ARTS & CULTURE
Here’s why we need more African archaeologists
Our cultural values glue us to one another and help us create security and a community. Cemeteries and sacred places form part of our identity. History keeps us in touch with this identity and sense of community, yet in Africa it has been the preserve of the white investigators. Full article
Tees Valley Mayor candidate on the ‘big impact’ learning about her African heritage made
Born and raised in Oxbridge, it wasn’t until Jessie Joe Jacobs was in her teens that she found out about her Nigerian family history. The Labour candidate was chosen in 2019 and has future hopes of becoming Tees Valley Mayor, without realising she was following in the political footsteps of her grandpa. “He was a senior minister in the first Nigerian Democracy after independence and was hosted with Nigeria’s new president at Blair House by JF Kennedy in 1961. Full article
Zanele Muholi’s queer South Africa: ‘I do not dare shoot at night. It is not safe
Amid the plethora of essays in the catalogue for Zanele Muholi’s forthcoming retrospective at Tate Modern, there is a moving testimony by Lungile Dladla, a South African lesbian. Entitled I Am Not a Victim but a Victor… Full article
ECONOMY
UK and Kenya secure a trade agreement
The UK has moved a step closer to signing a sixth trade deal in Africa today (3 November), as negotiations on a trade deal are finalised with Kenya. The agreement will ensure all companies operating in Kenya, including British businesses, can continue to benefit from duty-free access as they export products including vegetables and flowers to their customers back in the UK. Full article
South Africa IMF bailout hopes falter as Zuma loyalists resist
Having received $4.3 billion in emergency financing from the IMF so far in 2020, momentum toward a much-touted and wide-ranging bailout package seems to have ebbed in recent weeks.“ANC hardliners and allies of former president Jacob Zuma remain steadfastly opposed to an IMF deal,” said David Wille, principal analyst for financial sector risk at Verisk Maplecroft. Full article
Donald Trump’s ‘foreign policy’: Fact-checking US$166 bn China-Africa trade claim
Chinese officials were the first to report that trade between China and Africa reached $166 billion in 2011. This was confirmed by data from the UN, World Bank and other research institutes. US trade volume with Africa has fallen, but experts say this shouldn’t be attributed to political disinterest or the US losing ground to China, but rather to waning US reliance on African oil imports. Full article
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Entrepreneur Who Started Out With $2 and Some Leaves
Social entrepreneur Lufefe Nomjana’s business model is as fresh as the superfood he advocates. Nomjana has grown his business from an initial stake of R40 ($2), four bunches of spinach and the use of a neighbor’s oven in 2011, into a franchise operation that currently has five stores, and growing, and distributes products into selected retails outlets in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces of South Africa. Full article
Africa’s Startups More Investible Than Ever
Africa’s startups have never been more investible than now. There is a growing number of professional ‘super angels’ involved in record-breaking deals, and private equity investments have doubled since last year. This and more were discussed at the 7th, and fully virtual, Africa Early Stage Investor Summit #AESIS2020 held on 3-4 November with more than 500 early-stage investors in attendance. Full article
Ventures Platform Foundation launches applications for Startup North-East programme
Ventures Platform Foundation has announced a call for applications from Nigerian startups for Startup North-East, an incubation programme for early-stage companies building innovative tech solutions for communities hit by the crisis in North-East Nigeria. Full article
INNOVATION
Ranking (trademark) innovation in Africa
The most innovative economies on the continent are Mauritius (52ndplace), South Africa (60th), Tunisia (65th) and Morocco (75th). The study concluded that while most countries ranked fairly low in several indicators, such as R&D, high government reliance and challenging business environments, the report highlighted several countries’ strengths, including high expenditure in education (ie, Botswana and Tunisia), R&D (ie, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt) and strong use of the IP system (ie, Kenya, Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar and Morocco). Full article
ACI Worldwide Drives Payments Innovation for Africa’s EFT Corporation, a Leader in Payments Solutions Across Africa
ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a leading global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions, today announced that EFT Corporation, one of Africa’s leading payment solution providers, is utilizing the ACI Enterprise Payments Platform to expand its payments offerings and better serve its customers across Africa. Full article
Africa In Motion: Driving Innovation, Economic Growth, And Societal Inclusion
We, at Ericsson, believe that ICT has the ability to level the global playing field and enable African countries to harness the full potential of their human capital. Almost two years ago, I landed in Africa for my first business trip to meet the team and customers in Senegal. Not only did the career move appeal to my sense of adventure and exploration, I was excited about the life-changing experiences about to unfold. Full article
LEADERSHIP
Female leadership in Nigeria’s EndSARS movement helped it grow, then gave it staying power
For nearly three weeks, starting Oct. 8, Nigeria found itself reeling from multiple demonstrations across the country after a video showing a member of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) killing a man surfaced on social media, sparking public outcry. Full article
South Africa: John Steenhuisen named Democratic Alliance leader
Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s largest opposition party, has elected John Steenhuisen as its new leader. The 44-year-old white politician, who has acted as interim party leader since its first Black leader Mmusi Maimane stepped down more than a year ago, secured a whopping 80 percent of Sunday’s virtual vote over his competitor, Mbali Ntuli. Full article
WTO postpones November 9 meeting to settle leadership dispute
A meeting set to be held on November 9 to consider the appointment of former Nigerian Finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been postponed until further notice. Full article
LIFESTYLE
A Guide to How African Countries Are Reopening
Many African nations are welcoming foreign travelers again, but Americans are not always on the invite list. If you do decide to travel, be conscientious about not overburdening the local health systems. Stay on top of each country’s rules—which are subject to change based on rising case numbers—and wear masks, practice social distancing, and sanitize regularly. Full article
Little Known Kingdom Of Eswatini, Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy
The Kingdom of Eswatini is also renowned for its wealth of culture. With ceremonies and festivities (like the famous “reed dance” and the Marula Festival) taking place all year long. In eSwatini, it’s customary for women to not eat the head or feet of a cow. It is believed that if a woman eats the brains of a cow, she will become intelligent; if she eats the tongue, she will talk back to her husband; and if she eats the feet, she will run away. Full article
Important lessons about crisis management
In my aviation career I have been in large airliner cockpits while pilots dealt with various emergencies and I was in awe of the confidence they displayed. One day, I had my turn at the helm during an airborne emergency at flight school. As I flew us back the airport one afternoon, our Cessna 172 engine went down about 19km out. Full article