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Honoris United Universities transforms the lives of 770,000+ people across Africa

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4 years ago

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Honoris United Universities releases its inaugural impact report

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 24, 2022/ — Honoris (Honoris.net)equips >61,000 students with future-proof skills to build rewarding careers solving Africa’s most pressing challenges; Honoris is championing digital skills with 10,000 new students enrolled onto its 21st Century Skills Certificate; additional 100,000 students projected to enrol in the next 5 years; 80% of Honoris graduates gain access to the job market within 6 months of graduating, an industry-leading benchmark; Actis-backed pan-African education platform secures one of the highest impact scores across Actis’ portfolio.

Honoris United Universities (Honoris.net), the first and largest pan-African network of private higher education institutions in Africa, releases its inaugural impact report. The report highlights Honoris’ commitment to Education for Impact for students, their families and communities across Africa and assesses that Honoris has so far transformed over 770,000 lives across Africa by preparing its students to pursue rewarding regional and international careers.

Formed in 2017, the Honoris network constitutes 15 institutions spread across 10 countries in North, West, Central and Southern Africa, doubling in recent years to accommodate over 61,000 students. Honoris’ approach to education through collaborative intelligence serves as a strong platform to unite markets across borders, aligned to the principles underpinning the AfCFTA and the AU Agenda 2063, whilst equipping tomorrow’s workforce with the requisite skills to thrive in industries undergoing radical transformation and disruption amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).  

Africa is a continent of tremendous untapped potential, with more than 420 million youth aged 15 to 35. The increase in human-machine interaction shaping the 4IR is creating new types of jobs and demanding a unique combination of digital and human skills in the modern workplace. More than 130 million new jobs will likely emerge across the globe before 2030 as a result of the 4IR, which will require a set of soft and technical skills which are currently unmet by the traditional education models in place.

PwC recently surveyed global CEO’s from over 90 territories to assess the availability of 4IR skills and in Africa, 87% expressed concerns about the availability of key skills compared to 79% of other correspondents. Honoris is addressing this by reimagining education for the 4IR with its Education for Impact mission, widening access to quality education and preparing future leaders to address the continent’s most pressing development issues and contribute to Africa’s transformation.

Honoris Group CEO, Dr Jonathan Louw, commented:“By living our core values of collaborative intelligence, cultural agility, and mobile mindsets, Honoris has become today what was envisioned five years ago – transformational pan-African social infrastructure to educate tomorrow’s workforce and harness Africa’s demographic dividend. Whilst we continue to adapt to a post-pandemic environment and leverage technologies to increase access to quality education, we take a moment to celebrate this achievement, whilst using it to power and ignite the journey ahead. A journey that the People of Honoris will continue to forge with the same authenticity and passion as was held five years ago, to better serve our students across Africa.”     

Shami Nissan, Partner Sustainability at Actis, added:“Education for Impact means being intentional about the way we educate the next generation of leaders. It is important for an organization to know what their goals are and to set out a plan to achieve them. Honoris has set its vision and has proceeded with intention in providing students across Africa with high quality education that is accessible and affordable. Furthermore, in sewing an internal spirit of fairness and responsibility, and striving to provide services that are sustainable and purpose-driven, Honoris will reap the kind of students that will emulate these core values in the way they go on to make their impact in the world.”

The report reflects and examines the extent to which Honoris has transformed the lives of learners throughout the continent, up to December 2021, across six core pillars of operation, which include: quality of learning; employability, innovation; communities; sustainability and network, framed around the organisation’s contribution to 11 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Some of the highlights featured in the report include:

  • Employability: 80% of Honoris graduates gain access to the job market within 6 months of graduating. Honoris has developed 400+ partnerships to help prepare students for the transition from academia to the workplace, with 22 Career Centres used by more than 21,000+ students.
  • Innovation: 38 new programs, including Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Fintech, and Cyber Security, have been added to Honoris courses in 2021 to address growing tech demands. To further integrate coding as the new second language throughout the network, Honoris launched the Honoris 21st Century Skills Certificate, the network’s first transversal program embedding the key digital and soft skills required for the new world of work. In 2021, 10,000+ students enrolled onto the certificate with an additional 100,000+ students projected in the next 5 years.
  • Communities: Now recognized as a leader in STEM education, Honoris’ leading engineering schools grew from 5,200 total enrolments in 2018 to 20,400 in 2021. In South Africa, a focus on the education vertical saw nearly 500 educational professionals undergo training to narrow the gap of skilled teachers across the continent. In 2021, Honoris awarded 1,000+ scholarships and bursaries to students across Africa.

Formed in 2017 by leading global investment firm Actis, Honoris is committed to transforming the lives of Africa’s future workforce by providing relevant education for lifetime success. Championing new methods of delivery and technologies, the network has developed unique academic models designed to address Africa’s key educational challenges to improve the employability and life skills of graduates.

Honoris worked closely with Actis, in light of its award-winning focus on impact investment, to calculate a precise impact score using a proprietary framework measuring the positive social and environmental impacts of Actis investments and enabling comparison across sectors and geographies. This score, generated for the first time in 2022, demonstrates that Honoris delivered transformational progress specifically in the areas of Quality Education; Employment Access; Gender Equality; and STEM Education. A detailed breakdown of these impact multiples is available within the report.  

Access the full report at: https://bit.ly/3sSGE4m

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Honoris United Universities.

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Gold Fields, Moore Global and Mali Chamber of Mines to Lead Gold Growth Dialogue at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026

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9 hours ago

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July 23, 2026

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Gold Fields

As record prices reshape investment priorities, industry leaders will examine the strategies, partnerships and financing needed to expand Africa’s gold production

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 23, 2026/APO Group/ –As African governments and mining companies accelerate efforts to expand gold production and capitalize on strong global demand, African Mining Week (AMW) 2026, taking place October 14–16 in Cape Town, will spotlight the policies, partnerships and investments driving the continent’s next phase of growth in the gold sector.

 

The event will feature a dedicated panel, Expanding Africa’s Gold Output, exploring strategies to increase gold production, formalize artisanal and small-scale mining and strengthen investment across the value chain.

The session will be moderated by Matt Banton, Head of Mining at Moore Global, and feature Fousseni Togola, President of the Mali Chamber of Mines, and Benford Mokoatle, Executive Vice President: South Africa at Gold Fields.

The discussion comes as the global gold market continues to strengthen. Gold prices have remained above $4,000 per ounce throughout 2026, supported by sustained central bank demand as countries increase gold reserves to diversify foreign exchange holdings and strengthen financial resilience. Across Africa, central banks in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Egypt and Namibia have expanded gold purchase programs, reinforcing demand while creating new opportunities for domestic producers.

African gold-producing nations are responding by introducing reforms aimed at increasing production and improving sector governance. In Mali, the government is strengthening the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector as part of its strategy to maintain annual gold production above 60 metric tons. In July 2026, the country established the Malian Office of Precious Substances, a new state institution responsible for regulating and formalizing artisanal gold production across approximately 400 mining sites employing nearly two million people. At the same time, Mali continues to strengthen partnerships with major mining companies, including Barrick, B2Gold, Toubani Resources and Cora Gold, to sustain long-term production growth and attract additional investment.

At AMW 2026, Togola is expected to discuss how the Mali Chamber of Mines is supporting these reforms while highlighting the investment opportunities emerging across the country’s gold sector. His participation will explore the role of chamber members in expanding production, strengthening local participation and positioning Mali among Africa’s leading gold producers.

South Africa is also advancing initiatives to revitalize its gold industry through increased exploration and long-term mine investment. Earlier this year, the government expanded the Junior Mining Exploration Fund to R600 million, improving access to exploration capital for emerging mining companies and supporting efforts to unlock new gold discoveries.

Complementing these national initiatives, Gold Fields is investing R1.714 billion through 2027 to deepen its flagship South Deep Mine, positioning the operation as a long-life production hub well beyond 2030. Gold Fields’ Mokoatle is expected to provide an update on the company’s long-term investment strategy, highlighting how innovation and sustained capital investment are supporting South Africa’s efforts to strengthen gold production.

As investment accelerates across Africa’s gold sector, AMW 2026 provides a premier platform to connect governments, producers, investors and service providers, advancing the partnerships and capital needed to unlock the continent’s next phase of gold production growth.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Thailand Secures $43.6bn 1H 2026 Investment Surge as Big Tech Accelerates Southeast Asia AI Infrastructure Push

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13 hours ago

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July 23, 2026

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Thailand

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 July 2026 – Thailand’s foreign and domestic investment applications surged 37% year-on-year to hit $43.6 billion (approx. 1.47 trillion baht) across 1,299 projects in the first half of 2026, driven by a massive wave of capital flowing into digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

The surge comes even as the global economy faces real headwinds — geopolitical tensions, energy price volatility, and the restructuring of global supply chains — with Thailand emerging as a preferred base for investment across Southeast Asia.
Leading the capital influx is the digital sector, which reached a commanding $33 billion (approx. 1.12 trillion baht) in investment applications.

“Thailand’s investment growth held steady even as the world economy faced real turbulence,” said Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). “This reflects strong investor confidence in Thailand’s potential as a base for the industries of the future.”

This digital windfall was accompanied by robust capital commitments across other high-value industries. The electrical appliances and electronics sector drew $3.56 billion (approx. 120.2 billion baht) across 179 projects, while agriculture and food processing secured $1.82 billion (approx. 61.4 billion baht) across 131 projects. Additionally, logistics and high-value services attracted $1.19 billion (approx. 40.2 billion baht) across 170 projects, and the automotive sector drew $759.2 million (approx. 25.7 billion baht) across 122 projects.

Other notable sectors included mining, metals and materials at $603.5 million (approx. 20.4 billion baht) across 128 projects, chemicals and petrochemicals at $489.1 million (approx. 16.5 billion baht) across 110 projects, and machinery, automation and robotics at $387.4 million (approx. 13.1 billion baht) across 82 projects, signaling broad-based industrial modernization.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) applications drove the bulk of the growth, skyrocketing 80% year-on-year to $40.5 billion (approx. 1.37 trillion baht) across 877 projects.

Singapore emerged as the top source of FDI, filing applications worth $33.2 billion (approx. 1.12 trillion baht) across 158 projects. The United Kingdom followed as the second-largest investor at $1.40 billion (approx. 47.2 billion baht) across 11 projects, with China close behind at $1.35 billion (approx. 45.8 billion baht) across 321 projects, Taiwan at $1.12 billion (approx. 38.0 billion baht) across 47 projects, and Japan at $970.1 million (approx. 32.8 billion baht) across 123 projects.

These investments remain heavily concentrated in digital technology — including data centers, data hosting, and cloud services — followed by electronics and electrical appliances such as optical transceivers, printed circuit boards, hard disk drives, and data-center networking and cooling systems, along with humanoid robotics parts, automotive parts, food and beverage, and advanced materials. Geographically, Thailand’s industrialized Central region claimed the largest share of capital at $26.7 billion (approx. 903.8 billion baht) across 513 projects, followed by the Eastern region at $14.7 billion (approx. 495.7 billion baht). The Northeastern, Southern, Western, and Northern regions each drew smaller totals, but the North stood out with investment value up 93 percent year-on-year, led by energy and utilities, agriculture and food processing, and medical projects.

To support the massive power requirements of next-generation data centers, Thailand is seeing a parallel surge in renewable energy infrastructure. The energy and utilities sector recorded 221 projects worth $1.17 billion (approx. 39.5 billion baht) during the first half of the year, dominated by 198 clean energy initiatives—including solar, wind, biomass, and biogas power plants—valued at $779.7 million (approx. 26.4 billion baht).

Concurrently, manufacturers are investing in automation to remain competitive on the global stage. Under the BOI’s “Smart and Sustainable Industry” initiative, companies submitted 132 applications valued at $507.6 million (approx. 17.2 billion baht) to upgrade machinery, adopt digital technology, and integrate automation and robotics into production and services, raising productivity and moving Thai industry toward higher-value, sustainable manufacturing.

The projects approved by the BOI in the first half of 2026 will generate over 82,000 jobs for Thai workers and consume approximately $11.4 billion (approx. 386 billion baht) in domestic raw materials annually, accounting for 42 percent of the projects’ total raw material use, and is expected to boost the nation’s export capacity by more than $36.8 billion (approx. 1.24 trillion baht) per year.

The BOI approved investment promotion applications for 1,300 projects valued at $38.7 billion (approx. 1.31 trillion baht) in the first half of 2026.

“Investment value is not the only goal,” Mr. Narit said. “Real success means quality jobs, higher skills, and better income for Thai workers.” “It means real opportunities for Thai businesses inside the supply chain, and growth that reaches every region, not just a few. That is why we will keep pushing for actual investment to happen as quickly as possible through the Thailand FastPass mechanism, driving economic growth and letting Thai people share directly in the shift to the industries of the future.”
 

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Cregis Expands into Africa, Bringing Enterprise Digital Asset Infrastructure to One of Crypto’s Fastest-Growing Regions

Published

17 hours ago

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July 23, 2026

By

Cregis

Cregis is bringing proven enterprise digital asset infrastructure to Africa at a time when the region is entering a more mature stage of digital asset development

HONG KONG, China, July 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Cregis (www.Cregis.com), an enterprise digital asset infrastructure platform, today announced its expansion into Africa, marking the company’s latest step in its global growth strategy. The move builds on Cregis’ expansion across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America, as demand for enterprise digital asset infrastructure continues to grow worldwide.

 

Africa is one of the fastest-growing digital asset markets globally. According to Chainalysis, Sub-Saharan Africa received more than $205 billion in on-chain value between July 2024 and June 2025, up 52% year over year. Growth has been fueled by stablecoin payments, cross-border transactions and broader adoption of digital financial services. At the same time, regulatory frameworks are becoming clearer across several major markets, creating a stronger foundation for enterprise adoption.

For Cregis, those trends signal that the market is entering a new stage.

“We’ve seen this pattern before,” said Shawn Yan, Founder and CEO of Cregis. “Adoption comes first. As businesses grow, the focus shifts to operating digital assets securely, efficiently and in a way that can keep pace with evolving regulatory expectations. That’s where enterprise infrastructure becomes essential, and it’s the same transition we’re beginning to see across Africa.”

Cregis has already onboarded enterprise customers in the region and is expanding its local business development efforts across the continent, with particular attention to markets such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, where digital asset ecosystems are among the most developed. The company is working with businesses including stablecoin payment providers, OTC desks, crypto exchanges and digital banks as demand for enterprise infrastructure continues to grow.

We’ve spent years helping businesses navigate periods of rapid market growth and regulatory change

To support those businesses, Cregis provides an integrated platform that helps enterprises manage the full lifecycle of digital assets, from wallet operations and fund flows to custody, governance and compliance. Its product portfolio includes Wallet-as-a-Service (WaaS) (https://apo-opa.co/4bC3Z0i), Payment Engine, (https://apo-opa.co/4warJRs) TronGas, and Crypto Off-Ramp, allowing businesses to scale digital asset operations without piecing together multiple infrastructure providers.

The expansion builds on nearly a decade of experience supporting enterprise customers across high-growth markets. In Asia-Pacific, Cregis worked with thousands of businesses in markets where digital asset adoption often outpaced regulation. That experience shaped the company’s approach to building infrastructure that balances operational flexibility with long-term compliance readiness.

The same strategy has since been validated in newer markets. In 2024, Cregis established Dubai as its Middle East hub, building a local team and expanding its compliance capabilities alongside regional growth. Today, the company supports more than 200 long-term enterprise deployments across the region and has built a strong presence in the brokerage, payments and fintech ecosystem. Earlier this year, Cregis expanded into Latin America and Europe, rapidly onboarding enterprise customers. In Europe, the company is also working with traditional financial institutions adopting digital asset infrastructure. Together, these experiences have given Cregis a proven framework for scaling across high-growth markets where enterprise demand and regulation are evolving together.

As more businesses adopt digital assets, infrastructure requirements are changing. Beyond secure wallet technology, enterprises increasingly need systems that bring together treasury operations, governance and compliance in one place. Cregis is designed to support businesses at different stages of growth, from fast-growing fintechs and crypto-native companies to institutions operating under stricter regulatory requirements, all on a unified platform. The company maintains a zero-security-incident record and holds internationally recognized certifications including SOC 2 Type I, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
Looking ahead, Cregis plans to deepen its presence across Africa through customer engagement, local partnerships and participation in leading industry events, including Blockchain Africa Conference and Blockfest Africa. The company sees Africa as an important long-term market as digital assets become more deeply integrated into financial services across the region.

“We’ve spent years helping businesses navigate periods of rapid market growth and regulatory change,” Yan said. “Africa is entering a similar phase. Our goal isn’t simply to bring technology into the region — it’s to help local businesses build digital asset operations that can grow with confidence over the next decade.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cregis Technology Limited.

 

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