Africa Digest : Trends and issues in macro environment Vol. 17

• Main Author: Burger, Johan
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Newsletter
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Business; Business::General; Africa; Macro Environment
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/143125
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The Africa Digest is a fortnightly e-newsletter scanning the key trends in the macro-environment and industry to promote knowledge and raise understanding of business in Africa. This issue explores: 1. Digital Trends - Africa’s involvement in the digital world increases at a steady pace. A broad range of industries embrace the opportunities enabled by digital technology. These include the health industry, mining, financial services, and e-commerce, to name only a few. This report explores recent developments within Africa’s expanding digital domains. 2. Developments in the Infrastructure Sector - Africa’s well known infrastructure challenges remain an ongoing headache for most, if not all, African governments. These challenges span a broad range of industries: transport (rail, road, ports, airports), water, energy and housing. It does not appear that the annual required investment is falling. Investments of billions of dollars are required to meet these challenges. 3. Developments in the Mining Industry - The dynamics on the African continent are increasingly interesting. We saw Ghana overtake South Africa as the primary producer of gold in Africa. There are also voices calling for beneficiation versus exporting the raw minerals. This report also examines lessons from Tanzania to avoid the much-dreaded resource curse. 4. Developments in the African Motor Vehicle Industry - The motor vehicle industry in Africa has seen many developments over the past decade or so. A number of the major players expanded their footprint on the continent, while we also saw a number of local players arrive on the scene. We have also seen the used-car market as one of the major sectors on the continent. This report addresses the major developments over the past few months. 5. Renewable Energy Developments - Renewable energy in Africa will be a cornerstone of the business model of the future. The continent has vast natural energy resources, from wind to solar, hydro and geothermal energy. As upfront costs decline, the efficiencies of the technologies constantly increase. This report addresses some of the latest developments in this sector.