AFRICA

MTN launches paperless payment service, MomoBusiness in South Africa as it seeks to replicate Safaricom’s Lipa Na M-pesa’s success in Kenya. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | MTN has unveiled MoMoBusiness wallet, a suite of payment solutions to tap into the growing demand for cashless transactions in the South African …

Uganda: Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism to boost farmers’ access to fertilizers with nearly $2.9 million in credit guarantees and grant funding Abidjan, Ivory Coast | THE INDEPENDENT |  The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a project to provide 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer to 400,000 …

With annual demand for mushrooms of 1200 tonnes and local production of only 500, a Kenyan mushroom expert with 35 years of experience is training young growers to become millionaires. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY |  In a cosy workshop in Eldoret in western Kenya, Jackton Onyango Otieno, a down-to-earth, …

Africa is to gain additional seats on the influential boards of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, elevating the region’s clout in global finance governance. This comes as African nations look to carve out space to act with greater agency and self-determination, both in continental and world affairs. …

LED lighing is helping marketers make sales during the night-time SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | In St. Balikuddembe Market, Kampala, while the day winds down, Ssemwogerere Andrew digs into a bale of rubber shoes, determined to secure a last-minute sale. The market’s history hasn’t always been this forgiving for …

 In 2022, Adeline Pelage and her husband risked everything to shift their small biscuit factory from baking with wheat flour to locally ourced sweet potato flour. They haven’t looked back. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD NEWS AGENCY | It’s a six-story climb to get to the rooftop that houses the small …

Starlink to leverage Jumia’s retail network to supercharge its broadband rollout in Africa, extending a vital financial lifeline to the struggling online retailer. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | The stars may finally be aligning for Jumia after SpaceX’s Starlink tapped the online retailer, once dubbed Africa’s ‘Amazon’ to drive …

Imposing a uniform policy approach on African countries has only worsened crises, limiting their policy space ANALYSIS | CARLOS LOPES | The annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are due to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, in mid-this month. The city and country are still reeling …

It’s pushing back stereotypes, gaining respect Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Somalia’s first and only all-women media team, Bilan, was on Oct.02 nominated as one of the three possible recipients of the 2023 Index on Censorship Press Freedom Award in the Journalism category. The Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The African Union (AU) and United Nations have rejected external interference in Sudan that could further exacerbate the conflict in the African country. This came during the annual consultative meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and members of the United Nations Security …