Mauritius Becomes the 30th Shareholder of Africa50

Casablanca, 29 August 2018: – Africa50, the pan-African investment platform, announced on Tuesday that the Republic of Mauritius became its 30th shareholder. Dharam Dev Manraj Gosh, Mauritian Minister of Finance and Economic Development, signed the Share Subscription Agreement on behalf of the Government, committing Mauritius to take the necessary steps for ratification of the agreement, as required under the Articles of…

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Econet launches value-packed EcoFarmer club

Offers incredible bundle of benefits, convenience to farmers Econet Wireless has launched the EcoFarmer Club which offers farmers access to a rich bundle of services, that include agricultural commodity prices, valuable farming tips, relevant local weather information and a mobile trading platform which links farmers to buyers. Speaking at the launch of the EcoFarmer Club…

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EcoCash launch Scan & Pay, powered by Masterpass QR

Product set to drive adoption of smart, digital payments in Zimbabwe Harare, Zimbabwe – 29 August 2018: EcoCash and Mastercard today announced the launch of EcoCash Scan & Pay, a simple, secure and instant mobile payments solution for consumers and merchants, as part of their efforts to reduce cash usage and increase digital financial inclusion…

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The character-building role of African ‘informal’ economies

By Charles Dhewa People who co-exist with Kombi drivers in Zimbabwe, Matatu drivers in Nairobi’s traffic jammed roads, boda-boda motorcyclists in Kampala and similar situations in African cities have always wondered if those drivers are from the same mother. This is due to their character which is exactly the same. ‘Informal’ traders and MSMEs also…

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Zimbabwe is open for tourism business: International buyers

By Hildah Sipono International buyers from key source markets have said Zimbabwe is sellable and buyable. The buyers arrived in Harare yesterday on a familiarisation tour ahead of the 11th edition of Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel Expo scheduled for Bulawayo on September 6-8 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds. “People do not want to see…

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Policy Innovation Labs (PILs) and their contribution to policy-making

Taking Lessons from Canada By Elmond Bandauko During the 70th Annual Conference of the Institute of Public Administration (IPAC) which was held in Quebec between the 19th to 22nd of August 2018, policy innovation was at the centre of the workshop discussions. The increased complexity of policy problems requires public administrations to be agile, creative…

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EcoSure Moovah set to become the largest vehicle insurer

Less than month after being launched, EcoSure Moovah is set to become Zimbabwe’s largest vehicle insurer, with management predicting that it will be a blockbuster rivalling other Econet brands such as EcoCash.   Mr Darlington Mandivenga, the Econet Group executive driving the initiative,  said tens of thousands of vehicle owners have already moved to the…

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MSF offers SRHR at Harare Agricultural Show

During the Harare Agricultural Show (Monday 27 August to Saturday, 1 September, 2018) Medecins Sans Frontieres/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) will be providing free sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services with specific focus on people aged between 10 to 24 years. MSF will partner with the National AIDS Council (NAC), Young Peoples’ Network on Sexual…

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Fund green revolution: Africa, developing world urged

By Nevson Mpofu Africa and the developing world have been urged to fund the Green Energy Revolution to the tune of at least $49, 4 billion from the current $9 billion. The World Bank has since 2007 financed $31 billion energy projects in developing countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. To reduce poverty, there is need…

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Zimnat rewards students who participated in hackathon

Zimnat, one of the country’s leading insurance groups, yesterday rewarded students from the Harare Institute of Technology who took part in a hackathon that the company organised. A hackathon is a competitive event where people work collaboratively in groups on software or even hardware projects with the aim of creating a functioning product by the…

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Nudging universities in developing countries to harness community based inquiry

By Charles Dhewa Contrary to prevailing formal approaches, knowledge sharing in most rural African communities is embedded in the way people work. For instance, knowledge sharing happens as farmers select seed or choose livestock breeds.  It also happens as they milk cows, plant crops, weed, harvest, store and market.  They do not stop and say,…

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Using performance measurement as a tool for decision-making in local government

By Elmond Bandauko The practice of public administration continues to face a lot of pressure emanating from rising citizen expectations, pressure for the privatisation of public services, legislative controls and the devolution of many responsibilities to lower levels of government. These forces have led to the renewed interest in performance measurement, to make government agencies…

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Afreximbank Releases Half-Year Results, Shows $343 million in Gross Revenue

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has released its unaudited financial statements for the half-year period ended 30 June 2018, showing gross revenue of $343 million. The figure represents a $21 million increase over the gross revenue for the same period in 2017. The results, released by the Bank in Cairo today, attributed the higher gross revenue to a significant increase in fee income by 119 per cent while interest and similar income recorded…

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Strategic planning in the City of Harare: what went wrong and what needs to be fixed?

By Elmond Bandauko During my strategic planning and management course, I did an analysis of the City of Harare’s current strategic plan (2012-2025), with the objective of identifying positive traits, weak points and provide policy recommendations that can strengthen the City’s strategic planning practices. This brief synthesises my perspectives on Harare’s vision of becoming a…

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Kwesé iflix now biggest TV platform in Zimbabwe

Harare, 16 August 2018 – Kwesé iflix, which took Zimbabwe by storm during the FIFA 2018 World Cup, is now the country’s largest television platform, with more than 1.2 million active account holders. The uptake figures were revealed by Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer, Mr Douglas Mboweni, at the launch of a new million-dollar…

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15th UNWTO Awards to recognise innovation and sustainability in tourism, applications open

Promoting innovation, job creation and sustainability are key considerations for the 15th World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Awards. UNWTO invites submissions until 31 October 2018. The UNWTO Awards recognise the contribution of public and private institutions and NGOs to development of a more competitive, responsible and sustainable tourism sector that works towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable…

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Exploring Innovations in Local Economic Development (LED)

Reflections from the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) programme in the Town of Swift Current, Saskatchewan (Canada) By Elmond Bandauko One of the projects we were tasked to do in our Economics and Policy Analysis course with Dr. Rob Leone was prepare a report analysing the preparedness of selected smaller municipalities to implement local economic…

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The Role of Municipalities in Poverty Reduction: Experiences from Canada

By Elmond Bandauko “Local spaces are ultimately the key site of delivery and development and, as such, local government is central to the success of sustainable development.” – South African Local Government Association (SALGA) While the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are global in nature, their achievement largely depends on our ability to make them a…

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Asking and answering fundamental questions through informal markets

By Charles Dhewa Street markets or roadside food markets have remained a permanent feature in most developing countries. The fact that these markets continue to flourish alongside emerging shopping malls shows they occupy a unique position in commercial activities.  Informal markets were previously designed for disadvantaged, low income households with ad hoc incomes who were…

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Vynn Capital Partners with the World Tourism Organisation to Boost Asia’s Tourism Sector

Vynn Capital, a South-East Asia-based early-stage venture capital firm, and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today jointly announced a strategic partnership to promote South-East Asia’s tourism sector by facilitating entrepreneurship and innovation. Through this strategic partnership, Vynn Capital and UNWTO will collaborate to create a framework and policies to support technology startups that are addressing…

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Rethinking public consultation in local policy processes: Lessons from the City of London’s official plan review process

By Elmond Bandauko This brief focuses on some of the most important highlights from my MPA research project, in which I was examining the dynamics of public consultation and stakeholder participation in a large-scale land-use planning project that was undertaken by the City of London a few years ago. Official Plan review-these words mean a…

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Demystifying council-staff relations in local government

By Elmond Bandauko Discussions of local government are usually about the activities of the mayor and councillors. After all, elected officials make the important policy decisions. However, this focus overlooks those who deliver municipal services. A small group of elected officials is supported by a much larger group of professional public servants who advise the…

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Afreximbank disburses $200 Million to Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has disbursed the sum of $200 million to theEgyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) to support EGPC’s investment in the Middle East Oil Refinery Company(MIDOR).   The Investment Financing Facility, disbursed during a signing and disbursement ceremony in Cairo on 1 August, is also aimed at supporting EGPC’s company expansion plan which is part of Egypt’s plan to become a regional hub for exporting oil…

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Shortlist revealed for ITC’s WEDF 2018 Young Social Entrepreneurs pitching competition

Young entrepreneurs from the Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda and Zambia selected for pitching contest at ITC’s World Export Development Forum in Lusaka, Zambia. (Geneva-Lusaka) – Seven young African social entrepreneurs will take the centre-stage at this year’s World Export Development Forum (WEDF) to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges with a chance of…

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The merits of an effective marketplace for agricultural evidence

By Charles Dhewa Discovering and maintaining agricultural commodities markets is not enough for developing countries. They have to build a culture of synthesising and sharing evidence in real-time. Absence of a culture of synthesising information and knowledge from diverse sources remains a big challenge among farmers, economic actors, consumers and policy makers in the majority…

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For Kuwadzana it’s Betty Nhambu-Kaseke, Zanu PF Harare’s only female candidate

By Byron Mutingwende   Monday the 30th of July 2018 will witness the re-election of the ever hardworking Member of the National Assembly for Kuwadzana Constituency Honourable Betty Nhambu-Kaseke.   Honourable Nhambu-Kaseke is not only a motherly figure but a philanthropist, devoted Christian and a multiple award winning female MP in Harare Province out of…

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UNWTO launches an online Platform to Achieve SDGs through Tourism

Promoting a greater engagement of the tourism sector with sustainable development is the main objective of the Tourism for SDGs Platform. The online tool is designed to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through tourism, and was developed by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) with the support of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic…

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Tourism and Construction have Power to Lead Move to Sustainable Economies

From infrastructure and communication to food production and transport, tourism and construction play key roles in a circular economy framework that supports sustainable development. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), together with the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme of the One Planet Network, addressed this challenge during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development…

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Econet ventures into short-term motor insurance with EcoSure Moovah

. New insurance product set to shake up industry · Offers loads of benefits, flexibility & hassle-free service   Econet has launched an innovative short-term motor vehicle insurance service, branded EcoSure Moovah, that will offer unparalleled value and matchless convenience to the motoring public.   The service will offer vehicle insurance cover, ZINARA and ZBC licence discs…

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TRNC appeals to international support in solving the Cyprus question

By Byron Mutingwende   The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is appealing for support from the international community so as to come up with a lasting solution to the Cyprus question.   Briefing journalists ahead of the 20th July celebrations at his residence in Lefkosa yesterday, the TRNC President Mr Mustafa Akinci said he…

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World Tourism Day Places Focus on Innovation & Digital Transformation

The importance of digital technologies in tourism, providing opportunities for innovation and preparing the sector for the future of work, is at the centre of World Tourism Day 2018, to be celebrated in Budapest, Hungary (27 September 2018). World Tourism Day, celebrated every 27 September around the world, is a unique opportunity to raise awareness…

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Afreximbank dynamism and leadership praised by President Buhari

he Annual Meetings and 25th Anniversary celebration of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ended in Abuja on the 14th of July 2018 with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria saying that the Bank, through its dynamism and tenacious leadership, had proved that Africans could come together to build something meaningful. Delivering a keynote address at the closing…

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Temba Mliswa’s development wave sweeps through Norton

By Byron Mutingwende   Development runs through the nerves of Temba “Bhuru” Mliswa, the Member of the House of Assembly for Norton whose great works are positively impacting the generality of people in the constituency.   The legislator, who uses yellow as his campaign colour, upped his drive to retain the seat beginning this July…

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AFCFTA yielding substantial benefits to African trade and cross-border investments

Afreximbank’s, which predicts that African economies will grow by 4.1 per cent in 2018, according to The Africa Trade Report 2018: Boosting Intra-African Trade: Implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, a new report launched by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on 11 July. The report, launched by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Amb. Albert M Muchanga,…

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“Leave No-one Behind”: SDGs take ground in Matabeleland North

By Sirak Gebrehiwot (UN Communications Specialist) The UN team, led by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Bishow Parajuli, comprising of UNICEF Representative, Dr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya; IOM Chief of Mission, Ms. Lily Sanya; WFP Representative and Country Director, Mr. Eddie Rowe; and UNDP Country Director Mr. Georges van Montfort concluded a three-day field visit,…

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