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South Africa: African Development Bank’s new 5-year strategy paper focuses on governance and the private sector

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African Development Bank

The Bank will also contribute to strengthening the governance framework to create favourable conditions for implementing infrastructure projects

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, October 26, 2023/APO Group/ — 

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (https://www.AfDB.org/en) have approved South Africa’s Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2023-2028. The Bank’s interventions over the next five years will focus on two priority areas: improving governance and developing the private sector in southern Africa’s largest and most populated country.

The CSP 2023-2028 aims to support the South African government’s efforts to tackle its structural challenges, promote industrialization and establish a faster, more inclusive growth trajectory to reduce poverty for the long term. Its indicative operational program for 2023-2028, amounts to a total of $1,54 billion, comprising six sovereign operations totaling $887 million and seven non-sovereign operations totaling $654 million.  The sovereign operations selectively support four focal sectors, relatively large projects aimed at delivering transformation at scale and impact.

In the first priority area, the African Development Bank will support efforts to improve economic governance and boost private investment to promote inclusive growth and create decent jobs. This will help broaden access to the main social and economic services, improve skills and employability, and increase resilience to external and climate shocks.

The Bank will also contribute to strengthening the governance framework to create favourable conditions for implementing infrastructure projects. Its support will help to reduce costs and contribute to the success of the private sector by helping the country to address regulatory barriers.

This will help broaden access to the main social and economic services, improve skills and employability, and increase resilience to external and climate shocks

Among the expected outcomes are a reduction in the budget deficit of 4.2% of gross domestic product in 2022-2023 to 3 percent in 2027-2028. Energy production by the private sector should increase from 100 megawatts in 2023 to over a gigawatt in 2028, and 700 new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should have access to funding, including at least 210 owned by women and 70 by young people, by 2028.

In the second priority area – developing the private sector – the African Development Bank aims to improve access to high-quality infrastructure, boost productivity and strengthen competition to promote growth driven by the private sector and job creation through transformative projects. The Bank’s interventions will focus on the energy, transport, water and sanitation sectors, as improving these kinds of infrastructure will contribute to reducing the cost of economic activity, increasing productivity and strengthening South Africa’s competitiveness at all levels. These interventions will also enable women to access basic services and economic opportunities.

Finally, there will be an emphasis on protecting infrastructure from the effects of climate change to strengthen sustainability and resilience, a goal that will be at the forefront of all infrastructure projects.

The Bank’s actions in the transport sector should help increase the market share of rail freight from 26.8 percent in 2023 to 28 percent in 2028 and complete the construction of 38 kilometres of tunnels by 2028.  

On 30 June 2023, the African Development Bank Group’s active portfolio in South Africa comprised 23 projects, with total funding of USD 7 billion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Canada–Africa Financing Forum to Convene Investors and Decision-Makers in Cape Town – May 14, 2026

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Ateau Zola

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships

TORONTO, Canada, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –The Canada–Africa Chamber of Business (https://CanadaAfrica.ca) will convene investors, financiers, policymakers, and industry leaders in Cape Town on May 14, 2026 for the Canada–Africa Financing Forum—a high-level platform focused on unlocking capital and accelerating deal flow across African markets.

Registration is open (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships. The program connects leaders from venture capital, private equity, and institutional investors to examine where capital is moving—and where the next opportunities lie—supported by Canadian project partners with proven capacity to deliver on-the-ground.

Delegates will engage directly with finance and investment decision-makers, following the program opening, featuring messages from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in addition to high-level Ministerial representation.

This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation

“This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation,” said Garreth Bloor, President of the Canada–Africa Chamber of Business. “We are convening investors, institutions, and project leaders who are actively shaping transactions across Africa—and connecting them directly with Canadian partners who are ready to work together.”

The Canada–Africa Financing Forum reflects the Chamber’s role as a privately financed, market-led platform advancing Canada-Africa trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.

Why Attend

  • Direct access to active dealmakers and capital allocators
  • Insights into where capital is being deployed and key players delivering major projects
  • Opportunities to build partnerships across Canada and African markets
  • Participation in a curated, high-level environment focused on execution

Secure Your Place

Space is limited and demand is strong.

Apply to secure your place (http://apo-opa.co/4vXb9oz)

Read More and View the Program (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

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ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

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MIR Holding

During the MASA 2026 edition, held from April 11 to 18, 2026, ORUN and 1xBET implemented the We Champion Talent program, an initiative aimed at promoting African talent and advancing the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –As part of the Innovation Village co-organized with MASA at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan from April 14 to 18, ORUN (https://ORUN.Africa) announces the rollout of its partnership with 1xBET to support a creative Africa that is structuring itself, professionalizing, and scaling across the continent.

We aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency

Designed as a space of convergence between heritage, innovation, and knowledge transmission, the Innovation Village features scenography crafted by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses on creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a major institutional highlight on April 17. Its narrative platform is built around three pillars: memory, structure, and transmission. The initiative aims to position cultural and creative industries as an economic driver for the continent.

“The Innovation Village was conceived as an act of construction. By partnering with organizations such as 1xBET, we aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

This vision aligns with ORUN’s broader ambition to produce, structure, and internationalize African creative industries through events, content, and strategic partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ORUN, part of African Currency Network (ACN).

 

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MIR Holding Reaffirms Its Commitment to African Creative Industries Alongside ORUN at Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) 2026

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MIR Holding

More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –On the occasion of MASA 2026, held from April 11 to 18 in Abidjan, MIR Holding (https://MIRHolding.odoo.com) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of African creative industries by partnering with ORUN as part of the Innovation Village, hosted at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan. This presence reflects a clear intention to support the scaling of cultural and creative industries so they can fully contribute to job creation and value generation across the continent.

 

Co-organized by ORUN and MASA, the Innovation Village brought together over several days scenography designed by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses dedicated to creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a key institutional highlight on April 17.

At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains

Built around three pillars — memory, structure, and transmission — the initiative carried a renewed ambition for culture: positioning it as a concrete lever for economic structuring and African projection.

By supporting this initiative, MIR Holding aligns with a broader dynamic aimed at strengthening connections between creation, entrepreneurship, content, youth, and growth ecosystems. More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures. MIR Holding stands among the main partners of the Village, alongside Africa Currency Network and other stakeholders engaged in this vision.

“With ORUN, we are not only seeking to make culture visible. We aim to help provide it with a framework, a reach, and a trajectory. What is at stake here is the continent’s ability to better transform its creative energy into sustainable value, real opportunities, and influence,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

Mouhamed Dieng, President of MIR Holding, added: “Supporting Africa’s creative industries is not about backing a secondary sector. It is about investing in one of the continent’s most powerful spaces for storytelling, youth, innovation, and competitiveness. At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MIR Holding.

 

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