By Rédaction Africanews with AP Kenya and China signed four memoranda of understanding on economic partnership, agriculture, livestock and trade on Tuesday, as Kenyan President William Ruto held talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Nairobi. Among the deals was an agreement that will grant Kenya duty-free and quota-free access for Kenyan products to the Chinese market starting in May. China has extended tariff-free access to dozens of African nations, aiming to boost exports of goods like coffee, tea, and horticulture from countries including Kenya. Speaking in the meeting, Ruto described “fruitful consultations” with the Chinese, thanking them for…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Controversial civic group, March and March, took to the streets of the South African city of Durban on Wednesday demanding stricter immigration laws and border controls. Joined by several political parties, including ActionSA, and vigilante anti-migrant group Operation Dudula, they demanded the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. March and March’s leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, together with her supporters, did little to temper rhetoric widely condemned as xenophobic. She questioned why government allowed undocumented foreigners to use public facilities, including healthcare. “If you are saying you can’t refuse them healthcare for example, why must it be…
BCG analysis finds that scaling Africa’s software developer base could unlock major economic value, competitiveness and long-term growth across the continent, with the inclusion of women representing one of the continent’s most powerful yet underutilised accelerators. Africa’s developer community is expanding faster than anywhere else in the world, new Boston Consulting Group (BCG) analysis shows, underscoring the continent’s growing influence in global technology creation. Although the continent currently has 4.7 million developers – far fewer than regions such as Asia with 73.9 million and Europe with 27.5 million – the talent base has been expanding at 21% a year between 2019 and…
Regardless of where Mohamed Salah ends up in the summer, it will be quite the sight seeing him no longer in Liverpool colours. During his nine-year spell, the Egyptian has become synonymous with the Anfield club but next season he will have a new home after Tuesday’s news that he will leave at the end of the season. Here, BBC Sport assesses the 33-year-old’s options, looking at who could realistically afford him and which countries have shown interest in the past. ‘It wasn’t meant to end like this’ – Salah exit tough but inevitable Destination Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly the first place…
By Africanews with AFP The mayor of Cape Town — South Africa’s top tourist city — says he wants to “build a relationship of trust” to draw more voters to the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the country’s ruling coalition. Geordin Hill-Lewis, 39, announced his bid in February. became mayor in 2021 of the touristy city seen as among the better-managed municipalities in the country. Reigning DA chief John Steenhuisen announced in February that he would not run for a third term. “I want to prioritise what I’ve called a closing the gap between the DA [Democratic Alliance]…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Debt-laden Senegal has denied a report in the Financial Times that it covertly borrowed 650 million euros ($754 million) to avoid a default, saying it acted in line with “market transparency rules”. The government, which took power in April 2024, accuses former president Macky Sall’s administration of having concealed a huge level of debt. But the Financial Times reported Monday that the new government had secretly “tapped 650 million euros from development lender Africa Finance Corporation and First Abu Dhabi Bank last year in borrowings that gave them privileges over existing bondholders”. In a statement…
By Africanews with AP South African prosecutors said Wednesday they intend to charge the head of police over a $20-million health tender, in a case that has rocked the country and pulled in a dozen other officers. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has been served with a summons to appear in court next month, said Kaizer Kganyago, spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority. The case centres on a now-cancelled 2024 police tender for health services awarded to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is suspected of links to organised crime. It was not immediately clear what charges Masemola will face,…
About 32 bodies, mostly children, have been dug up from a mass grave in the western Kenyan town of Kericho as investigations continue into the shocking discovery. The exhumation was done after the police obtained a court order to retrieve 14 bodies that were initially believed to have been buried at the site. Government pathologist Richard Njoroge told journalists on Tuesday evening that what they found was “quite unusual” with bodies “stacked in gunny bags”, after a day-long process that was interrupted by heavy rains. A post-mortem examination is expected to begin on Wednesday, amid calls to promptly identify the…
Prashant Byndoor, BPC Country Manager East Africa Rising transaction volumes, tighter regulation and growing competition are placing new demands on banks and cooperative lenders across Kenya and East Africa, while institutions adapt their payment operations to cope with sustained pressure. These pressures sit on top of very high transaction volumes. Real-time payment systems across Africa now process close to 64 billion transactions with cumulative flows approaching US $2 trillion, according to recent analysis. Banks, cooperative lenders and payment operators are already carrying this volume through their daily operations. Digital transactions sit behind activities such as member savings contributions, loan disbursements, merchant payments,…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP One of the principal figures convicted in an infamous 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea died in custody Wednesday in the capital Conakry, the west African country’s prison service said. Aboubakar Sidiki Diakité, known as Toumba Diakité, was serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the September 2009 killing of 156 people and the rape of at least 109 women by pro-junta forces under then-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara. He is at least the second person convicted in connection with the massacre to have died in custody following that of Colonel Claude Pivi in January. Pivi…