Canon will also introduce for the first time in Egypt, its revolutionary mirrorless range of products – EOS R3, EOS R5 C, EOS R7 & EOS R10 in an endeavor to introduce a much wider array of technology solutions in Africa
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 15, 2022/APO Group/ —
Canon’s (Canon-CNA.com) R-tour in Egypt – testimony to the company’s commitment and dedication towards bring a variety of technological solutions to Africa; Canon will also introduce for the first time in Egypt, its revolutionary mirrorless range of products – EOS R3, EOS R5 C, EOS R7 & EOS R10 in an endeavor to introduce a much wider array of technology solutions in Africa.
Canon Central and North Africa announced today of its highly-awaited R-tour which commenced from June 14th in Egypt, in line with the company’s continued commitment to Africa and its endeavor to bring the best in class for imaging technology solutions to the continent. The exclusive launch event brought together company executives, along with industry experts, professional photographers, videographers, and leading content creators from Egypt for an intriguing and interactive session that included panel discussions, video showcase, and cultural performances. The event witnessed Amine Djouahra, Canon’s Sales and Marketing Director as a keynote speaker whilst Mostafa Makram – Youtuber and Postproduction Trainer, Tarek Abdullah – Photography and Art Director, and Ahmed Waffay, Filmmaker who participated in an insightful panel discussion which was held on the trending topic of ‘The rising industry of content creators.
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
Canon’s commitment to Africa in ensuring a continuous stream of new products and solutions is consistently introduced in the market to meet its rapidly evolving needs and underpins the company’s objective of launching R-tour in Egypt. The R-tour kicked-off with the launch of cutting-edge products from the Canon’s much renowned EOS R system. These will include EOS R3, EOS R5 C, EOS R7, and EOS R10. The EOS R3 offers all the familiarity and speed of Canon’s renowned EOS-1 series, with the innovation and versatility of the pioneering EOS R System. With a brand new, innovative 24.1megapixel sensor, the EOS R3 gives an optimal balance of performance, resolution, and speed to offer news and sports photographers a camera to outperform and outpace the competition. Likewise, The EOS R5 C is a powerful, hybrid cinema camera which combines the professional filmmaking features of the Cinema EOS range with the EOS R System’s photo capabilities. A high-resolution, full frame CMOS sensor, DIGIC X processor and the RF Mount, are the crucial three elements that enable high fidelity 8K capture, and 45 megapixels still photo capture at burst speeds up to 20 frames per second, all in a single body of the EOS R5 C.
Amine Djouahra Canon’s Sales and Marketing Director (CCNA) at today’s R – Tour in Egypt
ONE BRAND, MANY SOLUTIONS
The R-tour is an embodiment of both these things, we want to showcase our cutting-edge technology through the launch of our new products whilst getting closer to people
“Canon as a brand has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology and as a company, we take pride in putting people first. The R-tour is an embodiment of both these things, we want to showcase our cutting-edge technology through the launch of our new products whilst getting closer to people. We are the only brand that offers all solutions from input and output to all segments of end user be it home user, business owner, beginner to professional photographer, content creators, videographers, filmmakers etc. Thus, it becomes essential for us to create strong channels of opportunities where we can directly interact and engage with our diverse set of audience to ensure we take these relationships a notch higher. We want our fans to come forward and experience the beauty of our products first-hand rather than just hearing or seeing these from a distance. The R-tour will allow us to do so in myriad ways, people can have a trial-run at our products on spot, provide us with valuable feedback and have their questions answered by experts. As I see it, the R-tour is a win-win for both the company and the audience. We are thrilled to be in Egypt, a market that’s growing rapidly and we are excited for our fans to unveil the brilliance of our new products from the EOS R system,” said Amine Djouahra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Canon Central and North Africa.
ENGAGE, CONNECT, LEARN
With the central theme of Canon’s R-tour revolving around building relationships with its various sets of audiences, the company has created experiential booths to promote the spirit of interaction, engagement, and connectivity. Audiences experienced seven different booths each highlighting a different theme, thereby allowing fans to immerse themselves in the Canon universe. The first booth, namely ‘Video booth’, focused on production shooting and cinematic set up with cameras such as Canon C500 Mark II and C300 Mark III being put on display. The second booth gave fans a glimpse into the world of virtual reality whereas the third one called ‘Green Chroma’ provided insights into post-production with Canon C70 + R5 C being put on display. Furthermore, the next booth was a hit amongst action and sports photography lovers with Canon’s illustrious EOS R3 +RF 15-35mm being put on display. The fifth booth was all about Canon’s complete mirrorless range of R system – RP, R, R6, R5, R7, R10 and RF lenses thus making it a hotspot for Generation R community members. The next booth shed light on the needs of gaming and vlogging community with Canon M50 Mark II. Last but not the least, the ‘Quality and Color’ booth captured a splendid show of Middle Eastern light in a bid to celebrate the spirit of Canon’s community in Egypt. Post the tour, Canon envisions to continue engaging with end-users through a series of events including Photo walks, Masterclasses, Competitions, and Generation R Community events among others. The tour provided fans an opportunity to test-drive Canon products right on the spot, and get their queries answered directly through company experts.
CANON COMMUNITY – A DRIVING FORCE
Canon has been successfully represented in Egypt through distributors and partners that have built a solid customer base in the country. Through the launch of its new products incorporating cutting-edge and world-class technology, Canon aims to be part of Egypt’s digital transformation journey by elevating the imaging technology sector in the country. Canon’s relentless pursuits in enhancing the local distribution network in Egypt, supported by partners as well local Canon employees in-country, has been the driving force in successfully implementing the company’s closer to customer strategy.
To further strengthen the company’s focused approach towards a key industry vertical of System integrators & Value-Added Resellers (SI-VAR), Canon hosted an exclusive conference on June 15th, 2022 which provided an opportunity for SI-VARs to witness the wide range of Office Personal Printing (OPP) products & solutions that covered the range of Canon PIXMA G series, Inkjet printers, GX Model, Laser SFP, Laser MFP and TR150 printer.
The company has successfully launched its R-tour previously in Morocco and Kenya and intends to continue this journey of building relationships by getting closer to its customers throughout the African continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) marked the six-month milestone since the launch of its full special customs operations, a Hainan provincial delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Hong Kong. During the visit, the delegation signed deepened cooperation agreements with several major local chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies introduced since the island-wide special customs operations took effect.
According to data released by Hainan Province during the visit, Hainan’s foreign trade has surged since the launch of special customs operations. As of June 17, the province’s total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion), up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods hit RMB 2.645 billion, a 120% jump that generated tariff savings of RMB 440 million. A total of 172,100 new market entities were registered—a 61% increase—including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now account for 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting more than 12,000 market entities.
During the Hong Kong visit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Under the MOUs, the parties will establish a regular liaison mechanism for the periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and will promote collaboration in areas including professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services regarding policies and projects. The parties will leverage their complementary strengths to help Chinese mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies’ entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan.
The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to leverage Hainan’s value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as the Guest of Honor country at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.
According to industry analysts, amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong’s “super-connector” role to accelerate its integration with global capital and business networks, while simultaneously offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market.
Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.
In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.
Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.
Power Markets Experiment with Reform
Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.
Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.
Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future
Regional Integration Remains Fragmented
Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.
West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.
Building Bankable Financial Architectures
While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.
New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.
“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”
The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France
PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.
The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.
The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.
The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.
It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.
The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.