Opinion

EconomyOpinionTrade

African countries need to shift from exporting commodities to tapping domestic demand

Recent internal instability and external shocks have created a vicious cycle of economic and financial distress in Africa, raising questions about the continent's ability to shape its own destiny
A panoramic photo shows the rapidly growing sustainable energy network constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District at Toole Army Depot, Utah, March 22, 2016. When the two turbines, solar array, backup generators, battery storage systems, a micro grid and other planned renewable sources are operational, Tooele expects to become net zero by 2020 – going off grid and producing all of its own energy needs.
EconomyOpinion

Africa needs a grand revival plan from the West and China

Africa's crises have fuelled a surge in migration to Europe unlikely to abate soon unless rapid population growth is matched by improving economic conditions
An overcrowded refugee boat capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea. The current economic and political situation in Africa has already fuelled a sharp rise in migration. Last September (2023), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 2,500 people had died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the first nine months of 2023, with many more perishing before they reached the coast. During that same period, 130,000 migrants, many departing from Tunisia or Libya, landed in Italy. These numbers will increase sharply if Africa’s population growth is not coupled with improving economic conditions. Worryingly, the International Monetary Fund’s current forecasts suggest GDP growth of around 4 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa for the next two years – well below long-term trends. The current influx of mass migration to European countries such as Italy, Spain, and Greece may be only the beginning.
EconomyOpinion

Fixes for Africa’s exploding debt and collapsing currencies

Highly indebted African countries face stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies
Storm clouds gathering over Accra, Ghana. Nineteen African countries, including Ghana and Zambia, are already in debt distress (meaning they are unable to meet financial obligations) or at high risk of debt distress. Ghana’s public debt has more than doubled since 2012 and amounts to 85 per cent of GDP. Zambia’s went up much higher and stood at 98 per cent as of 2022. Both Ghana and Zambia, along with Ethiopia, have defaulted on their foreign debt, sparking fears about a broader sovereign debt crisis on the continent if more countries fall into debt distress.
EconomyOpinion

The conceptual roots of the debt crisis in the Global South

Growing debt crisis in the Global South largely the result of a flawed multilateral system, and also reflects inadequacies of the dominant analytical and policy frameworks
A map displayed in a shop in the US shows pins and currencies left by visitors from around the world. Based on the number of pins on the map, it seems that most visitors are from the United States, followed by Western Europe.
OpinionPolitics & Policy

Africa needs a surge in entrepreneurship

Limited access to finance has been cited as a binding constraint on African economic development, but what if the chronic shortage of entrepreneurs is equally limiting?
An overhead view of Kikuubo, Kampala's busiest market
Opinion

Tanzania is a showcase for World Bank funding

The International Development Association is a major source of support for African countries struggling with mounting debt and shrinking fiscal space
Electricity infrastructure in Pemba, Tanzania. In May 2010, a submarine cable brought electricity from Tanga to Pemba (and on to the mainland). The cable was buried in the picturesque surroundings of Mkumbuu; three metres into the ground before rising to a mast about 120 metres from the water's edge. The cable continues to the Wesha substation, where "feeders" distribute the power to the island's grid. Norway paid NOK 475 million (out of a total cost of NOK 575 million). Norway also provided technical assistance to the project. The cable is now operated and maintained by the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO).
East African CommunityOpinionPolitics & Policy

DRC elections: three factors that have shaped Tshisekedi’s rocky first term

While Tshisekedi can claim some successes, including the DRC's accession to the EAC and modest economic growth, much remains to be done to improve the lives of Congo's people
Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaks at the naming and inauguration of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Research Station in Bukavu, DRC, 8 October 2019.
Energy, Oil & GasOpinion

How green hydrogen can be made to work for Africa

Africa's limited energy infrastructure means that countries can leapfrog fossil fuels and build green economies based on renewable energy and designed to meet their needs
A plant owned by Hyphen Hydrogen Energy. Efforts to build Africa's nascent green hydrogen industry are underway, most notably in Namibia's Tsau Khaeb National Park. In May, the Namibian government signed a feasibility and implementation agreement with Hyphen Hydrogen Energy for a green hydrogen production and supply project near the coastal town of Lüderitz. In June, the government agreed to take a 24 per cent equity stake in the $10bn project, which is almost equal to Namibia's GDP.
Opinion

For inclusive media, we need to bridge the digital divide

Only two million Ugandans use social media regularly, representing a paltry 4.3 per cent of the population, leaving a significant portion of the population outside the digital sphere
Young woman typing on a smartphone
OpinionPolitics & Policy

Three years on, the events of November 2020 loom large

Opposition National Unity Platform says some of its supporters are still unaccounted for since November 2020, and continues to face intense scrutiny from security forces
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