News
Becoming a “green port” in Africa
Port authorities have a number of levers at their disposal to pursue a “green port” model: contracting taxation, environmental certification and the adoption of international standards. However, while...
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Integrating African ports into international commercial flows: strengths and weaknesses
Increased containerisation of trade, changing infrastructure and more and more mammoth projects... for the past 20 years, African ports have enjoyed huge momentum. But the obstacles hampering developm...
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Legal instruments to support the development of African ports
Governed chiefly by concession and permit agreements, the legal instruments underpinning public-private partnerships (PPP) in the African port sector are often inappropriate. These need to change in o...
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Good links to the hinterland: the key to efficient overland transport
Good links between ports and their hinterland is one of the key catalysts driving growth and opening up different regions of Africa. Rail and roads – with all their respective advantages – compete to...
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Freight: the African bet
Major shippers are increasingly turning to Africa to avoid fierce competition on more traditional routes. However, as freight volumes are still too low, overcapacity is a constant problem.
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Saving the Ganges: the vital changes needed in institutional and business models
While pollution of the Ganges appears to be an insoluble problem, demand for water – driven mainly by farming – is actually drying out certain sections of the river. Solutions exist but they require a...
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Yield and climate-linked insurance - a boon for small farmers
Insurance based on yield or weather indexes is a way of protecting small farmers in developing countries against natural risks. This innovation has the potential to improve their living conditions and...
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Privately-produced renewable energy in Africa: a credible alternative to traditional projects?
In Africa, many independent energy supply projects have grown up alongside state-controlled programmes. Sector-based reforms designed to boost production of renewable energies have been a boon for suc...
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Life insurance in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa
This article summarises part of the work of professors Aymeric Kamega and Frédéric Planchet: “Presentation of the life insurance sector in Frenchspeaking Sub-Saharan Africa” at Université de Bretagne...
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African Hotel Development – Great potential returns for investors
Everyone knows about Africa’s potential, created by the population explosion, the demographic profile of the population and the commodities “lottery win”. However, the shortage of hotel bedrooms provi...
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Insurance via your mobile phone: development of distribution channels in Africa
In Africa, insurance distribution relies on broking companies and insurance agents. The development of bank insurance is fraught with difficulty due to the persistently low penetration of bank account...
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Morocco: medical assistance for micro-business owners
Al Amana is Morocco’s leading microfinance institution, both in terms of customer base and the amount of credit provided. It operates throughout the country, supporting a vulnerable population by offe...
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Kigali amendment: concrete progress on climate change and opportunity for the private sector
Focus on an historic climate agreement that has gone almost unnoticed on the margins of COP22: the amendment adopted in Kigali in October 2016 aims to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs or F-gases). T...
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Experiences in index-based insurance for farmers: lessons learnt from Senegal and Bangladesh
Index insurance is an innovative approach that pays out benefits based on a pre-determined index (e.g. rainfall, seismic activity, livestock mortality rates, etc.) for losses arising from weather and...
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Using insurance to harness savings and boost corporate and capital investment: the example of the CIMA zone
In Africa, insurers are potentially able to channel household savings and make long-term investments in businesses and infrastructure projects, however a number of obstacles continue to hamper their c...
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Micro-health insurance: the user perspective
There are many social and cultural obstacles facing micro-health insurance in developing countries. While disadvantaged communities develop their own solidarity, risk-sharing and planning mechanisms,...
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Africa: on the cusp of an innovation revolution
While emerging economies have been driving global growth over the last ten years, the gap vis-à-vis developed economies is still very substantial. Skill gaps in particular severely constrain economic...
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The insurance sector sets its sights on Africa
Africa is home to 15% of the World’s population but generates barely 1.5% of global insurance premiums. Nevertheless, a number of indicators point to rapid future growth in the sector: the Continent’s...
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Mining as a transformative opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa
Mining can be a formidable transformative opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa but measures and regulations are required to strengthen the finances of the local utilities and provide a less uncertain an...
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