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Enel Partners with Seedstars to Support Electricity Startups in Africa

Enel, an Italian manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas, is collaborating with Swiss group Seedstarts World SA to help small electricity businesses in Africa.

Addis Ababa Small Businesses Go On Strike in Business Tax Dispute

Businesses in the largest shopping market in Ethiopia’s capital city went on strike on July 25, as part of a protest against a major increase in business taxes.

Healthymagination Mother and Child Programme Kicks Off With 2nd Wave

Healthymagination's Mother and Child Programme just unveiled the 14 social enterprises selected as its second cohort in Africa. Each emerging enterprise is focused in one way or another on improving and accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in Africa.

Total Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions in Africa Down Sharply in Q2 2017

The new quarterly Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions index prepared by Chicago-based Baker McKenzie shows a major drop in inbound M&A deals in Africa compared to the same period last year. Political uncertainty was cited as a primary reason for the market drop.

LafargeHolcim Expands in Middle East Africa

LafargeHolcim, a Swiss building materials manufacturer, is expanding in Middle East Africa under the new banner of Iraq-based Binastore.

Marrone Bio Innovations of California Brings Bio-Based Pest Control to Africa

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc, a Davis, California based provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products for agriculture, ornamental, turf and water treatment markets, just made its first shipment to the African continent.

FAO and AfDB Collaborate on 'Desert to Power Program' in Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have begun a new major collaboration initiative to help transform precarious situations in the desert part of Africa into developmental opportunities. It is called the 'Desert to Power program', and will be deployed to 11 countries including Sudan.

Ethiopia Launches Livestock Identification and Traceability System

The Ethiopian Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries just launched its new Ethiopian Livestock Identification and Traceability System. It was made possible with the technical and financial support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Senegal's InTouch 'Guichet Unique" Solution Coming to 8 African Countries

Senegal-based African fintech company InTouch (www.InTouchgroup.net) recently reached a deal with France-based Total, a global provider of oil, gas and solar energy solutions, and Worldline, a French e-payment service provider. The deal will bring rollout of InTouch's 'Guichet Unique" payment solution to eight African countries.

AfDB Unveils Somalia Infrastructure Fund (SIF)

Donors were recently briefed on the status of the new Multi-Partner Somalia Infrastructure Fund (SIF) by the African Development Bank. The session also included a look at AfDB's new Country Brief for Somalia.

Zimbabwe's FBC Insurance Selects Digital Insurance Platform from SSP

Zimbabwe insurance provider FBC Insurance has added SSP's (www.SSP-worldwide.com) digital insurance platform, SSP Pure Insurance, to help expand and better support its growing customer base.

South African Startup Rentorr Connects Landlords, Renters, and Contractors

Rentorr, a unique new startup based in South Africa which just began accepting early signups, connects landlords and potential renters through online software to make it safe to rent for landlords and easy to browse for potential lessees. It also connects landlords to contractor services to help maintain their properties.

Kenya Joins Empretec Network

Kenya is joining the Empretec network, a new United Nations's programme to promote entrepreneurship by building capacity for small businesses around the globe. The project has Jack Ma, the founder of Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba -- and UNCTAD Special Advisor for Youth Entrepreneurship and Small Business, as a major backer and participant in the network.

South Africa Committee Seeks Feedback on Political Party Funding Proposals

South Africa is currently exploring new regulations regarding the funding of political parties in the country. It has extended the deadline for comments on those rules for today, July 24.

Tango Mining Forms South African Subsidiary TML Equipment Solutions

Vancouver-based Tango Mining Limited has formed a South African subsidiary in partnership with the Lebanon-based GZA Group .

Tanzania to Receive $21.7M for Geothermal Energy Project

Tanzania's Geothermal Energy Development Project has received approval for a total of US $21.7 million to be provided from the international Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

VC4A Shows How the Right Founders Drive African Startup Success

A new report produced by Netherlands-based Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A), illustrates in detail how a strong team of founders -- and the right mix of founders -- is the key driver for African startup success.

South Africa Open for Comments on New International Arbitration Bill Thru July 28

South Africa's extensive rework of the law involving arbitration in contracts, the International Arbitration Bill, was approved by the government in March 2017. The public and business at large are asked to comment on the bill no later than July 28, 2017.

Zambia Hosts AGCO-Sponsored Future Farm Forum for Young Agripreneurs

Delegates from 11 countries recently attended the the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions’ (SACAU) Young Agripreneurs Forum to its Future Farm in Zambia for an in-depth three-day programme covering the business of agriculture and effective deployment of the latest equipment.

Burundi's Bujumbura Puts In Solar-Powered Streetlights from Gigawatt Global

With over 95% of Burundi's 11 million residents lacking access to electricity, there is a critical need for something innovative to help. Netherlands-based Gigawatt Global Coöperatief U.A., a multinational renewable energy company, is helping out by bringing solar-powered street lights to the downtown Bujumbura.

IMF Holds Week-Long Review with Mozambique, Comes Up Empty on Critical Data

Michel Lazare and a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed a detailed review with authorities in Mozambique from July 10-19, regarding the previous audit report of EMATUM, Proindicus and MAM public sector companies. The high-level review went well, but there is still concern that Mozambique still has not addressed major gaps in data requested by the IMF.

Three Agencies Pull Together to Fund Food Security in Rwanda and Tanzania

As a means to improve food security in Rwanda and Tanzania, the Washington, D.C. based International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), a fund coordinated by the World Bank, are launching smallholder farmer financing programs with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

African Innovation Foundation Award Winners Announced

The African Innovation Foundation (AIF, www.AfricanInnovation.org) just announced the prize winners for the 6th edition of the coveted Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA, http://InnovationPrizeForAfrica.org). Innovators from Egypt, Uganda and Liberia won the top three awards.

Nigeria Vows to Keep Its Movie, TV and Music Production "In Country"

The Federal Government of Nigeria is serious about its intent to curtain production of Nigerian film, television, and music production outside of the country. They are planning to change the law to require it.

First Edition of Africa Data Revolution Report Published in Accra

The first edition of the Africa Data Revolution Report (ADDR), jointly published bythe Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Wide Web Foundation and the Open Data for Development Network (OD4D), was just launched on July 19.