China reaffirmed its commitment to the African continent on Monday, with foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin citing an increase in direct investment, and advances in medicine and other sectors. “Over the past 20 years, the flow of China’s direct investment in Africa has been growing by more than 25 percent…
Officials in the United States have announced the 26 new members of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA), which will serve the council’s third term through 2021. The appointments were announced by U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Karen Dunn Kelley, left, during a U.S.-Africa Business…
President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo was joined by former British prime minister Tony Blair on Thursday to talk economic development at the Togo-UK Investment Summit in London. Gnassingbé made his pitch to investors while announcing a new deal for a logistics hub in Lomé, after meeting with CEO Geoffrey White…
In Addis Ababa, President Sahle-Work Zewde met with his German counterpart Monday, and told President Frank-Walter Steinmeier that it was the right time for his nation to come to Ethiopia. That seemed evident when Steinmeier also participated in signing ceremonies with Volkswagen, as the German automaker announced an assembly plant…
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, current head of the African Union, has blamed Europe for the Mediterranean migrant crisis while discussing China’s engagement with Africa, all in an interview with Austrian media outlet that caught the attention of Beijing on Tuesday. Kagame sat for the interview with Die Presse while attending…
China wasted no time in responding to accusations by top United States official John Bolton’s claim that its dealings with Africa are corrupt and predatory. It’s an oft-repeated charge, as the U.S. appears to realize too late that Beijing has spent decades courting the continent while Washington was, by and…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
By Zandre Campos As Angola seeks to diversify its economy, one of the key sectors that continues to grow is infrastructure development. The country has continued to strengthen its mutually beneficial relationships with allies, particularly China, which has invested in Angola’s infrastructure since the two countries established diplomatic relations in…
Among the first heads of state to congratulate Brazil’s president-elect Jair Bolsonaro on Monday was President João Lourenço of Angola, leader of one of the six Lusophone nations in Africa that share membership in the Portuguese-speaking community (CPLP) and its most influential. Lourenço said he hopes the Bolsonaro victory will…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has arrived for the BRICS Summit in South Africa, where he was greeted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Modi arrived in Johannesburg after a two-day visit in Uganda, where he met with President Yoweri Museveni, and a stop in Rwanda for talks with…
The African continent is attracting some USD$20 billion in energy investment from government-backed development institutions across the world each year – but far too much of it promotes fossil fuels rather than the shift to renewable energy. That’s according to a new analysis from Oil Change International, an advocacy organization based in…
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Nigerian entrepreneurs and business leaders on Wednesday, as he completes an African tour that included a stop in Mauritania to see African Union summit participants before heading on to Abuja and Lagos. Macron, who has made frequent visits to North and West Africa since…
Sushma Swaraj of India is one of five foreign ministers meeting in Pretoria this week as the BRICS ministers convene ahead of the full summit in Johannesburg in July. On her way to the meeting, she stopped in Mauritius to visit Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, affirming their close cultural…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The UK’s development finance institution, CDC, and Standard Chartered Bank today announced an up to USD$100 million in investment funding to grow businesses in Zimbabwe – a move that heralds a new start for the country as the UK has long withheld support while awaiting economic and social reforms. The…
President of India Ram Nath Kovind heads to Swaziland on Monday, following a weekend visit with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in Equatorial Guinea. The two met at the Presidential Palace in Malabo to discuss economic development and investment, as well as security. Kovind said India is eager to assist the…
China again defended its record on Africa Friday, this time while taking a volley of questions from reporters during a routine press briefing with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang. It’s the latest round of responses as Beijing has pushed back in recent weeks against comments, primarily from the…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times