New UNIDO report shows that Africa is industrializing, albeit insufficiently

Monday, 31 March 2025 10:35

Despite the continent has made significant strides in infrastructure development and energy and resource efficiency, the rate of speed at which it is industrializing is still insufficient, the new United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) industrial development report (2024) shows. Presented on 26 March 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a joint event titled ‘The Future of Industrial Development in Africa’, the study shows that the rate of transformation of African economies is low, participation in global chains remains weak and employment conditions are deteriorating.

Transport Observatories and corridor monitoring systems in Africa

Tuesday, 25 March 2025 14:35

Corridor Management Authorities (CMAs) generally use to develop specific IT tools for monitoring performances of transport corridors to quickly detect bottlenecks and promptly identify solutions to improve trade, transit and transport operations along the routes they oversee. A best practice in the adoption of these systems is offered by the Northern Corridor, considered as the birthplace of the concept of Corridor Transport Observatory in Africa. This model, through successive improvements and revisions, helped to shape the Central Corridor Transport Observatory and other projects of Transport Observatories in the continent.

The continental and nation-branding challenge of Africa

Tuesday, 18 March 2025 07:43

An interesting article published on Semafor Africa raises the problem of the low brand awareness of African brands by Africans and their general distrust towards them. In October 2021 we published on our blog a post where we argued that it is time for Africa to develop a collective trademark system capable to raise the visibility of African brands both a continental that extra-continental level. Semafor notes that a study on the 100 brands that are most-admired in Africa shows that 80% of them are actually extra-continental brands, concluding that Africans generally prefer foreign-made to local made products and services. Since brands are a vector of a country's image and identity, this translates into a poor visibility of those countries where such products and services are made, and of Africa in general.

Political stability essential for Africa to unlock its full economic potential

Monday, 24 March 2025 17:15

While Kenya inaugurates a pilot project of transport of flowers by rail via reefer container from Naivasha to the Mombasa port for export to The Netherlands, in Ethiopia international flower companies flee the country because of the worsening political instability. Semafor Africa reports that the north-western Amhara region, a key flower-growing hub, has suffered a major blow with regard to one of the country’s main exports: fresh-cut flowers. To take advantage of this situation there are the neighboring Kenya and Uganda, where the companies are relocating. After five Dutch companies (Tal Flower Farms, Tana Flora, Abyssinia Flowers, Dutch Flower Group and Alpha Flora) left the country, it is now the turn of Selecta One, a German company, which is planning to quit the country, leaving more than 1,000 local personnel unemployed.

Special Economic Zones as drivers of development of regional value chains in the context of the AfCFTA

Sunday, 16 March 2025 15:23

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are a particularly trending topic at the moment. The role of this policy tool was discussed during the fifty-seventh session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held in Addis Ababa from 17 and 18 March 2025 on the occasion of the Conference of the African Union Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. At this event, a specific round table explored the role of these important policy tools as drivers of the development of regional value chains in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). A concept note developed by ECA to guide the discussions provides an overview of such tools, revealing that Africa has witnessed a strong growth in their number since 1990 (when there were only 20), reaching the considerable number of 237 in 2020, mainly concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt. However, despite this proliferation, these zones have delivered mixed results, in terms of attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) and know-how, creation of employment and improvement of trade balances through increased exports. This is due to persistent challenges as weak cross-industry linkages and infrastructure connections. But there is more...

New UNIDO report shows that Africa is industrializing, albeit insufficiently

Transport Observatories and corridor monitoring systems in Africa

The continental and nation-branding challenge of Africa

Political stability essential for Africa to unlock its full economic potential

Special Economic Zones as drivers of development of regional value chains in the context of the AfCFTA

More Articles...

Login

Who is online

Main Menu

Resources