This is Africa

TIA leaders report: Banking 2010

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Over the course of the past quarter, This is Africa has been speaking with senior figures in the banking industry across the continent, as well as to some of the sector�s leading analysts and investors. No two banks are the same, but across almost all TIA�s conversations, three key themes emerged:

Good Neighbours

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Negotiations over expanding Tunisia�s integration into the European Union are raising questions about the efficacy of Brussels� soft power mechanisms in promoting political reform in the Southern Mediterranean

Andry Rajoelina: Exclusive Interview

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

�We are on the path to reform and this is the first time that the one in power will not run in the next presidential election. This has always been a problem in Madagascar and in Africa, because those in power always want to stay�

Brazil aspires to be partner, not donor

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Brazil is actively sharing its experience in agriculture with Africa, and there are hopes that this might be a critical contribution towards realising the continent�s elusive �green revolution�

Building on a qualified success

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Ten years after the Clinton administration adopted the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a groundbreaking piece of trade legislation, Agoa�s architects are petitioning to take it a stage further and increase US investment in Africa

Anna Tibaijuka: Exclusive Interview

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Africa�s urbanisation must be understood and managed to prevent growing inequalities from becoming a source of conflict, according to Anna Tibaijuka, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive director of urban development body UN Habitat.

Kaberuka�s revolution

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Quiet streets greeted the African Development Bank�s return to Abidjan, its former headquarters, this May for its 45th annual meetings. The bank left in 2003, precipitated by the deteriorating security situation in the city as C�te d�Ivoire slid into civil war. Today it occupies three buildings in Tunis � a �Temporary Relocation Agency� that has begun to seem less and less temporary. Its dislocation has been frustrating for bank staff and for international partners, but with elections in C�te d�Ivoire repeatedly postponed an imminent return has seemed unlikely.

Mobile money goes mainstream

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

When Vodafone launched the M-Pesa mobile money transfer service through its subsidiary Safaricom in Kenya in February 2007, few could have predicted its success. Originally developed with funding by the UK�s Department for International Development, it has quickly outgrown its development roots. By April of this year the service had 9.5m active users and accounted for approximately $330m worth of person-to-person transactions.

Indian demand fuels African cashew trade

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

West Africa is developing into an increasingly significant producer and processor of cashew nuts, feeding into lucrative markets in India

Nurturing innovation

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:00:00 GMT

The Nile Exchange is one of a number of initiatives designed to provide a boost to Egypt�s small- and medium-sized enterprises but these are just a small step on the difficult path towards creating a culture of entrepreneurship in the region