Zimbabwe Urged to Produce its Competitive Local Products

By Joyce Mukucha Developing a robust industrial and commercial sector is vital for import substitution and crucial following Zimbabwe’s ratification of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) in 2019, a government official has said. Officially opening the Buy Zimbabwe-Buy Local Summit in Harare yesterday, Vice President who is also the Minister of Health and…

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Make agri-food systems resilient to address food security: SOFA 2021

Transform agricultural food systems to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for better production, nutrition, environment, and life for all, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) said in The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2021 report. Measures to contain the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 disrupted global and national supply chains…

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Caledonia’s listing on Victoria Falls Stock Exchange commendable: ZELA

By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association On the 2nd of December 2021, Caledonia Mining Corporation, which owns Blanket Mine in Gwanda, was officially listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX)[1], a wholly subsidiary of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE). The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) is a foreign denominated stock market established by the Government of Zimbabwe…

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OneGaming offering entertainment, ubiquitous connectivity

NetOne’s OneGaming product launched today has been described as strategic since it dovetails with the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal, and Courier Services’ mandate of offering ubiquitous connectivity that cascades to the gaming market. Officially launching the product today, Engineer Gibbson Jumbi, the NetOne Board vice-chairperson said the OneGaming platform gives subscribers improved…

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USAID boosts support to Zimbabwe through resilience-building

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a US$5.7 million contribution from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support people experiencing vulnerability to food insecurity across urban and rural areas. This brings USAID’s contributions to over US$45 million over the last year. Urban populations will benefit from the contribution through WFP’s…

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ARTUZ condemns GBV in the workplace

By Marlvin Ngiza The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has condemned gender based-violence while advocating for gender equality at workplaces. Speaking ahead of the 2021 commemorations of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, ARTUZ Gender and Social Welfare Secretary Sukuoluhle Ndlovu reprimanded all perpetrators of violence at workplaces. She said gender…

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All set for inaugural medical professionals awards in Zimbabwe

All roads are leading to the Rainbow Towers Hotel for the inaugural medical professional awards to be held on Saturday 4 December 2021. The organisers are the Zimbabwe Medical Awards Trust that celebrates medical professionals and specialists on the work that they do, especially during this pandemic of Covid-19. Speaking to Spiked Online Media ahead…

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Zimbabwe Agri-tech Strategy to mainstream ICTs into agriculture

The government is working on mainstreaming information communication technologies (ICTs) into agriculture and to achieve this, it has developed the Zimbabwe Agri-Tech Strategy to leverage innovations to improve efficiency, increase effectiveness, reduce costs and enhance the competitiveness of the sector. In his remarks delivered on behalf of the minister, Hon Vangelis Haritatos, the Deputy Minister…

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NetOne’s OneMoney Remit launch to foster financial inclusion

The launch of OneMoney Remit by mobile telephony giant, NetOne marks a great milestone in the country’s financial inclusion efforts, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services said. The launch yesterday was welcomed as a measure expected to ease liquidity challenges in the country since more players will…

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New COVID-19 surges keep travel restrictions in place

One out of five destinations continues to have their borders completely closed as new surges of COVID-19 impact the restart of international tourism. The latest research shows that still, 98% of all destinations have some kind of travel restrictions in place. According to the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 46 destinations (21% of all destinations worldwide) currently…

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AGYW Africa demand prioritisation of their issues as world rebuilds from COVID-19 ruins

African girls and young women have sent demands to African governments to prioritise funding of their issues as the world is rebuilding from the ruins of Covid-19. This week, 330 girls from the regions East, Southern, and West Africa converged in person and virtually in 15 countries at the platform Adolescent Girls and Young Women…

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Banana Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4: a damaging disease threatening banana production in Southern Africa and beyond

By Dr. Mathew M. Abang Bananas represent one of the most consumed and traded fruits globally. In Southern Africa, bananas serve both as a staple food and important cash crop. To date, Tanzania is the largest producer of bananas in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)….

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IOM, Government Committed to Strengthening Sustainable, Inclusive Labour Migration Management

By Joyce Mukucha In the quest to address operational challenges of migration and ensure the provision of decent working conditions for all, human dignity, well-being and safety for labour migrants, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe is implementing a project entitled “Strengthening Capacities for Labour Mobility Governance in…

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Zimbabwe to Prioritize Policies on Value Chains Across all Sectors to Spur Industrialization

The Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) supported a two-day workshop to work with Zimbabwean experts to develop an Action Plan on alignment and harmonization of regional and national frameworks on industrialization in Zimbabwe. In a joint press release, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Zimbabwe) and the Sub-Regional Office…

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Deforestation negatively impacting livelihoods in Cameroon, Central Africa

Food shortages, the disappearance of medicinal plants and essences, and changes in lifestyle are the consequences of deforestation on the indigenous peoples of Central Africa. Nearly 60 km from Douala in Cameroon, in the Littoral region, on a normal road that runs along a track that is engulfed in the forest, and out of nowhere,…

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Transition from informality to formality: All set for Bulawayo refurbished SMEs factory

The launch of the Metro Mini Factories Centre in Bulawayo is slated for 3 December 2021 with stakeholders to be drawn from the International Labour Organisation (ILO); the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development; the Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs; Bulawayo City Council; and the National Nocial Security Authority (NSSA) with a…

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IATF 2021 Ends with Commitment to Strengthen the AfCFTA

The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2021) has ended on Sunday in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a collective commitment to ensure that the economic stimulation triggered by the event translates into the continued strengthening of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  Speaking during the closing ceremony of IATF 2021 at the Durban International…

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BancABC partners Mama Money to launch Border Hopper remittance service in TM Pick n Pay stores

BancABC Zimbabwe, the local banking subsidiary of Pan African group, Atlas Mara, has today launched Border Hopper, an international remittance service that allows Zimbabweans abroad to send money home. The Border-to-Border remittance service was launched with South Africa to Zimbabwe transfers as the first corridor with plans to extend the service to other countries in…

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Creative industry a major tool for Africa’s GDP growth

Africa’s creative industry represents a potent instrument that could grow the GDP of African countries and pull the continent’s youth out of poverty, Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of the African Import-Export Bank (Afreximbank), said on Friday as the two-day Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) kicked off at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2021) in Durban, South…

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Afreximbank, ARC MOU to enhance resilience and disaster risk financing initiatives

The African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) and African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group on 18 November 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly enhance resilience and disaster risk financing initiatives that also impact the trade and supply chain across the continent. The purpose of this MOU is to enable joint member states to enhance disaster…

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AGYW Conference brings together key stakeholders for girl-child empowerment

Key stakeholders including African Diplomats, the Canadian Ambassador, and Minister will converge in Harare for the first-ever Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Africa Conference from the 23rd to the 25th of November. Tag a Life International (TaLI), a Zimbabwean girls and young women’s rights organization will be the host where the meeting will provide…

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Zimbabwean Companies Sign Deals worth over $188 Million With Afreximbank at IATF2021

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has signed financing agreements with four Zimbabwean entities for a total of US$188,600,000. The deals, concluded during the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) currently taking place in Durban, were agreed on Tuesday and Wednesday. The trade fair opened on 15 November in Durban and runs until 21 November. On Wednesday, Afreximbank…

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Silverbird Group and AAA Entertainment Sign $50 Million Deal at IATF

Silverbird Group and AAA Entertainment are entering into a partnership to develop and produce a slate of cinematic African feature films on the continent. AAA Entertainment will bring to the partnership an experienced film development, financing and production team, facilities, and partnership network, while Silverbird Group brings its cinema exhibition and distribution infrastructure and experience…

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President Obasanjo Advocates for Made-In-Africa Brand to Instill Pride in African products

The third day of the Intra-African Trade Fair 2021 (IATF2021) ended with a clarion call by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo for the creation of an emblematic Made-in-Africa brand that will promote intra-African trade and boost the international export of African products. Speaking during a conversation session that marked the highlight of the day, Chief Obasanjo told…

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ILO-funded project benefits informal workers in Bulawayo

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Employment and Labour Market Governance Programme (EPLMGP) that brought together stakeholders like Old Mutual, the National and Social Security Authority (NSSA) and the Bulawayo City Council is leading small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to transition from the informal to the formal economy. Addressing journalists who toured the recently refurbished Bulawayo SMEs Centre…

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Climate change means hunger in our communities, African women leaders at COP26

Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, emerged as one of the most prominent youth voices at COP26 in Glasgow. “Prove us wrong,” was her message to delegates at the climate talks, which entered their final day on Friday, as fears grew that countries would fail to convert ambition into an agreement. Activists and delegates from…

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US$4 Billion Pledge to Support Sustainable Agriculture: Is It Enough?

Forty-five countries including the UK pledged Saturday to protect nature and transition to more sustainable farming. The announcement was made on Nature and Land Use day at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, which the UK is hosting, and comes with a promise to use more than $4 billion in public sector investments to make agriculture more resilient to the climate crisis and make new innovations accessible…

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Aquaculture, fisheries driving the blue economy in Africa

In driving the blue economy, aquaculture and fisheries are playing a key role in ensuring food and nutrition security as well as securing livelihoods and wealth creation on the African continent. Speaking during the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Media Training Workshop organised in partnership with the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)…

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Intra-African Trade Fair 2021 poised to boost commerce across Africa

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2021) will see Durban host key figures from the world of trade, including entrepreneurs, financiers, governments and regulators, on one platform to deliberate on trade acceleration and investment throughout the African continent.   Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and the African Continental…

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AfrlPI Geographical  Indications Conference kicks-off

By Muchaneta Chimuka The first ever, Conference on Geographical Indications (GI) under the AfrlPI project in collaboration with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) countries has kick started today (10 -12 Nov) with several representatives from different countries in Africa in attendance.   The conference is aimed at unpacking issues to do with trade…

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Harnessing the blue economy: Zanzibar women eke a living from seaweed

In Panje, Zanzibar, on the coastline of the resort city, the Furahia Wanawake (Seaweed Farming Women Association) is an organisation of women who are eking a living from seaweed – a low-hanging fruit in the blue economy discourse. According to the Seaweed Farming Women Association Secretary, one Mwanaisha, the project officially came into full force…

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POTRAZ maps strategic direction for the ICT sector

The Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) is reviewing its strategic plan and formulating action plans for 2022 with Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services sharing his vision for the sector. The minister reiterated the importance of strategic planning as a prerequisite for success in any endeavour and…

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The significance of understanding consumer buying power

By Charles Dhewa One of the most overlooked trends in African agriculture-driven economies is the buying power of local consumers. When the private sector, government departments, and development agencies support agriculture, they rarely think about whether local consumers will afford what will be produced or not. At worst, this oversight leads to over-production, translating to…

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