scrutiny. On Friday last week City of Harare Environmental Committee and Harare Wetlands Trust embarked on another Joint Wetland Tour in different…

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Zim EFF calls on Government to declare a national Economic disaster to save the country.

By Innocent Ndibali (Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters  (EFF) President) We as Zim EFF and on behalf of the majority of our people and together with the poor, downtrodden and disposed people of Zimbabwe today declare that we are real victims of Zanu PF’s mismanagement of our country which has resulted in the collapse of the…

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Samsung and Apple Put Their Beef Aside, Signs a Deal That Will Let People Access iTunes on Their Smart TVs

Samsung said that it would add an app to its smart televisions in the coming months to let owners watch content bought on Apple’s iTunes service, a possible first sign Apple is looking to distribute its forthcoming television service on devices made by others. The deal is part of an ongoing strategy shift for Apple,…

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The US is Wary About China Spying Using Huawei Technologies Co. Why? Because the US Have Done The Same Thing in The Past

The US is again warning its allies about the risks of using telecom equipment made by China’s Huawei Technologies Co. American officials have briefed their counterparts in countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan about what they argue are potential cybersecurity risks, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall). This follows previous warnings, such as a claim earlier this…

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Huawei Technologies Fires Employee, Wang Weijing Who is Arrested in Poland on Spy Charges

Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. says it has terminated the employment of a Chinese worker, Wang Weijing who was arrested on spying allegations in Poland. The allegations against Wang Weijing “have no relation to the company,” Huawei Technologies Ltd. said in a statement. It said Wang was fired because the incident “brought Huawei into…

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