According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Epson, 62% of businesses in the Middle East and Africa want to reduce their energy costs
CASABLANCA, Morocco, April 27, 2023/APO Group/ —
With five weeks to go before Gitex Africa (https://GITEXAfrica.com/), which will be held in Marrakech from May 31 to June 2, 2023, Epson Morocco is already fine-tuning its range of products and solutions that will be on display at this major technology event, which will bring together thousands of professionals, exhibitors, startups, and more than 100 government delegations.
GITEX Africa will be an ideal platform to showcase Epson technologies, including its Heat-Free, energy-efficient inkjet printers that can reduce energy use by up to 83% compared to laser technology. Epson will also demonstrate its scan and display technologies, bringing to life the ways in which they address challenges and improve delivery in sectors such as healthcare, retail and education. According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Epson, 62% of businesses in the Middle East and Africa want to reduce their energy costs and 58% of respondents are looking to invest in sustainable technologies.
“Epson has a long history of providing innovative, energy-efficient audio-visual and printing solutions that deliver better performance and enable smart, sustainable choices for both consumers and businesses. Gitex Africa is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how our solutions are contributing to the success of key verticals in the region, including Healthcare, Education and Retail, and helping them to address sustainability concerns,” says Joseph Valleau, Epson Managing Director – French Speaking Africa Region.
Visitors will be able to try their hand using a professional golf simulator, featuring Epson’s state-of-the-art projection technology, celebrating the company’s sponsorship of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The stand will include an area for visitors to relax in the Epson cafeteria where they can enjoy good coffee and delicious cookies, all labeled using EPSON ColorworksC4000 printers. Visitors can also enjoy the “Theatre of Digital Art” (ToDA) area, which features immersive display solutions that deliver memorable and unique experiences.
Solutions for Healthcare
This sector needs technology that simplifies and streamlines workflows to save time and resources that can be better invested into patient care. According to the results of a recent survey, 65% of people working in the healthcare sector in the MEA (Middle East/Africa) region say that insufficient scanning technology is preventing the transition to digitalization. Epson WorkForcescanners provide an ideal and simple way to digitalise documents and enter them into a digital workflow. Epson’s WorkForce printers provide hospitals and healthcare organizations with fast, reliable and efficient print solutions, reducing energy use, time and cost. And with Epson’s ultra-short-throw projectors, users can interact quickly and efficiently, collaborating remotely when neededThese products will be on display at GITEX Africa 2023.
Solutions for Retail
Gitex Africa is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how our solutions are contributing to the success of key verticals in the region
Epson solutions are present across the region’s retail sector from fashion to coffee shops, enabling businesses to enhance their customer experience and increase engagement with shoppers through dynamic digital signage. During GITEX Africa, Epson will showcase three-dimensional image mapping on a high-fashion dress, while demonstrating laser installation projectors that deliver promotional content in high definition. Epson’s point-of-sale (POS) tablets and portable receipt printers show how retailers in the region can provide quality service anywhere for this rapidly changing industry.
Solutions for Education
Epson recently conducted a study at primary schools in the twelve regions of Morocco to explore how a hybrid approach combining experiential teaching and the use of classroom technology can provide an effective educational experience, particularly in the process of learning to read. 71% of teachers involved said that hybrid teaching is more effective and 88% agreed that experiential activities stimulate curiosity and imagination through role-playing and a literacy-rich environment. Epson educational technology supports this new approach helping enable creative collaboration in the classroom. Epson’s educational solutions include interactive displays, educational document cameras, inkjet printers and scanning solutions for an optimal and engaging learning environment. The complete solution will be on display at Gitex Africa where visitors can experience an immersive educational environment.
Immersive experiences for events and signage
Epson’s cutting-edge immersive technology, with its range of high-brightness laser projectors, creates an exciting and transformative customer experience. As the world’s leading projector manufacturer, with more than a third of the global projector market share, Epson offers solutions for many industries, such as digital signage and events. The recently launched Epson EB-PU2220B is one of the world’s smallest 20,000 lm laser projectors. Featuring high lumens and 3LCD technology, this compact projector is easy to install and configure, simple to maintain, offers excellent image quality, enabling high-impact immersive experiences.
Come and discover Epson solutions at Gitex Africa!
From May 31 to June 2, 2023.
Hall 3, Stand 3C-20.
Place Bab Jdid, Boulevard Al Yarmouk – Marrakech (In front of Mamounia Hotel).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.
The results demonstrate continued resilience, disciplined balance sheet management and strong deal execution despite a challenging global operating environment
The growth in net interest income and profitability demonstrates the strength of our operating model and the continued relevance of our mandate
CAIRO, Egypt, May 22, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”) (www.Afreximbank.com) and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) announced its results for the three months ended 31 March 2026. The results demonstrate continued resilience, disciplined balance sheet management and strong deal execution despite a challenging global operating environment.
The Group continued to expand its lending activities in Q1 2026, resulting in total credit exposure growing by 2% to reach a portfolio of US$42 billion, up from US$41 billion as of 31 December 2025. This performance reflects Afreximbank’s leading role as a Development Finance Institution (DFI) in financing trade and trade-enabling infrastructure, and its strategic contribution to economic resilience across Africa and the Caribbean.
Average loans and advances for Q1 2026 stood at US$32 billion, up 8% compared to the same period in the prior year, driving the recorded growth in interest income. The Group’s liquidity position remained strong, with cash and cash equivalents of US$5.6 billion, representing 14% of total assets, consistent with FY2025 and above the Bank’s strategic minimum.
Asset quality also remained strong, with the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio at 2.40%, broadly in line with 2.43% at FY2025 and below industry average.
Shareholders’ funds increased to US$8.6 billion at 31 March 2026, up from US$8.4 billion at FY2025, supported by internally generated capital of US$268.9 million and new equity investments received during the quarter, underscoring the Bank’s continued ability to mobilise capital from its shareholders in support of its growth and development mandate.
The Group delivered strong profitability during the quarter. Notwithstanding declining benchmark rates, total interest income rose by 14% year-on-year to reach US$813.6 million, while net interest income increased by 24% to US$510.0 million, compared with US$411.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. The Group’s cost-to-income ratio remained contained at 19%, well within the Group’s strategic ceiling of 30%. As a result, Profit for the period increased to US$268.9 million, up from US$215.4 million in Q1 2025.
The Group continued to maintain a strong capital position, with a capital adequacy ratio of 23% as at 31 March 2026, in line with the Bank’s long-term capital management targets.
During the quarter, Afreximbank continued to demonstrate its counter-cyclical role in response to external shocks. In March 2026, the Bank launched a US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme to help member countries mitigate adverse spillover effects from the Gulf crisis. The facility is designed to support liquidity, stabilise trade and payments, and address supply-side disruptions, particularly in energy, tourism and aviation, fertilisers, food and other critical imports.
The Bank also continued to deploy targeted financing and advisory support to strengthen trade flows, industrial capacity and economic resilience across Africa and CARICOM. Regional integration received further momentum following South Africa’s ratification of the Bank’s Establishment Agreement in February 2026, bringing one of Africa’s largest and most diversified economies into the Bank’s membership and giving the Bank full continental coverage.
Highlights of the results for Afreximbank Group are shown below:
Financial Performance Metrics
Q1’2026
Q1’2025
Gross Income (US$ million)
874.1
784.9
Net Income (US$ million)
268.9
215.4
Return on average equity (ROAE)
13%
12%
Return on average assets (ROAA)
2.62%
2.38%
Cost-to-income ratio
19%
16%
Financial Position Metrics
Q1’2026
FY’2025
Total Assets (US$ billion)
41.7
42.3
Total Liabilities (US$ billion)
33.0
33.9
Shareholders’ Funds (US$ billion)
8.6
8.4
Non-performing loans ratio (NPL)
2.40%
2.43%
Cash/Total assets
14%
14%
Capital Adequacy ratio (Basel II)
23%
23%
Mr. Denys Denya, Afreximbank’s Senior Executive Vice President, commented:
“Against a backdrop of continued global uncertainty, heightened geopolitical risks and tight financial conditions, the Group delivered a resilient first-quarter performance, underpinned by disciplined balance sheet management, sound asset quality and strong capital and liquidity buffers. The growth in net interest income and profitability demonstrates the strength of our operating model and the continued relevance of our mandate. Our swift launch of the US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme further underscores Afreximbank’s counter-cyclical role in supporting member countries during periods of disruption. We remain focused on stabilising trade flows, easing liquidity pressures and advancing the industrial and economic transformation of Africa and the Caribbean.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Via Licensing Alliance (Via) today announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the program’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors.
The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec program creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. This addition reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide.
Additionally, Via continues to prioritize transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The program’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website at https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#license-fees.
The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool license will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec License for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec program licensors are listed here: https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#licensors.
Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion and growing active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications.
“We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signal continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec program,” said Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance. “This pool license offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to license critical voice capabilities.”
EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway.
For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, please visit https://www.via-la.com.
About Via Licensing Alliance:
Via Licensing Alliance is the collaborative licensing leader, dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via has operated dozens of licensing programs for a variety of technologies. Via is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. For more information about Via, please visit https://www.via-la.com.
The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda
LOMÉ, Togo, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026.
The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the continent’s premier trade and business platform, which has brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, and stakeholders from across Africa to advance dialogue on intra-African trade, investment, and regional integration.
Throughout the engagements, participants underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of African citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors as an important enabler of intra-African trade and economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, the announcement reflects the growing continental momentum towards strengthening connectivity and deepening African integration.
The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, to which Togo is a State Party and a Member State, envision a continent where goods, services, capital, and people move more freely across borders in support of an integrated African market. Measures that facilitate mobility and connectivity continue to contribute towards advancing the broader mandate of both institutions; the attainment of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
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