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Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) Boosts Digital Skills in Côte d’Ivoire with the Launch of its National Digital Academy

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Smart Africa Digital Academy

Mr. Lacina Koné, the Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, commended the political will of governments across Africa to transform the digital landscape on the continent and emphasized Smart Africa’s support

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 16, 2022/APO Group/ — 

Smart Africa’s capacity building arm, the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) (https://SADA.atingi.org/) continues to expand its footprint in Africa, with Côte d’Ivoire being the latest country to benefit from the digital skills development initiative. Launched in partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the initiative will help nurture the country’s nascent digital sector through provision of digital skills.

Speaking of the launch, Mr. Lacina Koné, the Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, commended the political will of governments across Africa to transform the digital landscape on the continent and emphasized Smart Africa’s support.

“There’s increasing recognition, among nations, of the role of digital technologies in transforming the socio-economic situation and the determination to adopt them is palpable. Through initiatives like SADA, the Smart Africa Alliance is committed to supporting national efforts to close the digital skills gap. We are pleased to bring SADA to life in Côte d’Ivoire, an important country of the alliance.” he explained.

Representing the German government, a key donor of the SADA initiative, Mr. Marton Köver, Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, underlined that “a fair and equitable legal framework is key to ensuring that as many Africans as possible benefit from digital transformation” – a step Côte d’Ivoire has now taken with SADA.

In addition to SADA, the Agile Regulation for Digital Transformation Program (AReg4DT) was also launched in collaboration with the World Bank and GIZ. 

SADA aims to improve digital skills qualifications, employability, and meet the emerging talent needs of African citizens

The World Bank Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, and Togo Mrs. Coralie Gevers also stated “capacity building and knowledge exchange among African countries is critical to support the implementation of the Africa Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030 and Côte d’Ivoire has an important role to play sharing knowledge among peers and showing the benefits of applying agile regulation principles for vibrant, inclusive, sustainable and safe digital markets as demonstrated by the recent adoption of its National Digital Development Strategy 2025.”

The launch of SADA in Côte d’Ivoire heralds implementation of various capacity building programs on Big Data & IoT, training of teachers, executive trainings, advanced ICT trainings, among other. Moreover, Côte d’Ivoire is set to host the first cybersecurity Innovation Centers for youth. Currently, Côte d’Ivoire leads Smart Africa’s cybersecurity flagship.

In this respect, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between between the Smart Africa Alliance and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Communication, part of which is provision, by SADA, of specific capacity building interventions related to the country’s priorities in the ICT sector

Speaking on the launch of SADA, the Ivorian Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Mr. Amadou Coulibaly, emphasized that “SADA-Côte d’Ivoire will be one of the key vehicles for the operationalization of the “awareness and training” projects of the 4th pillar of the National Digital Strategy to 2025, which has the specific objective to develop and promote digital skills”.

As a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem, SADA aims to improve digital skills qualifications, employability, and meet the emerging talent needs of African citizens. The national digital academy will support the uniquely identified digital skills priority needs at the national level. Furthermore, such national digital academies will soon be rolled out in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

SADA is also embarking on a program to provide digital skills for African youth and entrepreneurs for them to thrive in the global technology ecosystem. This will help increase the digital technology competence, reduce unemployment, and increase the digital entrepreneurship capabilities for youth in Africa. This program intends to impact 500 youth by the end of the year.

Since its start of operation in August 2020, focusing on the Capacity Building for Decision Makers (CBDM) module, SADA has trained over 2,000 policy and decision-makers across 26 countries in trending digital transformation topics including Artificial Intelligence Use Cases, 5G Connectivity, Data Protection & Privacy, Rural Broadband Policies, Security Technologies, Regulatory and Innovative Sandboxing Environments, Data Centers and Cloud, Digital Identity for Underserved, ePayment, etc. The objective is to reach over 22,000 trained beneficiaries by 2023, supported by the SADA In-country implementation wave.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Smart Africa Digital Academy.

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Energy

Building a Knowledge Hub for China-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

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September 22, 2026

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NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid showcased a range of innovations designed to support energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. These included the DaWatt – Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, highlighting expanding opportunities for cooperation in digitalization, intelligent technologies and green energy.

The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period of time. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos’ mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects.

 




 
 

Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Drawing on the capabilities of the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications.

Talent development is another focus of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled.

Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has also launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.

To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese.

At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.

To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also established an international talent pool covering management, technical and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.

“This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries,” said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN.” The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a “Token Goes Global” model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
 




 

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Events

24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival to Showcase Asia’s Spectacular Autumn Colors

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September 22, 2026

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BAZHONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – The 24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival will run from October 1 to November 18 at the Guangwu Mountain Tourism Area in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China.

Located in southwest China, Guangwu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 97%, earning its reputation as a “natural oxygen bar.” Each autumn, 680 square kilometers of mountain forests burst into a dazzling palette. Over 40 tree species, including Fagus pashanica, maples and lindens, weave the mountains into a stunning autumn landscape.

Known as “Asia’s longest natural red carpet,” the Mountain has become a top autumn destination for backpackers, photographers and travelers seeking immersive cultural and nature experiences, and is widely recognized as one of western China’s signature autumn attractions.

 




 
 

The tourism area caters to international visitors who prefer slower-paced, in-depth, off-the-beaten-path travel. The new Yanziling Loop Boardwalk, launched in May 2026, winds along mountain cliffs, with a sea of clouds rolling beneath visitors’ feet and brilliant foliage unfolding alongside the trail, creating the feeling of “stepping into a painting.”

Guangwu Mountain offers a wealth of outdoor attractions. Highlights include the 1,888-meter Red Leaf Coaster and a glass water slide certified by Guinness World Record, combining thrilling experiences with stunning natural scenery.

The large-scale immersive production “New Dream of Guangwu Mountain” integrates cutting-edge light and visual technology with Bashan folklore and traditions, transforming the forest into an atmospheric nighttime experience. Visitors can also enjoy welcome performances and interactive robot activities, which offer more ways to discover the mountain’s late-autumn charm.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is the newly completed Micang Avenue. Stretching 85 kilometers, the route connects seven core scenic spots, including Guangwu Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Nuoshui River, reducing a four-hour drive to just one hour. Lined with continuous stretches of colorful forest and layered peaks, the avenue brings brand-new travel experiences for autumn foliage enthusiasts.

The festival will also feature cultural, sports and international exchange activities, including the third season of the “Sending You a Red Leaf” campaign, the China Micang Avenue International Road Cycling Race, and the “World Red Leaf Landmark” global collection campaign.

In addition, 31 scenic attractions and 18 museums and cultural venues across Bazhong will provide special ticket offers and visitor benefits during the festival.

Across mountains and seas, Guangwu Mountain invites visitors from around the world to witness one of China’s most vibrant red-and-gold autumn displays.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
 
 




 

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Business

DHL Invests in Greater Middle East-Africa Connectivity with New Aviation Lane

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5 hours ago

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September 22, 2026

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The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ —
  • New weekly B767/F Bahrain-Johannesburg service strengthens Sub-Saharan Africa connectivity and supports growing trade flows between Africa, the Gulf and global markets

DHL Express (www.DHL.com) has marked an important milestone in its regional aviation network with the successful operation of the first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa.

The inaugural flight arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, opening a new weekly aviation lane operated by a DHL Express B767/F freighter. The route reinforces DHL’s continued investment in strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa network connectivity, expanding heavier-weight capability, improving flexibility and supporting growing trade flows between the Middle East and Africa.

 




  

As trade between Africa and the Middle East develops, businesses need resilient, well-connected logistics networks. The new service provides greater inbound and outbound capacity for South Africa and neighbouring countries through the DHL Johannesburg Hub, one of the company’s key gateways on the continent.

 

The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors. Bahrain’s position as a gateway between Africa, the Gulf and Asia make it an important link for businesses seeking faster access to international markets.

 

Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind

“Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind. As global trade routes diversify and economic ties between Africa and the Middle East continue to strengthen, we are seeing powerful geographical tailwinds creating new opportunities for businesses. Demand is growing across sectors such as healthcare, technology, manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce, all of which rely on fast, reliable international logistics,” said Anthony Beckley, Vice President of Operations and Aviation for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

“While this first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa is a significant network milestone, its real value lies in the opportunities it creates for customers.”

 

 

South Africa is one of DHL’s Geographic Tailwinds markets, reflecting its growing role in global trade flows and its potential to drive future trade growth. And Johannesburg remains a critical gateway in DHL’s SSA network, linking South Africa and neighbouring markets to global opportunities through Bahrain and the wider DHL aviation network. Through continued investment in routes, aircraft capacity and hub connectivity, DHL is supporting customers across this dynamic lane.

 

“DHL Express is the only logistics provider operating a dedicated intra-regional air fleet across the Middle East, connecting customers through Bahrain with major global gateways including Hong Kong, Leipzig and Cincinnati,” said Richard Gale, Vice President of Aviation, DHL Express MENA.

 

“Bahrain’s position at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East makes it an ideal hub for customers seeking faster, more reliable access across these growing trade corridors. We are pleased to add this direct Johannesburg connection as economic ties between Africa and the Gulf deepen.”

 

DHL remains committed to helping customers seize opportunities created by changing trade patterns and expanding economic relationships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of DHL Express.

 

 




 

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