Author Archives: admin

The bottleneck – New investment alone will not fix Africa’s ports. Governments need to deal with pilfering officials, too Mar 19th 2016 Economist At the entrance to the Port of Mombasa, just in front of where machinegun toting policemen check … Continue reading →

In praise of matatus – Increasing affluence risks strangling a market-driven system that works Sep 12th 2015 Economist On the edge of Kangemi, a slum to the west of Nairobi’s city centre, next to stalls selling T-shirts, sandals and second-hand … Continue reading →

Worse than malaria Oct 24th Economist Road Traffic Deaths Worldwide per 100,000 population Europe – 9.3 World – 17.5 Africa – 26.6 By Country Thailand – 35 Malawi – 34 Liberia – 33 Congo – 32 Tanzania – 32 Kenya … Continue reading →

DEMOGRAPHICS – Population, Middle Class, Migration Within Africa, Health Care, Yellow Fever, Narcotics, Gay Rights in Africa  GOVERNMENT in AFRICA – Democracy, Political Reform, International Criminal Court AGRICULTURE in AFRICA – Agriculture, Miracle Grow, A Green Revolution INDUSTRY – Industrialization, Manufacturing … Continue reading →

Settled strangers – Why some diasporas are so successful Apr 16th 2016 Ecconomist Life has not always been easy for Ashish Thakkar, founder of the Mara Group, a conglomerate that invests across Africa. He was born in 1981 in Leicester, … Continue reading →

Fortune favours the brave – Doing business in Africa is risky, but potentially highly rewarding Apr 16th 2016 Economist On the edge of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the Marché de la Liberté, a big … Continue reading →

Opportunities galore – Africa has enterprising people, but too few businesses Jul 2nd 2016 Economist If anything explains the poverty in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, it is not an unwillingness to work hard—most of the continent’s people still sweat … Continue reading →

1.2 billion opportunities – The commodity boom may be over, and barriers to doing business are everywhere. But Africa’s market of 1.2 billion people still holds huge promise Apr 16th Economist Ivory Coast For a look at the African boom … Continue reading →

Is it worth it? – For outsiders in particular, investing in Africa is strewn with hurdles Apr 16th 2016 Economist Last Ocotber MTN, a big South African mobile-telecoms company, hit a brick wall in Nigeria. The cash-strapped government there announced … Continue reading →

Is it worth it? – For outsiders in particular, investing in Africa is strewn with hurdles Apr 16th 2016 Economist South Africa Last October MTN, a big South African mobile-telecoms company, hit a brick wall in Nigeria. The cash-strapped government … Continue reading →