News - Afrikan Heroes

Moroccans Defending US Protests Should Support Racial Justice in Morocco

June 21, 2020

Showing solidarity for a global movement on social media is important, but Moroccans should also work on addressing racial bias in their own country writes Hiba El Harrak.

Over the past few days, Moroccans have been reacting to the controversial Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement originating in the US and garnering global involvement.

Hiba El Harrak an engineering and management science student at Al Akhawayn University — ***Hiba El Harrak, an engineering and management science student at Al Akhawayn University***

Publications and interactive posts on social media have heavily expressed disagreement and outrage over the ongoing vandalism and intense riots in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Miami, and many other US cities. Yet, the same social media users support the anti-racism human rights movement Black Lives Matter. Meanwhile, the protests and the solidarity that Americans have shown towards each other in such circumstances have been immaculate.

The hashtag #blacklivesmatter went viral shortly after the new wave of protests began, thanks in part to the significant support and validation that the Black Lives Matter movement received at an international level.

The most popular way of promoting equality and showing support on Tuesday, June 2 was to post a black square on Instagram with the trending hashtag. In a context where these posts were well-intended, movement organizers claimed that this measure blocked the visibility of urgent updates and information regarding ongoing demonstrations. This occurred in a digital world where staying updated on the rapidly-evolving protest movement is mainly done by searching hashtags.

It is ethically unacceptable for us as Moroccans to deny the existence of racism in the US and complain about parties fighting against racism in the country. Nevertheless, the crucial situation in the States is a call-to-action to raise awareness about ethnic-based discrimination in Morocco.

Changing mindsets to address racism in Morocco

Such immense support from Moroccans to a noble, worldwide cause, battling systemic racism, is a great gesture. However, helping by doing what is possible is an even better approach than simply expressing support. Doing what is possible mainly involves upgrading to a solutions-oriented mindset.

Change starts once it is decided, then translates into action. Normalizing discriminative and racist names people are called in the Moroccan streets every day, and shaming the act of calling for change certainly takes the community several steps back.

With that being said, we as Moroccans still have opportunities to help. We can donate to anti-racism NGOs and charities, help freedom funds, speak up about any racist or discriminative action witnessed, sign international petitions meant for responsible authorities or governmental institutions, and begin racism abolishment with our local communities and families first.

It is essential for us to grasp the history of systematic racism and its societal impact. The current situation calls for us to educate ourselves and our loved ones on the international anti-racism movement led by Black Lives Matter protesters in the 50 American states and supported by observers in many foreign countries.

The higher purpose behind fully understanding all aspects of racism is to increase compassion, which ultimately leads to change. In the aftermath of the tragic death of 46-year-old George Floyd, many protests and riots across the US are calling for fighting racism, police brutality, and bias in the criminal justice system.

Reflecting on the chaotic circumstances in the US, the question to ask in this context is: Do we really need a video depicting a cruel murder and the entire world’s compassion to admit the existence of racism and police brutality in our country?

In the midst of the anti-racism controversy reaching all corners of the world, the cultural taboo of racism in Morocco comes mainly from the continuous denial and oppression social and community activists face every day.

In this frame of reflection, it is clear that human rights associations need to intervene and proceed with developing change-driven approaches and appropriately treating individual cases for victims of racism and discrimination.

Hiba El Harrak is an engineering and management science student at Al Akhawayn University.

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

The Coca-Cola Foundation Commits $ 17 Million Across Africa for Covid-19

June 20, 2020

Global beverage giant Coca-Cola through its arms, Coca-Cola Systems and Coca-Cola Foundation plans to help those most vulnerable as part of efforts towards the prevention of the spread of the virus and contributing to the recovery of local economies across Africa. In partnership with local NGOs, Coca-Cola will deploy a range of resources, including capabilities, funds and products to support governments, communities and local economies in their urgent efforts to contain the spread and impact of the Coronavirus since its outbreak on the continent.

Bruno Pietracci, President of Africa & Middle East for The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola System is committing US$13million to support the continent through the various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has granted just under $4 million to international and local NGOs, such as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Amref Health to procure and distribute personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other critical needs for frontline workers and to help fund ICU-enabled ambulances for example in Mauritius and Madagascar.

The Coca-Cola system also donated to National Solidarity Funds in South Africa, Morocco and Djibouti and additional funds were allocated to boost awareness and mobilization to help stem infections in vulnerable communities across several countries.

In addition to suspending all commercial advertising of its brands and deploying its marketing and trade assets, including social media channels, product labels and point-of-sale materials, to amplify COVID-19 messaging, the Coca-Cola System is providing funding and other forms of support to help bolster the micro, small and medium enterprises in the retail, hospitality and recycling sectors, who have been among the hardest hit businesses across countries. Coca-Cola company is also working with some NGOs and social enterprises, including Givefood.ng in Nigeria, Gift of the Givers in South Africa and National Disaster Management agencies to provide food parcels for vulnerable families whose livelihood has been disrupted by the lockdown and other restrictions.

Coca-Cola’s bottling partners on the continent, on their part, are making significant contributions to the fight against the pandemic through a variety of interventions, including lending their distribution capability to help deliver medical supplies, food parcels, 3-D printed face masks and other PPE as well as donating cash, beverage products and food items. In response to the critical need for the hand sanitizer, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda and Ethiopia, Bralima in DRC, Les Brasseries du Congo in Congo, and Nigerian Bottling Company in Nigeria have deployed their technical expertise and facilities to produce over 30,000 litres of alcoholic sanitizer in line with World Health Organization (WHO) standard which were distributed to governments and vulnerable communities free of charge.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to all those impacted by this virus and their families. We are leveraging on the experience and capabilities the Coca-Cola System has built in over 90 years of serving consumers and making a difference across Africa, in the planning and deployment of our resources to effectively support governments in the efforts to contain the spread, support vulnerable communities and get local economies back up and running,” explains Bruno Pietracci, President of Africa & Middle East for The Coca-Cola Company.

In some countries such as in Eswatini, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Coca-Cola in Africa provided its marketing expertise either directly or through its partnership with Project Last Mile (www.ProjectLastMile.com), to support Ministries of Health simplifies and amplifies health and safety messages. Additionally, in Egypt, Coca-Cola decorated its bottles with messages of gratitude and appreciation to every doctor in the country’s “white army”.

The Coca-Cola system has leveraged its years of experience in water access, sanitation and hygiene through the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) (https://ReplenishAfrica.com) to develop unique emergency handwashing stations (some foot operated, some using jerrycans), which are now set up in high traffic areas, border points and in vulnerable communities.

“The Coca-Cola system has been through many global crises during our 134 year’s history. Making a positive difference during times of crisis is in our DNA. We are in this together with our communities. Going forward, supporting micro and small businesses that are the fabric of our communities and the backbone to Africa’s resilience will be a key priority for us,” added Pietracci.

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

Don’t Blame Telcos Over High Data Rates , Blame the Government

By Martin van Staden

Why, with so many burdensome regulations and compliance requirements that drive up costs in the mobile data sector, does the narrative remain that some “duopoly” between Vodacom and MTN is the source of South Africa’s relatively high data prices? Companies want to maximise their profits. Having inordinate prices that exclude a major market segment cannot achieve that: they want to be able to lower their prices. The ball is in the government’s court to allow data providers to do just that.

***Martin van Staden, head of legal (policy and research) at the Free Market Foundation***

But is there, in fact, a duopoly? In other words, are there only two main suppliers in the mobile data industry? A cursory glance at the industry will reveal five notable players: Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom and Rain. The market share continually shifts, with subscribers going where they find the best deals. The market is highly contestable.

The so-called duopoly’s market share has declined in recent years. MTN’s market share in South Africa fell from 36.45% in 2013 to 29.44% in 2019. Vodacom’s share increased from 41.42% to 42.39% over the same period, but dropped by over one percentage point between 2018 and 2019. This is not because those MTN or Vodacom subscribers disappeared into the ether. Instead, they chose a different data provider – an indication of the competitive nature of the market, even under trying circumstances. Graphs show that this decline in market share by the two big data providers coincides with an increase for Telkom.

Based on these numbers, there is clearly no duopoly as the market is not divided exclusively between two big players. The market share continually shifts, with subscribers going where they find the best deals. The market is highly contestable, even though government tries to make it as rigid as possible. Thus, while South Africa might appear to have an oligopoly in the sector, we must appreciate that it is entrenched as an unintended (or perhaps intended, but detrimental) consequence of government regulation. Government has brought about such an economic malaise in general and harmed the data industry in particular. It is no wonder that aspiring entrepreneurs who might consider breaking into the sector instead veer away.

The data industry is entirely dependent on electricity. Eskom’s failure to do the only job it was expected to do has, among other factors, led to the destruction of infrastructure that needs to be continually repaired, and to unjustifiable electricity price hikes. That cellphone towers become inoperative during load shedding is by now well known, as tower batteries do not have enough time to recharge between our moments of darkness. Not only must data providers bear these costs directly, but also indirectly as all their input costs from their own suppliers rise. These costs must also be factored into the prices they charge for the data services they provide. Government policy and incompetence thus plays a big part in shifting such costs onto consumers.

Ideological and ordinary corruption has also taken their toll. The ideological corruption of socialism that underlies every economic policy in government squeezes any dynamism out of the market, and the ordinary corruption of trillions in wasted tax rands is not conducive to an economy that aspires to create a prosperous middle class.

I was recently on a panel hosted by the Cornerstone Institute where all my fellow panellists, arguing Internet access to be a human right, either believed it must be made more affordable or made to be free, using the force of law. While we were in agreement that Internet access is incredibly important in an increasingly digitised world, I warned that pushing the government to interfere even more in this sector of the economy would yield unintended, detrimental consequences.

Government must clean up its own act before we consider asking it to “fix” the mobile data industry. It is government’s corruption, regulation and incompetence that have brought us to where we are today. The Competition Commission’s “recommendations” (the better word would be “extortion”) are equally misguided, for the same reason. Government must clean up its own act before we consider asking it to ‘fix’ the mobile data industry.

It makes no sense to entrust the government with rolling out the unattainable goal of free data for all. Government’s own mismanagement of those industries it has been most directly entrusted with – electricity, water, health care, infrastructure, etc – must give us pause before we cede another whole industry to the state.

Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that data providers not only compete with one another, but also with fixed Internet connection providers. As the number of fixed Internet connections rises, the total dependence on mobile data inevitably declines. This is important to note because it illustrates how competition does not only operate horizontally, but in fact operates in three dimensions.

The scary fact is that government’s interference in any single part of the economy also operates this way, creating devastation and stunted growth throughout the whole economy. We have a “big picture” surgery to perform before we start trying to apply Band-Aid to a gushing wound.

Martin van Staden is head of legal (policy and research) at the Free Market Foundation.

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

Google Commits Additional $200m In Ad Grants For Non-Profits Fighting Racism And Covid-19

Google has rolled out an additional $200 million in advertising grants for non-profit organisations, especially firms that are fighting against racism and social injustice and those that are struggling to survive due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Michelle Hurtado, head of Google ad grants

“Non-profits are taking swift action to confront these challenges, but many are struggling to stay afloat with typical fundraising activities cancelled due to social distancing,” Michelle Hurtado, head of Google ad grants, said in the company’s blog.

“Further compounding these challenges, they are seeing sharp increases in the demand for services, which makes fundraising and volunteering online especially critical,” she added.

This announcement has increased the California-based company’s annual ad grants commitment to $1 billion to support non-profits and other businesses. Last month, Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai committed $800 million in ad credits and loans to help government organisations and small businesses respond to the Covid-19 crisis.

Alphabet (Google): annual revenue 2011-2018 | Statista — *Google’s parent company is Alphabet Inc.*

Since 2003, Google has provided non-profits with up to $10,000 per month in free search ads to help them attract donors, recruit volunteers and promote their missions.

The increased funding will go towards non-profits tackling pressing issues like Covid-19 response and recovery, especially in hard-hit developing economies, and fighting racial injustice around the world, the company said.

“As of this week, eight million people have been infected with Covid-19 and additional crises are worsening in mental health, domestic violence and social stigma … society is also reckoning with longstanding racial injustices, both in the US and abroad,” said Ms Hurtado.

Covid-19 is expected to drive 50 million people around the globe into extreme poverty, and developing countries will be particularly impacted, said Google, citing World Bank’s figures.

“For this reason, we will award additional ad grants to non-profits serving vulnerable populations in developing economies such as South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, India and Thailand,” said Ms Hurtado.

This week, Google introduced a $175m racial equity initiative with a focus on supporting black business owners, start-up founders, jobseekers and developers.

The announcements have come in response to recent protests in the US and elsewhere that call attention to long-standing discrimination against African-Americans, following the death of George Floyd in police custody last month.

The tech giant is also aiming to improve diversity within higher levels of its own workforce.

“We are working to improve black representation at senior levels and committing to a goal to improve leadership representation of underrepresented groups by 30 per cent by 2025,” said Mr Pichai.

Other big tech businesses such as Amazon and Facebook have also announced increased funding for black causes, while Apple introduced a $100m racial equity and justice initiative that will start in the US and expand globally over time.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.

The African Union Covid-19 Response Fund: a new social contract

June 19, 2020

We need African resources for African transformation, and the fund is a significant step in that direction argues Ebba Kalondo and Carl Manlan

The African Union recently rolled out the Partnership to Accelerate Covid-19 Testing (PACT) building on the lessons from past outbreaks and epidemics. In early 2014, when Ebola cases were first reported in the West African nations of Guinea and Liberia, Africa was taken by surprise. The spread of the virus from rural to urban areas was unprecedented, as the transmission of the highly infectious disease had never been registered in West Africa before. With similar symptoms to other known diseases in the region like Lassa fever, malaria and others, it took a while before the underresourced health systems registered the difference in protection and treatment required.

Ebba Kalondo Spokesperson of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission

Yet, the ensuing response demonstrated that African health workers are able to tame a virus with African resources and international cooperation – albeit at great personal cost, as more than 600 were infected and more than half of them died during the West African Ebola outbreak. That epidemic redefined the social contract between African citizens, its diaspora as well as its continental leadership. Keeping people safe was only made possible because policy and politics connected to the reality in our communities. Rebuilding trust was at the centre of the response.

The intersection of the epidemiology of the virus with the medical response was confronted with the community knowledge and acceptance of government-led interventions that produced fundamental changes in behaviour. Ebola thrived on touch, an important aspect of how many Africans conduct social relationships in life and death. Only when the social contract of trust was formed, and the response was community-owned and led, did we learn the important lessons of how to care for loved ones and give dignified burials that acknowledged the human values of social connection, in times that necessitated traumatic but necessary physical distancing.

These successes are not often adequately showcased in the international media, and there is more work to be done to craft popular stories and narratives that counter the prevailing perception in Northern countries that “Africa can’t do it”. There were tough lessons learned from the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak: not just the high human cost, but also the incalculable socio-economic impact that the affected countries in West Africa are still recovering from today.

Carl Manlan Chief Operating Officer of the Ecobank Foundation

African Union (AU) leaders made a key political decision: to establish a strong and efficient public health agency to help the continent to better prepare, better respond and ultimately recover from outbreaks and epidemics. Thus was born the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Since its inception in 2017, the Africa CDC has been working with African ministers of health to adopt a coordinated response to health and emergencies on the continent.

So when the first confirmed Covid-19 case in Africa was registered on 14 February 2020, we acted fast and started planning early through the Africa CDC. A week later, an emergency summit of all African ministers of health was convened to carve out a coherent continental public health response.

African states were already carrying out entry and exit screening in all airports, as part of the response infrastructure set up for the 10th Ebola outbreak (https://bit.ly/37JQKbQ) in the DR Congo, which started in 2018. Building on previous public health emergencies, those that were most susceptible to bring the virus into cities, were screened and traced. This is all evidence that Africa is constantly building its infrastructure, though it might not always be visible to its own citizens.

But health was only one part of the strategy. Finance and transport joined the continental coordination efforts at ministerial levels, so that leaders could keep their eyes on the bigger picture. Key corridors between African states to ensure the transport of basic goods (including medical supplies) remained open. Despite these efforts, it is clear that Covid-19 is not just a public health disaster: its massive socio-economic impacts threaten to seriously derail Africa’s developmental trajectory.

The AU Commission under the leadership of Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the Bureau of AU Heads of State chaired by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, displayed the required political leadership. High profile AU Envoys have also been engaging (https://bit.ly/3denawb) with international financial institutions, urging for concrete and exceptional measures, including debt relief, to ensure that African countries can devote enough resources to an economic strategy focused on the most vulnerable of our communities.

Just as important, is the need for citizen engagement. Covid-19, like Ebola, requires significant lifestyle changes that can only be achieved through building a close relationship of dialogue and mutual cooperation between health officials, politicians and citizens. The pandemic pushes us in the direction of a new social contract.

The relatively low transmission rates on the continent in comparison with other regions of the world, are the result of continental efforts that sprang into action early. This forms the basis of the social contract that must keep people safe, one that should also continue to adapt to community coping strategies during extraordinary times of health and economic distress. Community engagement and community-led initiatives are keys to success, acceptance and compliance.

But safety requires monetary resources. As African leaders pool their political and financial capital through the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund, citizens too must sign the contract by pooling their resources in the pot. We need African resources for African transformation, and the fund is a significant step in that direction.

The fund will be used to: implement measures that mitigate the socio-economic and humanitarian impact of Covid-19 in Africa; boost the capacity of the Africa CDC to respond to public health emergencies across the continent; support pool purchase of test kits and other medical goods by the Africa CDC for distribution to the AU 55 member states; and contribute to the deployment of one million community and healthcare workers to support contact tracing.

This much needed initiative is part of the long-term goal of building a solid social contract that binds all African citizens to prosperous economies and societies. This will be fully achieved when AU member states will be put in the condition to deliver free universal quality healthcare and education, a well resourced labour welfare system, and food security to all their citizens.

One more reason why Africa’s economic transformation is essential to guarantee everybody’s future: in the long-term, states can only do this with prosperous businesses and well paid employees providing the tax resources needed for this purpose.

Ebba Kalondo is the Spokesperson of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and Carl Manlan is the Chief Operating Officer of the Ecobank Foundation.

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 Businesses May Suffer Disproportionately From Covid-19

June 18, 2020

Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s chief economist in-charge of African operations

With the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa’s economies, countries could face a financial crisis, dashing hopes of survival of businesses and pushing many households into poverty. Global economists and financial experts are calling for state intervention to rescue banks from liquidity challenges after restructuring loans worth billions of dollars and extending moratoria on repayments to help cushion borrowers facing financial difficulties.

“It is absolutely about strengthening financial institutions. Governments should not do anything or implement policy measures that might take away the capacity of financial institutions to play their part in economic recovery,” said Razia Khan, Standard Chartered Bank’s chief economist in-charge of African operations.“Policy makers have to make a very important balancing role between immediate needs of the economic crisis and how to restore confidence and build a well-capitalised banking industry that is better able to support growth in the future,” she added.

Economic recovery was the focus of a recent virtual forum hosted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). Discussions revolved around post-Covid-19 trade-offs between financial stability and economic renewal for African countries, and what specific financial sector development policies and regulations could restore stability. In the UK, the government channelled £330billion ($421 billion) into the banking system as a business support package under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

“The current economic shocks may turn into financial shocks because there is a limit to the amount of credit and liquidity that low income countries can generate in their own economies, and this has been compounded by the inability of these countries to meet their own foreign exchange needs and outflows of capital arising from the deteriorating economic conditions,” said Adeyemi Dipeolu, the special advisor on economic matters to the President of Nigeria. “This Covid-19 pandemic has led to financial shocks. The longer the economic conditions remain tight the more likely we are going to have financial shocks.” The banking system is now grappling with more loan defaults and restructuring, and delays in repayment, which could erode interest income — the lenders’ key source of revenue.

According to Dr Dipeolu, African governments are now confronted with the challenge of finding appropriate policies that will kick start economic growth without jeopardising the stability of the financial sector after the Covid-19 pandemic. “The trajectory of Covid-19 in low income countries is complex and this will compound the efforts to revive such economies,” he said. He added that post-Covid-19 recovery in developed countries may be slow and is likely to result in huge financing gaps, large debt service obligations, foreign exchange shortages and heightened credit risk in the banking industry. The World Bank has forecast a decline in growth in the region from 2.4 per cent in 2019, to between -2.1 per cent and -5.1 per cent this year, estimating that African economies could lose between $37 billion and $79 billion in output losses. According to ODI, economies will struggle to achieve financial stability and recover as concerns mount on issues around debt sustainability.

The crisis will also impact African countries’ financial sector development (FSD), which may also have implications for how policies and regulations are formulated and implemented in a post-Covid world. “We are looking at severe economic impact from Covid-19. We have got a crisis that we are dealing with,” said Jonathan Rosenthal, Africa editor of The Economist Magazine. Judith Tyson, a research fellow at ODI, called for the strengthening of both national and regional development banks to help in the recovery of economies destroyed by the pandemic. “We need to put greater emphasis on the strengthening and expansion of development banks to accelerate lending to the productive sectors of the economies post Covid-19,” she said.

The International Monetary Fund has cautioned banks against paying dividends to shareholders this year, saying that lenders need to preserve cash to boost resilience of the banking industry against Covid-19 related shocks. The fund’s managing director Kristalina Georgieva said banks should take measures to shore up their capital and liquidity positions to support fresh credit as the global economy braces for a deep recession this year, with only partial recovery expected in 2021. “One of the steps needed to reinforce bank buffers is retaining earnings from ongoing operations. The interests of bank shareholders are aligned with those of bank supervisors and customers. All stakeholders will ultimately benefit if banks preserve capital instead of paying out to shareholders during the pandemic,” Ms Georgieva said.“Protecting the banking sector’s strength now means that, once the recovery picks up, shareholders can expect large payouts — indeed the more profits retained now, the larger the eventual payout,” she added.

According to the Overseas Development Institute, the Covid-19 pandemic is already radically worsening the economic outlook for Africa. Poverty is expected to increase by two per cent of the regional population, with 26 million people falling under the poverty line, erasing five years of progress in poverty reduction. Half of the new poor will live in just five countries: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa — with Nigeria contributing the most with 6.6 million according to unpublished World Bank material. To stem an economic crisis, in the short-term international finance institutions need to support SMEs and micro-businesses directly or through financing via banks and micro financial institutions. In the longer-term, finance to support recovery — also known as ‘patient capital’ — will be key to replace lost bank lending, especially in sectors where employment and informal occupations are concentrated.

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

Venture Capital For Africa (VC4A) Announces Showcase to Promote Startups in Africa

June 17, 2020

Ben White, founder and director from VC4A

In what observers describe as an exclusive opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to introduce their companies at once to everyone who’s anyone in Africa’s early-stage investment space, the Venture Capital For Africa popularly known as VC4A is calling for disruptive African scale-ups looking to raise between $500K and $10M as part of its venture showcase series in the continent. In collaboration with technical partner AWS Activate, VC4A will be hosting the exclusive ‘Venture Showcase – Series A’ in October as part of a virtual gathering of Africa-focused early-stage investors.

Since 2017, VC4A has showcased growth-stage startups as part of the annual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit, resulting in a number of Series A deals totaling over $100M. Building on this success, the ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Series A’ positions deal ready companies as a central component VC4A offers to its Africa focused network of over 150 early stage investment firms built up over the years. This is an exclusive opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to introduce their companies at once to everyone who’s anyone in Africa’s early-stage investment space.

Ben White, founder and director from VC4A adds: “The Venture Showcase – now in its 4th year – has established itself as the premier platform for presenting the best companies ready for Series A from across the continent. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need to come together virtually as an industry and to collaborate on deals is more necessary than ever. Especially now, the world needs to recognize the quality of innovation and entrepreneurship taking up across the continent and the unique opportunity to be part of major success stories.”

VC4A works closely with the African investment community to refer candidates to the showcase, involving investors in both the screening and selections process. Participating investors work with the selected companies to prepare their participation in the showcase, and to ensure the companies are representative of the best investment opportunities coming up from across the continent. The showcase sets the stage for deal making with Africa’s leading entrepreneurs and investors coming together to scale up the best companies.

This year cloud platform Amazon Web Services, through its AWS Activate program, joins the Venture Showcase as a technical partner. “We’re very pleased to see AWS join in the shared mission to grow and help scale Africa’s best startups. AWS brings unparalleled expertise and global infrastructure into the mix, and where the Showcase companies receive direct access,” says Ben White.

Selected companies of the 2020 edition will digitally convene and engage the leading VC funds, impact investors, accelerators, corporate venture divisions, industry associations, and public sector agencies. The 2019 edition welcomed over 300 investors from prominent VC funds and African angel networks, such as EchoVC, Greentec, I&P, Proparco, Accion, Knife Capital, Ventures Platform, TLCom Capital, Blue Haven Initiative, VBAN, 4Di Capital, Lagos Angel Network, Total Ventures, AngelHub Ventures, Teranga Capital, Outlierz Ventures, HIMangel, Tencent, Silvertree Capital, GSMA, Orange Digital Ventures, among many others. The 60 Venture Showcase alumni companies like Aerobotics, Coin Afrique, FinChatBot, FlexClub, 7Keema, Lifebank, MAX, Mobiz, Nawah Scientific, Rensource, Sendy and Shezlong raised the astonishing amount of over $100.000.000.

The 10 selected scale-ups of the 2020 edition will get to participate in the VC4A Venture Showcase deal room, including 150+ VC investment firms, professional edited 3-minute virtual pitch videos,30-minute deep-dive sessions with investors in a private room, and mentorship and pitch training by partner VC investors. Also inclusive is Amazon Web Services credits from AWS Activate worth ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, as well as tools, resources, and more to get started quickly on AWS. To join the Showcase alumni network and gain exclusive access to fundraising opportunities, interested entrepreneurs are invited to apply via this page (https://bit.ly/2UTmrtU) before 14 August 2020. The Series A program will be followed by a ‘VC4A Venture Showcase – Seed’ track dedicated to startups raising their seed round ranging from 150K-750K USD. Keep an eye out on the VC4A platform for the launch in July 2020.

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

Another Feather as African Bank joins Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network

Ann-Charlotte Eliasson, VP, Head of EU Bond Listings and Sustainable Debt

The African Development Bank has joined the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network through which socially responsible issuers are provided a unique opportunity to bring attention to their concrete actions. With this development, the African Bank has become one of the world’s largest issuers of social bonds, in the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network (NSBN). The NSBN is a global and publicly available platform designed to improve transparency in the market for green, social and sustainability bonds. Ten Bank bonds were added to the platform, including its landmark $3 billion Fight COVID-19 Social Bond launched in March 2020, the largest Social Bond ever launched at the time in international capital markets. Fight COVID-19 remains today the largest dollar-denominated Social Bond. It aims to help alleviate the economic and social impact of the pandemic on livelihoods and Africa’s economies.

By joining the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network, socially responsible issuers are provided a unique opportunity to bring attention to their concrete actions in terms of financing climate change and green growth. “Nasdaq welcomes the inclusion of the African Development Bank on our Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network especially with its Fight Covid-19 Social Bond, launched to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on African economies and livelihoods,” said Ann-Charlotte Eliasson, VP, Head of EU Bond Listings and Sustainable Debt. “We are proud to offer visibility to an issuer with such a strong social mandate, which the world needs more than ever, especially in these challenging times.”

Hassatou Diop N’Sele, Treasurer of the African Development Bank

Since the launch of Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network in December last year, more than 40 issuers from 13 countries have added over 4,000 bonds to the platform, including the Nordic Investment Bank, HSBC and Fannie Mae. “The Nasdaq Sustainable Bond platform allows us to showcase our work in combating poverty and in helping move the African continent forward. Our Fight Covid-19 social bond is about saving lives and livelihoods,” said Hassatou Diop N’Sele, Treasurer of the African Development Bank.

The African Development Bank established its Social Bond framework in 2017 and has raised the equivalent of $5.5 billion through five transactions supporting 89 eligible social projects in 28 African countries as of 31 December 2019. In 2018, the Bank was designated “Second most impressive social or sustainability bond issuer” at the Global Capital SRI Awards and the Bank’s NOK 1 billion 3-year Social Bond issued in 2019 was awarded “Social Bond of the Year” by Environmental Finance.

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

Uganda Communications Commission Calls For Business Plan Proposals For WiFi Hotspots

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), through the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF) has launched a call for business plan proposals under a grant to cater for WiFi Hotspots at four border points across the country.

The third phase of the RCDF prioritizes Broadband connectivity and access as one of the programs for funding and implementation of projects. This is also further supported by both the ICT Sector Investment Plan (ICTSIP) and the National Broadband Strategy (NBS) which are very specific that the fund should now target Universal access to broadband as the key objective.

People in transit have communication needs that can be fulfilled through access to public Wi-Fi hotspots as long as they own a Wi-Fi capable device since Wi-Fi does not require a SIMCARD or existence of a subscription relationship with a service provider.

This move comes in the bid to the fight against COVID -19 by addressing the communication needs of people transiting through the border posts.

According to their website and social media posts, UCC is now seeking to collaborate with a suitably qualified stakeholder with the requisite qualifications, competencies, and experience as per the eligibility criterion and statement of requirements to supply and operate Wi-Fi hotspots at four border posts.

The four targeted border points are Busia (Busia district, Uganda-Kenya border), Mpondwe (Kasese district, Uganda — D.R Congo border), Lwakhakha (Manafwa district, Uganda — Kenya border), and the Katuna (Kabale district, Uganda — Rwanda border).

The grant application is open effective 15th — 26th June 2020.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.

Coronavirus: African businesses must plan ahead in the new norm

June 16, 2020

By Yuchia Tsai

The way in which businesses should respond to the pandemic in the coming weeks and months is dependent on the mitigation strategy adopted by the countries they operate in.

The World Bank predicts a -1.6% GDP growth for sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the pandemic. In this exceptional environment, organisations and businesses need to be adaptable, resilient and agile to survive and thrive in the ongoing seismic shift. There are three potential risk mitigation pathways to combat the pandemic: lockdowns; herd immunity and precision testing.

Scenario 1: Business first with Herd Immunity

The pathway of herd immunity in the context of COVID-19 means infecting at least 60% of people to prevent further spread as immune individuals build up in the population. This is assuming that the immunity from natural infection is long-lasting, which has not been confirmed in the case of COVID-19. Studies have shown insufficient immunity or waning immunity after 2 to 3 months. Evidence of longer duration of immunity is still to be demonstrated.

In theory, more than 60% of the population must be infected before protective herd immunity is achieved. If there’s a case-fatality rate of 3% of 60% of the population, about 1.8% of the population will die. For Africa, that equates to 24 million people. While that number appears quite high, it is based on the current Africa case fatality rate which is 2.7%, rounded off to 3%, which takes into consideration the global case fatality rate of 5.6%.

However, pandemics do not stop at 60% infection exactly due to a phenomenon called the “overshoot effect” where the momentum of the epidemic drives the infection rate up to 90% of the population. Herd immunity without any active intervention or effective vaccines will result in significant health risks for the population, which in turn, will influence the economy.

Scenario 2: Health first with Lockdowns/Curfews

Many countries in Africa have adopted either partial or complete lockdowns, causing major social and economic disruptions and negatively impacting the economy, causing further geo-political disruptions. For example, South Africa’s lockdown will cost an estimated R13bn per day. Lockdowns may also cause a shift in the way authorities exercise control over civil society, requiring shifts in the boundaries of civil liberty, civil obedience and governmental control.

Previous pandemics and predictive modelling also show that lockdowns may only postpone the damaging effect of a potential second wave of exponential growth in infection. Until there is an effective vaccine, most countries can be expected to have intermittent partial or complete lockdowns periodically until the pool of susceptible individuals in the population have been infected. Organisations with a medium to longer-term strategy will be better prepared for the resulting financial and operational disruptions.

Scenario 3: Status quo with Precision Testing

Countries such as Taiwan and South Korea have employed a different strategy learned from previous epidemics such as SARS in 2003. This involves the least change to the fabric of society, allowing the economy to continue without disruptions. The strategy deployed for COVID-19 was a combination of early action and precision action.

By testing a highly exposed, “sentinel” population: health-care workers, taxi and public transport workers, and cashiers who are exposed to large amounts of people daily, an accurate picture of the infection rate can be determined.

Coupled with reduction in social contacts (cancellation of events of mass-gathering) and precise contact-tracing, infected individuals can be effectively detected and isolated, stopping the epidemic where it starts.

By engaging academic and governmental facilities to maximize existing testing infrastructure and expertise across Africa, the cost can be as low as $20 per test. The efficacy of this containment strategy is proven in Asia, resulting in low case-loads, allowing businesses and schools to continue operations as usual. This is also the most cost-effective strategy applicable especially in resource-constrained settings in Africa.

The New Normal

As many African states come out of their lockdowns and curfews, it is crucial for businesses and civil society to actively shape the direction of a new norm in the next few months. The pandemic is expected to linger for the next 18 to 24 months until an effective vaccine can be mass-produced and rolled out.

This means that any preventive mitigation will have to remain in place, at least intermittently, for the same amount of time. The supply of a healthy workforce may become irregular with frequent absenteeism due to illnesses and family responsibility.

Highly vulnerable individuals may be required to work from home for an extended period. Supply of goods and material may be disrupted. Accelerated digitization, automation, flexible work schedule, job-sharing and telecommuting may become the norm in a contact-less future.

Businesses cannot expect “business as usual” anytime soon

However, businesses need to maintain operational viability and sustainability to provide care to their employees. Businesses must comply with government regulations on safety measures and are encouraged to implement additional measures where they can to ensure safe environments for their employees and clients and to support the community they are working in.

There may be requirements from authorities for proof of testing, screening and immunity at schools and workplaces. There may also be requirements for employers to provide personal protective equipment or protection for their at-risk population.

Access to a vaccine or treatment may become a premium service in many African states where high levels of inequality exist.

Travel risks and country specific COVID-19 impact will have to be assessed and incorporated into travel policies as the business world may partially shift towards a contactless business culture.

Organisations will also have to reassess their current business structure with major shifts towards re-purposing, re-engaging, regrouping and reallocating.

Businesses will have to repurpose their business lines and their people for the new world, reengage with their employees and customers to realign their value proposition, regroup and reskill the workforce and reallocate resources to profit-generating lines to ensure business viability.

Non-traditional collaborations with local partners and rapid digitization may assist organisations to a rapid return of profitability.

It is also imperative for businesses to engage with the government in public-private partnerships to shape and guide government decisions and the public response to the pandemic. Corporate Social Investment initiatives can be redirected towards: funding of testing, vaccine development, innovative containment and contact tracking programmes to ensure the survival of corporations and the society in which they operate

The best way to return to normal operations is to assist government and academia to contain the disease.

International SOS response

International SOS is considered to be the world’s largest medical and travel security services firm. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has provided a full suite of medical and security services and advisory. In sub-Saharan Africa, it has actively managed medical services at more than 170 project sites and 11 clinics to support the Oil and Gas industry, Mining, Infrastructure construction, retailers, food manufacturers and other industries with their pandemic response.

Services have been set up in Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, and Ghana amongst other locations in Health Monitoring Initiatives, Workplace COVID-19 screening, in-depth health and security consulting, customized webinars to educate employees on solutions through various stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic Curve.

What can businesses do?

Organisations need to have effective immediate, medium, and long-term plans.

Immediate response for case management and emergency protective implementations such as workplace closure, medium-term strategy of Return to Operations and workplace readiness and long-term restructuring of the organisation are crucial topics to consider.

At this current stage of the pandemic, there should also be a return to operation procedures and protocols to reintroduce the workforce in a safe manner. Some questions businesses should be asking themselves at this stage include:

How can businesses safely resume operations? With carefully thought out and planned Return to Work Procedures involving internal information and communication, traveller management, case management and scientifically based return to operations procedures under the guidance of experts.

Which employees are more at risk? Known risk factors to severe Coronavirus disease are chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and those above the age of 60.

Should we be testing all our employees for COVID-19? Testing strategy should comply with local public health guidelines and epidemic progression. Each testing method has its own pros and cons and should be carefully structured to suit the need of the organisation and each specific location with the assistance of healthcare professionals.

How should we adapt the workplace to create a safe environment for our employees? There are basic principles such as provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Masks, Sanitising equipment and material as well as physical space to allow for physical distancing. There are procedures that can be implemented at the workplace such as temperature screening or travel /symptoms questionnaire to improve the safety of employees. Employers have a duty of care and the Duty of Loyalty to their employees.

How can we inform and engage with our employees and customers? By communicating regular, reliable information, using portals such as the International SOS pandemic website, businesses can prepare their employees and customers on the different stages of the pandemic. It is also important to look after the psychological wellness of the organization during the pandemic.

This pandemic may turn out to be the serendipitous impetus to drive meaningful, sustainable and long-lasting changes in the way business is conducted.

Yuchia Tsai is Medical Director for Africa at International SOS.

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