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Strengths and weaknesses of Africa's agrifood industries
Africa's agrifood sectors are booming. Besides producing food for local consumption, the food industry is supplying the towns with processed products. However, a lack of facilities and equipment, poor...
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Modernising the agro-industrial sector in sub-Saharan Africa is a social, political and economic necessity
Modernising the agro-industrial sector in sub-Saharan Africa is a social, political and economic necessity requiring the introduction of effective agricultural policies, support for the formation of v...
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Pioneer role of DFIs in sub-Saharan Africa
Growth in emerging markets is currently leading the financial development institutions (FDIs) to re-focus their efforts on low-income countries – bringing sub-Saharan Africa to the fore once again. FD...
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Private equity and SMEs: an instrument for growth
Stabilising growth in Africa – growth which is real but fragile – depends partly on the dynamism of SMEs, which receive little in the way of private equity support. Funds' profitability can be enhanc...
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The transparency challenge facing private equity
When hedge funds are set up in offshore centers, they benefit from favorable conditions when investing in Africa. Their investments may spur economies, but short-term profit targets, the lack of trans...
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Living with an investment fund – the company perspective
From the decision to open up its equity capital to the withdrawal of the private equity fund four years later, step by step SOMDIAA reveals the four stages of this marriage of two worlds, and shows ho...
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PE Funds improving corporate governance and investor climate
While fund managers may influence public policy geared towards improving the investing environment, they make a more significant impact by improving portfolio companies' governance standards. This is...
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Profitability and development hand in hand
A question frequently asked is whether profitability is the only criterion to be taken into consideration when private equity is evaluated. By itself, profitability is not an adequate basis on which t...
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The next chapter for private equity in sub-Saharan Africa
Private equity is well suited to the continent and is attracting an increasingly diverse spectrum of investors. It is true that its activities remain focused on a few markets, and that concerns remain...
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Traps to avoid, lessons to be learned
What have the millions spent by development agencies on technical assistance actually been used for? What part will technical assistance play in the future? Critical examination of assistance programm...
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Impact assessment of technical assistance projects
It is becoming increasingly necessary to assess the impact of technical assistance projects. But the standard indicators, most of which are based on quantitative measurements, are not necessarily appr...
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European Union support for the private sector
European Union technical assistance is implemented at micro-, meso- and macroeconomic level to encourage growth and benefit different sectors of the population, including the poorest. Programmes aim t...
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Accelerating the expansion of microinsurance
Technical assistance provided by LeapFrog Labs enables microinsurance companies to grow stronger and innovate. This article highlights LeapFrog's investment strategy for microinsurance, describes the...
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The Economic Impact of the Development of Mobile Telephony: Results from a Case Study in Haiti
Haitian data confirm that mobile phone development acts as an engine for economic growth, what consequently brings a number of social benefits. However, a large part of the population remains excluded...
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Rebuilding a Shattered Nation: The Impact of Wireless Communication and Mobile Banking in Afghanistan
In an extremely difficult context – that of Afghanistan at war – mobile phones provide users with some basic services that are essential for the country's reconstruction. The explosion in the developm...
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The Impacts of the Mobile Phone Sector on Development: Mixed Results?
The expansion of the mobile phone sector in developing countries would appear to have obvious benefits. However, the conditions in which this takes place can sometimes be questioned. Deregulation in t...
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How to Succeed in Developing Countries for a Mobile Telephony Operator? The Case of Milicom
Some mobile phone operators invested in developing countries very early on, whereas profitability seemed to be uncertain. If such investments are to be profitable, it is necessary to respect some key...
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Mobile Phones, Markets and Firms in Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the use of mobile phones has positive impacts on the way local consumer goods markets operate. Indeed, a study conducted in Niger shows that mobile phones help reduce costs and...
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Mobile Telephony: A Transformational Tool for Growth and Development
The past 15 years have brought an unprecedented increase in access to telephone services in developing countries. This growth has been driven primarily by wireless technologies. Mobile phones have mad...
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The African Mobile Phone Market: Beyond the Boom Phase, Between the Promise and Uncertainty of Maturity
The growth of African mobile markets over the past decade has been dramatic and well documented. Its impact has been far-reaching, directly through large capital investments and the emergence of large...
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