As one door closes, could another open for Africa?

The below is an excerpt from PwC’s recent Africa Business Agenda report.

If we look back over the past 20 years, the surge in global trade has helped to lift millions of people out of poverty, most notably in Asia. Yet, in other parts of the world the benefits have been uneven.

Despite 5% average growth on the back of a huge but now faltering resource boom, the number of Africans living in poverty (less than US$1.25 a day) has continued to rise. In Europe and North America, many voters’ anger over

Nigeria: Finding opportunities where others fear to tread

A few years ago investors were excited about investing in Africa outside of South Africa. People spoke of Africa Rising, the growing middle class, financial deepening and less reliance on commodities. Now the popular refrain from investors is, “How do I get my money out?” However, Allan Gray’s Andrew Lapping questions this mentality, believing there is value is to be found in Nigeria.

The time to buy a share is when earnings are low, those earnings are on a low multiple and the currency the asset is denominated in is weak. This situation usually arises when there are risks aplenty. Nigeria is a case in point: there are plenty of risks, but there is a point when the risks are fully discounted as is the case with many Nigerian companies. Consider:

• Beta Glass, a Nigerian glass bottle business. In May 2015, a bid by GZI, a private equity company, valued the company at US$265m. Today it is valued on the Nigerian stock exchange at $33m.

What Africa can expect from the US in foreign policy

In the wake of controversial picks for Trump’s cabinet, the spotlight turns to his appointed choice for Secretary of State, the highest diplomatic rank in the United States government. After a brief interlude with Mitt Romney, which would certainly be a favourite pick among Republicans, Donald Trump showed that he would continue with his anti-establishment agenda and decided instead to recommend Rex Tillerson for the role.

Rex Tillerson is an experienced executive of the oil and gas industry, with 41 years of tenure in ExxonMobil. Tillerson ascended to become the company’s chairman and CEO in 2006, roles

‘Factory Africa’? Time to get serious about red tape at continent’s borders

International investment remains a critical, and often underappreciated, part of the global economy. Nearly two million jobs were created directly by foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015, according to a Financial Timesanalysis. These employment gains in turn support many more jobs indirectly and, as a new paper from the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation points out, can lead to productivity improvements throughout the wider economy.

The unbundling of modern production into regional and global value chains provides opportunities for economies to attract investments specialised in specific segments of the manufacturing chain. Morocco, for instance, has attracted over US$3bn in FDI into its

‘Factory Africa’? Time to get serious about red tape at continent’s borders

Drawing on the past to chart the future: How sub-Saharan Africa can return to growth

This article is part of the World Economic Forum on Africa 2017.

After almost two decades of robust growth, there has been a sharp deceleration in economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa. Lower commodity prices,

but also mounting imbalances in some of the region’s largest economies, have taken average growth for the whole region down to about 1.5% in 2016. A slight increase to around 2.5% is expected this year – markedly lower than the 5-6% of earlier years.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Real GDP Growth, 2016. Image: IMF

The full picture is more complex: Since 2014, oil exporters, including Nigeria and Angola, have experienced substantial declines in growth leading to large revenue losses and balance-of-

The Best of 2016 – My Top 12 Articles That Got Your Attention

Looking at 2016 through the lens of my writing career, it was quite an impressive year indeed.
In May, my article on Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Lagos (Nigeria) for the launch of his controversial free internet program – Free Basics – was published in The Huffington Post.
In June, following my article chronicling my journey in urban agribusiness, I was featured on live TV by CNN Money.
And in November, my article on starting an agribusiness in Africa was featured in the November issue of The Africa Perspective Magazine, a promising publication that’s doing a great job at changing the way the world sees Africa.
2016 also presented an explosive leap in the number of readers who follow my work. On LinkedIn, for example, my followers grew from less than 10,000 people in early 2016 to just over 195,000 by December.
I am humbled by the realization that there are thousands of people out there in the world who share my opinions and convictions about Africa and entrepreneurship, the two main subjects I focus on.
In this article, I have put together a collection of the top 12 articles that got the most attention from my readers and followers in 2016.
Here’s the countdown:

12) Is Africa Still Rising? Yes. Actually, We’re Just Getting Started!

Africa’s economy took quite a beating during 2016.