International Finance Corporation (IFC)injects $1 million into Flat6Labs Tunis (Anava Seed Fund)

Startups in Tunisia have got a new fund to pitch to. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group has announced it would be injecting $1 million into Tunisia-based Anava Seed Fund, an accelerator and early-stage fund managed by Flat6Labs Tunis. 

“The move aims to support tech entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurs in particular, as well as to boost Tunisia’s nascent venture capital ecosystem,” said the statement.

Here Is The Deal

  • Almost half of the money would be provided by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), a partnership among governments, multilateral development banks, and other public and private sector stakeholders, hosted by the World Bank Group. 
  • We-Fi, as the statement notes, is supporting women entrepreneurs in developing countries by building their capacity, scaling up access to financial products and services, and providing links with global markets.
  • The implication of this that essentially Flat6Labs Tunis would be preferring female-founded startups for investment than it used to as it is now part of their mandate. 
  • The investment by IFC in Flat6Labs Tunisia is part of its $30 million Startup Catalyst initiative that backs accelerators and seed funds in emerging markets to help them venture capital ecosystem and boost entrepreneurial activity. IFC has previously also invested in Flat6Labs Cairo and Ibtikar Capital.

According to Georges Joseph Ghorra, IFC’s Resident Representative in Tunisia:

“Early-stage funding is vital to building a robust startup ecosystem and to help entrepreneurs establish companies that can develop innovative solutions and create quality jobs. We aim to address the funding gaps in this space, especially for women entrepreneurs, to continue to spur innovation and economic growth in Tunisia and the region.”

Previous Flat6Labs’ Investment  In Startups

Dabchy, a Flat6Labs Tunis-backed female-led startup that was part of accelerator’s first cohort, recently raised $300,000 in seed funding from 500 Startups (MENA) and two Saudi VCs, which to the best of our knowledge is the highest amount of funding raised by a Flat6Labs Tunis startup.
Flat6Labs Tunis which is a partnership between Flat6Labs, BIAT, TAEF (Tunisian American Enterprise Fund), Meninx Holding and Le15, per statement, is increasing its seed fund size to $10 million to support up to 100 technology companies and to help address the lack of early-stage capital in Tunisia.
According to Ramez El-Serafy, CEO at Flat6Labs:

“We believe that our partnership with IFC will enable us to continue providing entrepreneurs with a better support program and encourage more candidates, especially women, to apply and thrive through it.”

Read also: How International Organisations Are Helping Startups In Africa

The International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group)

The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and a development finance institution. Being the largest global institution targeting private sector institutions in developing countries, like Africa, companies or entrepreneurs desiring to establish new ventures or expand existing enterprises can approach IFC directly by submitting an investment proposal to the field office closest to the location of the proposed project

Investment Targets so far.

  • More than $25 billion has been invested by the IFC in African businesses and financial institutions, and its current portfolio (in 2017) exceeds $5 billion.
  • The IFC invested $3 million in Madagascar’s SMTP Group towards the expansion of its company’s poultry business in the country in 2015.
  • The IFC provided a $7.5 million equity in Zoona, a financial services business that provides in-country and cross-border money transfers in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique in 2015
  • In 2018, it made $11.6 billion in long-term investments in 366 projects, and additionally mobilized nearly $11.7 billion to support the private sector in developing countries.

Click here for more information

Tunisia earlier this year had also secured a $175 million loan from The World Bank, $75 million of which is supposed to be invested in startups in the country.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world

VW Launches Ride-Hailing Service to Compete With Uber, Bolt in Africa

The growing car-sharing and ride-hailing transport sector across Africa has attracted the attention of the world’s second biggest car maker, Volkwagen as the auto giant joins the fray using its cars from its newly opened automobile assembly plant in Kigali Rwanda as plank, and also using Kigali as test ground. The new ride-hailing service named Move is already attracting interested clientele. Sources from Volkwagen say that the $50 million project is providing car-sharing and ride-hailing as solutions to first enhance mobility and provide access to transportation to those who are in need of it.

CEO of Volkswagen Rwanda Michaella Rugwizangoga
CEO of Volkswagen Rwanda Michaella Rugwizangoga

Speaking on what informed the decision to venture into what many have described as an already saturated market where Uber and Bolt have almost 90 percent of the market share, the CEO of Volkswagen Rwanda Michaella Rugwizangoga said that from the company’s survey, there are a new range of customers who don’t want to have the burden of taking care of item, they want be able to drive in the car but they don’t want to worry about insurance, maintenance, fuelling the car etc, they want on demand just in time. And there are too many people who still prefer to take the traditional taxis, he said.

Read also : Andela Has Laid Off Junior Engineers In Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda But Not In Rwanda

The company says that presently, the Volkswagen ride-service has 23,000 registered users in Kigali, even though only 2,200 of them are active users. Moreso, Move is offering rides at 50 percent less than what existing ride-sharing platforms offer which makes it cost effective to users.

Speaking on whether the new ride-sharing platform will be able to unseat Uber or Bolt, some in Kigali say that while VW may not be able to take over the market, because it will not be able to take all the people who need to move around, even if it was the only company available on the market. But the market is pretty huge as there are too many people who still prefer to take the traditional taxis.

Read also : Rwanda Set To Replace All Gas-Powered Motorcycle Taxis With Electric Motors

Officials of Volkwagen say that the test run of the business model will take two years before assessment first assessment which will determine if the program would continue or not, and if it will be replicated in other African countries.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Nestlé Launches Special Health and Wellness Programs Across Central and West Africa.

As the world celebrates The World Heart Day yesterday, calls were made by different organizations and individuals not to lose sight of the disturbing rate at which Non Communicable Diseases (NCD’s) are on the rise especially in the tropics . For example high blood pressure has been identified as one of the leading risks for deaths worldwide, and hypertension prevalence rates in some sub-Saharan African countries among the highest in the world leading to heart failures across boards. Moreso, a number of health factors, including lifestyle, age and family history can all contribute to the risk of heart disease and impact on people’s health and well-being according to experts. While age and family history cannot be controlled, research suggests making a few simple changes to your daily routine at home, and at work, can make a difference.

Rémy Ejel, Market Head for Nestlé Central and West Africa (CWA)

To help many in West and Central Africa navigate this growing menace,the world’s largest nutrition and wellness company, Nestlé, has launched a Special Health and Wellness Program across the countries aimed at supporting and promoting its employees’ well-being and to inspire people to lead healthier lives, creating a workplace environment to boost the nutrition, health and wellness of their employees. Speaking on this development, the Market Head for Nestlé Central and West Africa (CWA) Rémy Ejel notes that as the world’s largest nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé believes it is time to invest in happier and healthier employees through health and wellness programmes.

“Creating health and wellness activities for employees highlight our purpose to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future to support a more engaged and productive workforce – and also help to cut down on absenteeism, increase productivity and turnover, and as a result, enhance customer quality and satisfaction,” he added.

Read also : You Cannot Purchase Shares In These Nigerian Companies Now

As part of the efforts aimed at investing in wellness at the workplace, action is already underway to tackle heart and other health issues, and so far, 75 percent of employers worldwide offer wellness resources, information and or a general wellness programme, as highlighted by the 2018 Employee Benefits Report from the Society for Human Resources Management – marking a change in promoting employee health and wellness.

Equally included in this program is to give employees opportunity to learn more about their health, and in turn, improve their lifestyle choices through the global initiative, ‘Know Your Numbers Programme’ (KYNP). According to company sources, this initiative was launched in 2017 in CWA, and again in 2019 as a reminder to all employees to always assess their current health status and set personal health goals, while also helping the company to better understand its employees and create health programmes.

Read also : Africa Needs Investment in Education and Health-Yaaba Nkrumah

After completing a short, online anonymous Health Risk Assessment (HRA), covering topics such as family health history, tobacco consumption, nutrition and stress, they are provided with an insight on their current health status and areas that need more attention. Employees can also use their previous biometric results – measuring a person’s physical and behavioural characteristics through blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference – carried out in the past six months by a health care professional, to support their personalised HRA report.

Globally, Google has invested in a People & Innovation Lab (PiLab) to conduct research and think of unique ways to keep its employees healthy. In addition, its Googlers-to-Googlers programme encourages employees to teach other employees fitness practices to keep them healthy. Newmont Goldcorp has created the Military Veterans Programs and Support group in the United States to help employees connect and foster a sense of belonging. In Burkina Faso, Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale organises team sports and fitness sessions for its employees, twice a week. Telecel also leads football matches with other companies in the country, twice a week in a public square.

These are just a few examples to show how companies in the region and worldwide can all actively contribute to improving employee wellness and invest in healthy workplaces. Lending his voice to the development which is said is quite commendable, Mr. Gregoire Scilipoti, the Regional Head of Human Resources at Nestlé CWA said that employees are encouraged to take part in daily ‘wellness breaks’ at their offices across the region, urging them to move from their desks and combat sedentary behavior. He added that they are also getting involved in exercise sessions in the office led by fitness experts, including ‘Workout Thursdays’ in Ghana which was launched earlier this year, Zumba classes in Côte d’Ivoire, and training sessions with a fitness coach in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.“They can get active by using the fitness facilities at our Cameroon and Burkina Faso offices managed by a Wellness Committee. As an alternative, all our workers are offered discounted rates at local fitness centres nearby”, Mr. Scilipoti said.

Read also : GE Healthcare and the Association of Medical Engineering of Kenya host more than 100 biomedical engineers for Biomedical Excellence Day

Lending his voice to that, Gbede Koffi Tohonou, a junior financial accountant in Burkina Faso for the Nestlé Savanna Cluster said that “taking part in fitness sessions is helping me to get fit and healthy, invest in my own personal development and makes me feel part of the company,” On specific international days – such as World Heart Day on September 29 – employees are also offered nutrition advice and recommendations by experts at organised in-house events, and via internal communication messaging. In Ghana, Nestlé employees are able to enjoy ‘Fruity Tuesdays’, where a variety of fruits are offered to instill healthy eating habits and nutritious snacking.

The Nestlé Nutrition Line, a daily public service radio on nutrition, health and wellness which has been running for nearly 20 years, is still being broadcast in the Ghana office to provide employees with healthy living tips and advice. “Instilling a healthy living culture among employees and encouraging them to be ambassadors is very important,” said Philomena Tan, Managing Director for Nestlé Ghana.

“This all has value, as by improving the wellbeing of employees through such activities and wellness programmes, these can help to boost efficiency and productivity, benefit their families, our consumers and stakeholders to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future,” she added.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya Named Rising Stars of Global Trade

A new report released over the weekend by Standard Chartered Bank titled Trade20 Index has identified Cote D’Ivoire and Kenya as some of the rising stars in global trade. The Index which examines 12 metrics across 66 global markets made up of major global economies plus the major economies in each region reveals 20 economies that are most rapidly improving their potential for trade to grow with African economies making the first and third in the Standard Chartered Trade20 Index, which identifies the markets with the greatest potential for future trade growth

Saif Malik, Regional Co-Head, Global Banking, AME, Standard Chartered
Saif Malik, Regional Co-Head, Global Banking, AME, Standard Chartered

According to the Report, Côte d’Ivoire is the market that has most rapidly improved its trade growth potential over the past decade. The Report which identifies the 20 rising stars of trade places African markets Côte d’Ivoire in the top spot and Kenya at number three. The Trade20 index determines each market’s trade growth potential by analysing changes within the last decade across a wide range of variables, grouped into three equally-weighted pillars: economic dynamism, trade readiness and export diversity.

Read also : Prof. Oramah Calls for Vehicles that Facilitate Cross-Border Trade in Africa

The Report which examines 66 markets around the world points out that while existing trade powers like China and India continue to rapidly improve their trade potential, African economies are making particularly strong progress from a relatively low starting point. Kenya, it said, is consolidating its position as the trading hub of East Africa, while Côte d’Ivoire is cementing its position as a West African trading hub. Ghana also performs well in the index, placing just outside the top 10.

A breakdown of the findings of the Report show that  Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya have significantly improved their trade readiness, demonstrating that investments in infrastructure and business environment improvements are paying off. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana also fare well for economic dynamism, with Côte d’Ivoire enjoying robust GDP and export growth, and Ghana seeing an influx of FDI

Read also : Standard Chartered accelerates momentum of its digital strategy across Africa

Commenting on the findings, Saif Malik, Regional Co-Head, Global Banking, AME, Standard Chartered, said that Africa being home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, has the potential to become a much bigger player on the global trade stage. He noted that the continent is already connected with the trading powers in Asia, particularly China, through the Belt & Road Initiative, and with the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area, we see numerous growth opportunities for trade and investment in the years ahead. Mr. Malik equally noted that the growing young, digitally-savvy population and an increasing female workforce will aid in the continent’s economic transformation.

While most traditional trade indices are based on a market’s present performance, the Trade20 index captures changes over time to reveal the markets that have seen the most improvement within the last decade. This enables us to identify the economies where recent positive developments may point to acceleration in trade growth potential.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Transsion, Africa’s top mobile phone seller On Its IPO In China

With over 124 million phones sold in 2018, Transsion, makers of Tecno phone brand and Africa’s top mobile phone seller has gone on its first public offering in China, listing on Shanghai’s STAR Market, selling a share at 35.15 yuan (≈ $5.00), and ending up raising 2.8 billion yuan (or ≈ $394 million). Headquartered in Shenzhen, Transsion is a top-seller of smartphones in Africa under its Tecno brand. The company has also started to support venture funding of African startups.

Here Is All You Need To Know

  • Transsion issued 80 million A-shares at an opening price of 35.15 yuan (≈ $5.00) to raise 2.8 billion yuan (or ≈ $394 million).
  • A-shares are the common shares issued by mainland Chinese companies and are normally available for purchases only by mainland citizens.
  • Transsion’s IPO prospectus is downloadable (in Chinese) and its STAR Market listing application available on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s website.
  • STAR is the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s new Nasdaq-style board for tech stocks that went live in July with some 25 companies going public.
  • Transsion plans to spend 1.6 billion yuan (or $227 million) of its STAR Market raise on building more phone assembly hubs and around 430 million yuan ($62 million) on research and development, including a mobile phone R&D center in Shanghai, a company spokesperson said.
  • The IPO comes after Transsion announced its intent to go public and filed its first docs with the Shanghai Stock Exchange in April.
  • Listing on STAR Market puts Transsion on China’s new exchange — seen as an extension of Beijing’s ambition to become a hub for tech startups to raise public capital. Chinese regulators lowered profitability requirements for the STAR Market, which means pre-profit ventures can list.
  • Transsion’s IPO is the second event this year — after Chinese owned Opera’s venture spending in Nigeria — to reflect greater Chinese influence and investment in the continent’s digital scene.
  • If Transsion’s IPO enables higher smartphone conversion on the continent, that could enable more startups and startup opportunities — from fintech to VOD apps.
  • Another interesting facet to Transsion’s IPO is its potential to create greater influence from China in African tech, in particular as the Shenzhen company moves more definitely toward venture investing.

Transsion Presence In Africa

Transsion’s IPO comes when the company is actually in the black. The firm generated 22.6 billion yuan ($3.29 billion) in revenue in 2018, up from 20 billion yuan a year earlier. Net profit for the year slid to 654 million yuan, down from 677 million yuan in 2017, according to the firm’s prospectus.

Transsion sold 124 million phones globally in 2018, per company data. In Africa, Transsion holds 54% of the feature phone market — through its brands Tecno, Infinix and Itel — and in smartphone sales is second to Samsung and before Huawei, according to International Data Corporation stats.

Transsion has R&D centers in Nigeria and Kenya and its sales network in Africa includes retail shops in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Egypt. The company also attracted attention for being one of the first known device makers to optimize its camera phones for African complexions.

On a 2019 research trip to Addis Ababa, TechCrunch learned the top entry-level Tecno smartphone was the W3, which lists for 3,600 Ethiopian Birr, or roughly $125.

In Africa, Transsion’s ability to build market share and find a sweet spot with consumers on price and features gives it prominence in the continent’s booming tech scene.

Africa already has strong mobile-phone penetration, but continues to undergo a conversion from basic USSD phones, to feature phones, to smartphones.

Smartphone adoption on the continent is low, at 34%, but expected to grow to 67% by 2025, according to GSMA.

This, added to an improving internet profile, is key to Africa’s tech scene. In top markets for VC and startup origination — such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa — thousands of ventures are building business models around mobile-based products and digital applications.

In August, Transsion funded Future Hub teamed up with Kenya’s Wapi Capital to source and fund early-stage African fintech startups.

China’s engagement with African startups has been light compared to China’s deal-making on infrastructure and commodities — further boosted in recent years as Beijing pushes its Belt and Road plan.

So in coming years, China could be less known for building roads and bridges in Africa and more for selling smartphones and providing VC for African startups.

 

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world

South Africa is clamping down on illegal foreigners and the South African employers who hire them

It appears the protest against foreigners in South Africa is far from over. This time, the South African government appears to be leading it. According to South Africa’s Employment and Labour minister, Thulas Nxesi, South African government will clamp down on employers not complying with the country’s labour laws by unlawfully hiring foreign workers.

Here Is All You Need To Know

At a departmental ceremony recently, Nxesi said that the influx and employment of displaced foreign nationals in South Africa was not of their making and that the situation was ‘getting out of hand’.

“We cannot in this day-and-age continue with the employment of foreign nationals, and think there will be peace if you are going to take low-level jobs of low-skilled people and give it to displaced people,” he said.

The minister said the intention of employing displaced people was a deliberate act by unscrupulous employers to pay them ‘starvation wages’.

“The intention is to employ displaced people and pay them starvation wages, make them to work long hours, make them to sleep on top of the shops.

“The intention is very simple — it is designed to boost profits through cheap labour,” said the minister.

Nxesi identified hospitality, restaurant, construction, and security as sectors exploiting the displaced foreigners. He said the ‘phenomenon’ was now extending into the retail sector.

“These are not scarce skills jobs. These are jobs that local people can be able to do. Inspectors must deal harshly with employers not complying,” he said.

New legislation

Nxesi’s speech follows confirmation that the Department of Small Business Development is working on a new law that will restrict foreigners from working in certain sections of the economy.

The new legislation will attempt to bar foreign nationals from operating in certain sectors of the economy, a key member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet revealed this week.

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola told a fundraising gala dinner hosted by the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation on Thursday night that his small business development counterpart, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, was developing legislation in relation to foreign nationals doing business in South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA’S DEPORTATION RATES OF FOREIGN NATIONALS, 2014/15

Read also:Here Is Why It Is Difficult For Foreign-owned Startups To Exist In Ghana

“(The minister) is also developing legislation in relation to foreign nationals doing business in our country — which sectors of the economy can they play in and where and how? That is the kind of legislation she is busy with and we are hoping that soon it will be released for public engagement,” Lamola said.

Lamola said the reality was that foreign nationals were needed in certain sectors of the economy for it to grow.

“The legislation will also have to cover and be realistic to such kind of dynamics because we are not going to wake up and have a massive deportation of Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and Lesotho nationals,” Lamola said.

“We need to put in place legislation that will be able to set aside and strike a clear balance that will help us to still grow the economy for the benefit of everyone in South Africa, but still be able to say there are sectors that we need to regulate and be clearly stated that no foreign national can run this kind of a business”.

Lamola denied this was protectionism.

“Because South Africa is the most industrialised economy on the continent, we are going to be the biggest beneficiaries of the Africa Free Trade Agreement. We don’t have the luxury of closing our borders altogether.”

Attacks on foreigners broke out in Johannesburg, South Africa late August 2019, which saw the destruction of more than 50 shops and business premises mainly owned by Africans from countries in the rest of the continent. Cars and properties were torched and widespread looting took place. The violence against African nationals may be a reaction to extra competition for jobs and services in Africa’s most-industrialized economy.

 

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world

Namibia to issue on-arrival visas to 47 countries

For travellers from these 47 countries below, going to Namibia, a country in Southern Africa, has become easier than before. With this new visa-on-arrival policy, Namibia is more or less throwing its doors wide open for nationals of these countries. Under the new visa on arrival policy, all three categories of passports, whether ordinary, diplomatic and official or service passports are accommodated for purposes of the visa issuance on arrival.

Here Is All You Need To Know

  • According to Namibian Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Frans Kapofi the launch of the tourist or visitor visas on arrival project excludes people coming to Namibia for employment purposes which obliges such people to apply and acquire employment permits in advance.
  • Visas on arrival will benefit the certain categories of visitors, which include bona fide tourists (excluding tour guides who are required to obtain employment permits or work visa in advance).
  • Other categories include potential investors coming to explore business opportunities; visitors coming to attend meetings, seminars, workshops (excluding those coming to perform pay related jobs which still requires one to obtain an employment permit or work visas).
  • The other category includes friendships and family related visits; or medical related visits. 

Namibia GDP

The List of Selected Countries

The current 27 African countries selected are Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia, Western Sahara Republic and Uganda.

Other countries include Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, Czech Republic Hungary, Mexico, Moldova, Nicaragua, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Venezuela, Vietnam, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Ukraine.

Namibia GDP per capita | 2019

The Fate Of Other Countries Not Included In The List Above

According to Kapofi, Namibia does not have a far-reaching diplomatic representation and network across the world.

“Thus, our visitors from specific countries no longer need to apply in advance before departing their countries of origin for tourism, visiting, or transiting through Namibia. Along with this principal decision by the government, Namibia exempted over 60 countries from visa requirements when their citizens are to visit Namibia for tourism purposes,” he noted.

He said these are not the only countries to include on the list for visas on arrival, but this is an ongoing process, which will see more countries brought on board in future.

“In this spirit, we ask other countries to reciprocate or offer Namibia similar visa relaxed benefits for the good of all of us,” he said. 

The Procedure For Obtaining Visa On Arrival

  • Kapofi noted that the procedure will require a visitor to complete a visa application form as he or she arrives at Hosea Kutako International airport.
  • He will then submit the completed application form together with one’s passport to an immigration officer who will process the application.
  • Upon approval of the application, the immigration officer will request the applicant to make a payment of N$1080.
  • To facilitate the payment process, Kapofi said passengers are encouraged to carry credit or debit cards, as speed points are available.
  • When credit or debit cards are not functioning, provision will be made for exchange of foreign currency at bureau de changes at the airport.
  • He emphasised that for a visitor to be admitted in Namibia, the immigration officials are still obliged to make the usual background checks, including whether the individual is not a prohibited immigrant in Namibia or do not appear on other watch lists.
  • It is also required that his or her passport is at least valid for a period of not less than six months from the date of arrival and there should be sufficient pages for endorsement of visas, at least not less than three blank pages.
  • The period for tourism or visits in Namibia per year is 90 days, which may be granted at once or as per the discretion of the immigration officer at the entry point depending on information provided. The tourist or visitor may apply for extension while in Namibia, which may be granted subject to the payment of a fee of N$580 (including N$80 handling or administrative fee) and reasons advanced.

Airports Currently Used To Implement The Policy

Hosea Kutako International Airport is being used for visas on arrival as a first pilot Phase of this project. 
The next phase is Walvis Bay International Airport that will be issuing visas on arrival by end of October 2019; Katima Mulilo Border Post will start by end November 2019; and, Noordoewer, Ariamsvlei, Oshikango, Trans Kalahari and Oranjemund will start in the first quarter of 2020.

 

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world

Zambian President Nurses Dictatorship, Reforms Constitution

Zambia, well known as Africa’s oasis of democracy as it is one of the very few African countries that has never experienced a military rule, not dictatorship with Keneth Kaunda being its longest ruling president, has been embroiled in a constitutional controversy. This is because the ongoing efforts by the President of Zambia Edgar Lungu to make adjustments to several parts of the country’s Constitution in what observers allege as a quest for dictatorial powers has drawn criticisms within and outside the country. The Constitution reforms will among other things strengthens the powers of President Edgar Lungu with less than two years to go before the general elections.

Prof. Sishuwa Sishuwa Sishuwa
Prof. Sishuwa Sishuwa Sishuwa

The new law which will soon be tabled before the National Assembly has become a target for criticism from the opposition and civil society fearing that with an absolute majority in the National Assembly held by Mr. Lungu’s Patriotic Front (FP) they can tow with the law to favour the president. If voted as it stands, Bill 10 extends the President’s powers to appoint judges and ministers, allows him to change the electoral map alone and transfers the responsibility for monetary policy from the Central Bank to the government.

Read also: From January 2020, Businesses in Zambia Will Start Paying Sales Tax On Goods And Services

Speaking on the development Prof. Sishuwa Sishuwa Sishuwa, one of Zambia’s most respected academic and critic, and professor of political science at the University of Zambia said that this text (Bill 10) will dig the grave of democracy in Zambia, warning that “it is designed first and foremost to consolidate the FP’s hold on the country and make it impossible to dismiss President Edgar Lungu.”

Political observers note that the political climate in Zambia has deteriorated considerably since the disputed re-election in 2016 of Mr. Lungu, who was accused of authoritarian drift, and has so far been rather calm. Coming in second place, his main opponent, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Hakainde Hichilema, has always refused to acknowledge the victory of the incumbent, claiming massive fraud. He paid for his insolence of four months’ detention in 2017 for obstructing the presidential convoy, a “crime” qualified by the courts as “treason” and punishable by death.

Read also: AGCO invests towards the expansion of the Future Farm training in Zambia

The charges against him were dropped, but Mr. Hichilema then denounced a “political” imprisonment. Suspicions of authoritarianism against Edgar Lungu were rekindled when he was allowed by the Constitutional Court last year to stand for re-election in 2021. Zambia’s Basic Law stipulates that the Head of State may run for two five-year terms. First elected in 2015 to succeed Michel Sata, who died in the line of duty, Mr. Lungu was re-elected in 2016. As a result, members of the opposition therefore considered that he could no longer be a candidate in 2021, but the country’s highest judicial body ruled that he could. To convince them, Mr. Lungu publicly urged the judges not to “plunge the country into chaos”.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

African First Ladies Take Campaign against Rape, Early Child Marriage, to Global Stage

Wives of Presidents of African countries by Sierra Leone’s Fatima Maada Bio have taken the campaign against rape, growing femicide, and child marriage to the global stage with their outing this week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where they staged a passionate appeal to the world body to help their individual and collective programmes aimed at tackling sexual violence against women and girls under the theme: “Hands Off Our Girls! Campaign. This comes against the backdrop of several protests within the week across many countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on the rising cases of femicide in the continent. It could be recalled that different countries in Africa witnessed a rise in the spate of violence and attacks against women and girls to heights never before recorded, leading to many to start getting worried over the situation.

Fatima Maada Bio
Fatima Maada Bio

Mrs Maada Bio was flanked at the event by other prominent first ladies including Jeanette Kagame of Rwanda, Clar Weah of Liberia, Antoinette Sassou Nguesso of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first lady of Zimbabwe, Auxilla Mnangagwa, and Ermine Erdogan, first lady of Turkey.

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Speaking on the need to pursue the Campaign to its logical conclusion, Mrs Fatima Maada Bio spoke of the need to “lift the lid of silence” taboo and stigma surrounding rape and early marriage in Sierra Leone and other parts of the continent. She highlighted that there is need for the world body and Africa’s development partners to rally support for the end of early marriage and rape in Africa, a movement which the Bios have spearheaded. Interestingly, this year’s General Assembly has been dominated by delivery of the sustainable development goals, of which number 5 is Gender Equality.

Sierra Leone has one of the highest incidences of rape and sexual assault on the continent. In February, President Bio declared a state of emergency due to the high incidences of rape. President Bio, responding to a question on how deeply set cultural mindsets could be changed, said it would take patience and persistence. “We have to leave some aspects of culture behind. We have to establish institutions and cascade our campaigns down across the entire country.

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In his remarks at the event, the President of the African Development Bank Dr. Akinwumi Adesina spoke out forcefully against all forms of early marriage and said the economic empowerment of women is a critical tool to end the vicious cycle of marginalization and gender imbalance. He added that the Bank started the Affirmative Finance Action for Women In Africa (AFAWA) initiative to help more women to be economically independent of which the sum of $3 billion is being raised to support women. The Executive Director of Girls Not Brides, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on protecting the young girls against early marriages Rachel Yates said that early marriage is not only a human rights abuse it is an economic issue.

Sharing intimate personal details, Maada Bio, recounted her personal story of running away from an arranged marriage to an older man in her early teens. Aided by an older sister, she took a flight out of her native Sierra Leone to the United Kingdom – without her father’s knowledge or permission. “I come from a family where girls are married at 12 years,” she said. Three months later from the safety of the UK, her resolve was set. “From that moment I vowed that I would not see a child being abused,” she said.

Speaking passionately in support of her “Sierra Leonean sister,” Weah said it was time to collectively say no to abuse. “We renew our commitment to create a safe world for our girls in Africa. We entreat all presidents and heads of states to join us,” she said. Ermine Erdogan, an ardent advocate against child marriage in Turkey and who made a special appearance to support the event, said the key to the empowerment of women was education.“There is no excuse for early marriage. The place for a school-going child is school,” she said.

Other voices in support of the first ladies included Djereje Wordofa, UNFA Deputy Executive Director who said protection of girls and women and preventing abuse must become a national priority.

 

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Before Letting People Mount Board Positions In Your Startup, Here Are A Few Things You Must Know

When you set up your startup company, be ready to allow more people onto it in the future. Indeed, once a startup resumes business and goes all out to look for investors, there is a high possibility that the ownership structure and stakes in the business might change. You may give up 30% of your ownership stakes in the venture to these investors. You may even be replaced as the CEO of the company or as a director on the board. How you allow these events to play out would not only determine the life span of your business but how fast the business accomplishes its goals.

Recall that Diamond Bank in Nigeria was recently acquired by Access Bank –much of the reasons for this is that Diamond Bank was not run properly, in accordance with the appropriate governance rules. So, running your startups would require that you put in place some strict measures of checks and balances among its management and on the affairs of the company to ensure that it does not die before it is due.

 In Nigeria, the Code of Corporate Governance (recently updated to 2018) sets a guide on how you can effectively run your startup to ensure that it lasts for a reasonably longer time. 

The essence of the Code of Corporate Governance is to ensure corporate accountability and business prosperity. 

These rules do not have boundaries as they represent the best practices around the world.

Below Are A Few Points To Note About The Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance As It May Affect Your Startup 

1. Your Startup Can Appoint Any Number of Persons To Be On Its Board

What this means is that you can appoint two or one hundred persons to sit on the Board of your company. The Board of Directors of company help in the management and running of the affairs of the company. In selecting Board Members for your startup company, you have to ensure that there is:

(a) Appropriate mix of knowledge, skills and experience, including the business, commercial and industry experience needed to govern the Company; (b) Appropriate mix of Executive, Non-Executive and Independent Non-Executive members such that majority of the Board are Non-Executive Directors. It is desirable that most of the Non-executive Directors are independent; c) need for a sufficient number of members that qualify to serve on the committees of the Board; (d) need to secure quorum at meetings; and (e) diversity targets relating to the composition of the Board.

2. No Member of The Board Has The Right To Dominate The Board’s Decision Making

To this effect, the positions of the Chairman of the Board and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Company should be separate such that no person can combine the two positions

Again, the Chairman of the Board should not serve as chairman or member of any Board committee of your committees. The MD/CEO or an Executive Director should not serve as chairman of any Board committee. A person (or group of persons) who is not a serving Director of the Company should not exercise any influence or dominance over the Board and/or Management. Such a person or group of persons would be deemed a shadow director as defined by extant laws

3. You Can’t Be A Director In Another Company Without Disclosing it in The Present Board.

The Code states therefore that Prospective Directors should disclose memberships on other Boards, and current Directors should notify the Board of prospective appointments on other Boards. This information should be kept current by serving Board members.

The Board should also consider the disclosed directorships, taking into account the number of other directorships and the responsibilities held, and determine whether the individual can discharge his responsibilities and contribute effectively to the performance of the Board before recommending such a person for appointment or continued service

Consequently, Directors should not be members of Boards of competing companies to avoid conflict of interest, breach of confidentiality, diversion of corporate opportunity and divulgence of corporate information.

4. Directors Cannot be Appointed Without Informing the Shareholders

To this effect, Shareholders should be provided with biographical information of proposed Directors to guide their decision. Such information should include: a) name, age, qualifications, country of primary residence and the ownership interest represented, if any (b) whether the appointment is for ED, NED or INED, and any proposed specific area of responsibility or Board committee roles if any; © work experience and occupation; (d) current directorships and appointments; (e) direct and/or indirect shareholding in the Company and/or its subsidiaries; and(f) any other relevant information. Consequently, the Code requires the Company to state the processes used in relation to all Board appointments in its annual report.

5. The MD/CEO Or An Executive Director (ED) Should Not Go On To Be The Chairman Of The Same Company

If in very exceptional circumstances the Board decides that a former MD/CEO or an ED should become Chairman, a cool-off period of three years should be adopted. In any case, the Chairman of the Board should be a Non-Executive Director and not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Company, which should be the primary responsibility of the MD/CEO and the management team.

6. The MD/CEO Should Not Be A Member Of The Committees Responsible For Remuneration, Audit, Or Nomination And Governance.

The Code also states that MD/CEO should declare any conflict of interest on appointment and annually thereafter. In the event that he becomes aware of any potential conflict of interest at any other point, he should disclose this to the Board at the first possible opportunity. Actions following disclosure should be subject to the Company’s Conflict of Interest Policy.

7. The Presence of An Independent Non-Executive Director In Your Startup Is To Bring Objectivity In The Running of The Affairs of The Company.

To this effect, An Independent Executive Director is a Non-Executive Director who does not possess a shareholding in the Company the value of which is material to the holder such as will impair his independence or in excess of 0.01% of the paid up capital of the Company. Again, the Independent Executive Director is not, or has not been an employee of the Company or group within the last five years;

He/she is not a close family member of any of the Company’s advisers, Directors, senior employees, consultants, auditors, creditors, suppliers, customers or substantial shareholders; He/she does not have, and has not had within the last five years, a material business relationship with the Company either directly, or as a partner, shareholder, Director or senior employee of a body that has, or has had, such a relationship with the Company; He/she has not served at directorate level or above at the Company’s regulator within the last three years.

8. Where The Startup Secretary Is An Employee Of The Company, He/She Should Be A Member Of Senior Management

Where such is the case, the secretary should be appointed through a rigorous selection process similar to that of new Directors.

9. The Board of Your Startup Shall Hold Its Meeting At Least Once Every Three Months in a Year.

The consequence of this is that the attendance record of Directors should be among the criteria for the reelection of a Director.

10. Only Directors may be Members of Board committees of the Board of Your Company

However, members of senior management may be required to attend committee meetings. Committees your company may have include:a) Committee responsible for Nomination and Governance b) Committee responsible for Remuneration c) Committee responsible for Audit, Committee responsible for Risk Management

Each of these committees should be composed of at least three members

11. The Board of Your Company Should Be Evaluated At Least Once In Three Years.

This process is called Board Evaluation.

It is for the Board to establish a system to undertake a formal and rigorous annual evaluation of its own performance, that of its committees, the Chairman and individual Directors. This process should be externally facilitated by an independent external consultant .

Bottom Line

These codes may be applied once your startup takes up fully and begins to accept equity investments from the general public, or once it begins making some substantial profit and growth. These rules do not have boundaries as they represent the best practices around the world. For the fuller rules click here.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world