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As the cooler months approach, the KZN South Coast remains a sunny spot for family-friendly adventure from its Blue Flag beaches to the lush hinterland. This is also the perfect time to start looking out for the Greatest Shoal on Earth – the annual Sardine Run – which brings an ocean spectacle close to shore. …
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly left a dent in the tourism industry, but the resilient sector is recovering.
The wonderful experience of giving life carries the risk of morbidity and mortality.
However, this risk is steadily declining in Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, the maternal mortality ratio has declined by one-third or from 807 to 545 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This is noteworthy; however, despite progress, the risk of dying while giving birth is still unacceptably high. Lifetime risk of maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is at least eight times higher than other regions.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, too many women, an estimated 202,000, died from giving life in 2020. This represents 70 per cent of global maternal deaths and translates into over 550 maternal deaths per day, which is one maternal death every two and half minutes. For every death, 20 to 30 more morbidities including obstetric fistula and perinatal mental health occur. The deaths leave behind devastated husbands, partners, children, communities, societies, and nations. Most of these maternal deaths could be prevented by improving availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of human rights-based Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health services.
One of the major barriers to improving access to comprehensive maternal and newborn care in Sub-Saharan Africa is the difficulty in ensuring availability of skilled, motivated, supported and regulated health providers. The good news is that well-trained and supported midwives have the potential to provide 90 per cent of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal and new-born health services. The bad news is that currently they represent only 10 per cent of the health workforce.
Globally, there are 900,000 midwife deficits by 2035 with 500,000 in Africa.
As the United Nations' sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA is a leader in supporting quality midwifery care across the world. We support governments to improve competency-based training, midwifery regulatory mechanisms and workforce policy that comply with international standards. We are also harnessing the power of technology to train midwives in remote areas or emergency crisis zones.
We are committed to strengthen ‘midwifery-led care' as a critical pathway to end preventable maternal and new-born deaths and stillbirths.
We are not alone. We are glad to partner with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and with more than 20 global partners from civil society, academia, private sector, professional bodies and development partners to host the 5th Global Midwifery Symposium on 7 and 8th May 2023, a pre-event to the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC2023).
During the Symposium, Global Partners appealed to the United Nations member states to: Promote midwifery care; Strengthen the Midwife Workforce; Improve Working Conditions and Support for Midwives; Address Barriers to Accessing Care from Midwives; Ensure Provision of Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Rights (SRHR) by Midwives; and Monitor Progress and Strengthen Accountability.
The current pace of progress in preventing maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa is significantly less than the pace of progress required to take the region closer to the Sustainable Development Goals target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 births by 2030. In fact, the current pace of progress needs to be improved by five-times to be able to meet the SDG-3 maternal mortality target in Sub-Saharan Africa.
African mothers deserve better. They deserve to feel safe and supported as they bring new life into the world. Investing in midwifery education, training, and professional development is the least we can do to deliver a brighter future for generations to come. Together, we can eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and empower every woman to give birth with confidence, without having to pay the ultimate price.
Let's take action now, and make sure that no more lives are needlessly lost in the miracle of childbirth.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNFPA - East and Southern Africa.
LIFT celebrates local brands in exciting new partnership with Veldskoen Shoes Cape Town, 10 May 2023 – Travellers on LIFT flights may notice their crew sporting fresh new footwear, thanks to the airline’s exciting partnership with Veldskoen Shoes. As a business that’s passionate about South African brands, LIFT is delighted to be able to play …
The UAE strongly condemned the attack that took place near El Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba in southern Tunisia and resulted in numerous deaths.
Her Excellency Dr. Iman Al Salami, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, affirmed in a statement that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles.
Her Excellency praised the vigilance and efficiency of the Tunisian government in addressing this situation and expressed the UAE's sincere condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Tunisia, as well as its sympathy to the families of victims of this heinous crime.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation.
As the first fine-art physical NFT gallery in South Africa, USURPA lives up to its namesake — ‘usurp’ means to take a position of power or importance by force — by staking its claim as the bold new name in African art. On Thursday 4 May 2023, the USURPA Gallery in Riviera, Johannesburg, will open …
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says it is currently seeing a significant increase in malaria cases in the endemic provinces and Gauteng, with many cases of severe malaria due to late presentation or late detection.
Nothing warms up the room like a Mother’s love – do you agree? This month, whether you are a new mom, pregnant mom-to-be or celebrating your Mother’s Day again, Shaista Sophia, Medical Pharmacist and Founder of South Africa’s first intimate skincare range SKINSTEM™, urges women to lean into appreciating themselves, their body and their skin. …
Two South Africans, Jaco Peyper and Marius Jonker, were included in the team of match officials World Rugby announced on Wednesday for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France later this year. A total of 26 Emirates Match Officials (12 referees, seven assistant referees and seven Television Match Officials) representing nine nations with more than 630 …
At the end of May, South Africans will be able to purchase the new Amarok Single Cab from Volkswagen dealers. The retail of the Volkswagen Amarok Double Cab range started in South Africa on 18 March 2023 and in just two months, 710 units have already been sold in the local market. “We are pleased …
Sassa Grant For South African citizen The South African Social Security Agency administers various social grants to provide financial assistance to eligible individuals and families who are in need. These grants are designed to alleviate poverty. SASSA administers seven types of social grants, which are: Child Support Grant – a monthly grant paid to the …
Dear Editor The DA calls on the Special Investigating Unit to speed up its investigations into allegations of maladministration and corruption at Fort Hare University. It is crucial that those individuals or organisations responsible for the danger that persists at the University be brought to book as a matter of urgency. The DA’s oversight to …
There is no doubt that a core of experienced Blitzboks available for the final two legs of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has boosted the confidence of the squad, players and management alike. The team arrived in Toulouse for the penultimate tournament of the current World Series, the HSBC France Sevens and according to …
Tsogo Sun’s Gold Reef City, one of South Africa’s premier entertainment destinations, has announced the launch of its latest promotion, “GO BIG.” In partnership with Balwin Properties and Hot 102.7FM, the promotion offers visitors a chance to win a fully furnished luxury home valued at R2.4 million at Thaba-Eco Village in the south of Johannesburg, …
KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, says Africa’s Travel Indaba marks a critical tipping point in the province’s recovery, as it leaves behind all legacies of the damaging floods.
Eskom board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, says utterances made by the power utility’s former Group CEO, André de Ruyter, are misleading.
President Ramaphosa announced a “massive reading campaign” in 2019. It never got off the ground.
The ‘Youth Energy Summit (YES!)' is a convening hub to align entrepreneurs, students and early career professionals with the corporate and development communities. With a goal of reaching 100 million people across the African continent over the coming ten years through a network of solution providers, the programme is a combination of in-person and online learning and networking through the Beyond Privileged 365 Digital Platform, enabling participation by anyone, from anywhere on the African continent.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of philanthropy, governments in emerging and developed economies, and technology, policy, and financing partners. GEAPP's common mission is to enable low and medium income countries (LMICs) shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that accelerates universal energy access and inclusive economic growth while supporting the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade.
As an alliance, GEAPP aims to reduce 4 gigatons of future carbon emissions, expand clean energy access to one billion people, and enable 150 million new jobs. With philanthropic partners, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, GEAPP works to build the enabling environment, capacity, and market conditions for private sector solutions, catalyse new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship, and deploy high-risk capital to encourage private sector solutions and assist just transition solutions.
“It has long been stated that Africa lacks bankable projects, so when we designed YES! we understood clearly from the MSMEs and entrepreneurs that the one thing which would have helped them succeed faster, would have been access to a network of advisors, investors and technology providers to help build out their business plans and access capital more efficiently.
Through the Africa Energy Forum, EnergyNet have been highly effective at building a global network of industry-leading stakeholders, the majority of whom have initiatives designed to support and develop local communities. However, some of those initiatives remain largely underutilised due to the resources required to establish networks and engage people in those programmes. YES! will act as that convening hub to communicate with 100,000,000 Africans over the next 10 years through a network of philanthropic organisations, mobile operators, universities, learning initiatives, community based networks and corporate partners.
By building an all-of-sector alliance to establish the world's largest network of potential African energy developers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs, YES! will speed up the pace of energy access for millions more people across the continent, as well as promoting the expansion of established initiatives already working with thousands of people independently of the rest of the development community.
It is no longer helpful to state that 600 million Africans lack access to energy as a statistic of relevance, without addressing the fact that this number is only getting larger as population growth continues its war against energy access. And to give context to that statement, World Bank statistics have for a number of years forecasted that 25% of the world's population, of which 50% of that 25% will be under 25 years of age, will live on the continent by 2050.
It is therefore time to look at this challenge through a different lens and focus directly on how Africa's youths are empowered to increase the scale and pace of energy access, far beyond the current development model which operators in siloes and is often inaccessible to aspiring African entrepreneurs, leaving millions of people not only without electricity, but also without hope of change within their lifetimes. I'm grateful to GEAPP for their support as they also seek to tackle both climate change and job creations through their network of partners and investments.
The support of GEAPP is critical to the programme's success, not only does it bring in critical investment to provide more travel grants and greater market penetration, it brings a year round partnership striving in harmony to put Africans at the heart of their own development needs, creating millions of community based jobs with carbon-smart technologies, not only improving the livelihoods of children, but also the planet.” Simon Gosling, EnergyNet
“GEAPP is thrilled to be joining as a foundational partner for the Youth Energy Summit,” says Joseph Nganga, GEAPP's VP for Africa. “Young entrepreneurs are often excluded from all aspects of the energy transition value chain, and they face disproportionate barriers to educational opportunities, project finance, and decent jobs, particularly those in emerging and developing economies where access is compounded with additional development challenges. To meet ambitious global goals of hundreds of millions of green jobs by 2030, it is urgent that young people are trained and supported now to access opportunities and accelerate growth in the renewables sectors as they seek opportunities in the workforce. GEAPP looks forward to working with EnergyNet to unlock the abundant potential of young entrepreneurs who will lead the energy transition and realizing a more equal and sustainable world.”
The Youth Energy Summit in Nairobi this June will welcome nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs, MSMEs, Early Career Professionals, Educators and Students. To be there, click here: https://apo-opa.info/3LRIM51
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of EnergyNet Ltd..
For media & press enquiries, please contact Elle Kelly, Marketing Manager – Youth Energy Summit (YES!), Elle@EnergyNet.co.uk
About EnergyNet:
FACILITATING ENERGY INVESTMENT IN FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES - EnergyNet has produced investment forums and executive dialogues for Africa and Latin America's power sectors for the last 25 years - in Europe, the USA, Asia and across Africa and Latin America.
We work with governments and national utilities to facilitate investment summits where credible international investors can build relationships with public sector stakeholders to advance access to power.
Best known for the Africa Energy Forum, the longest-serving business development meeting place for senior-level decision makers in Africa's power sector, other leading investment summits we provide strategic perspectives on the investment landscape and project preparation include the H2 Africa, Offshore Technology Africa, Powering Africa Summit, Latin American Energy Forum and Latin American & Caribbean Gas Conference and Exhibition.
Having this focus on public and private sector partnerships provides us with a valuable lens through which we can offer independent perspectives and support the business development activities of companies from around the world operating in these fast-growing markets. Our team talks daily with stakeholders across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to support these insights, so relationships and investor insights are our business and our passion.
About GEAPP:
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of philanthropy, governments in emerging and developed economies, and technology, policy, and financing partners. GEAPP's common mission is to enable low and medium income countries (LMICs) shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that accelerates universal energy access and inclusive economic growth while supporting the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade.
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has moved to assure South Africans that all terms written in Xitsonga on the new banknotes are accurate and correct.
Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (https://EnergyCapitalPower.com/) is proud to announce the participation of Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary of the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA), as a speaker at this year's Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2023 conference and exhibition.
Representing the sole pan-African organization for the African downstream oil sector, Kragha's attendance at AOG 2023 is crucial towards shaping discussions around the challenges and opportunities present across the continent's downstream sector.
Giving a voice to all African downstream stakeholders, ARDA's participation at AOG 2023 is poised to promote a greater understanding of the economic, environmental, and social issues within the international oil industry, offering insight into how the sector may improve its technical and economic performance. Having held the position of Executive Secretary since 2020, Kragha has been a champion for energy security (https://apo-opa.info/44OTpyc), sustainable development (https://apo-opa.info/3LJDk40), and economic diversification throughout the continent.
Representing sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producer and boasting remarkable upstream developments, Angola's downstream market (https://apo-opa.info/3H9b89c) is currently in the midst of a major transformation, owing primarily to the prolific development of the country's refining capacity. Plans to increase its refining capacity to 425,000 barrels per day have been expediated by the completion of an additional gasoline production unit at the existing Luanda Refinery and will include the construction of several new refineries in Cabinda, Lobito, and Soyo.
Taking placing under the auspices of Angola's Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, H.E. Diamantino Azevedo, and in partnership with the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, AIDAC, and the African Energy Chamber, AOG 2023 will return to Launda for its fourth edition in September.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
That’s a wrap for Round 1 of the Zigzag Clutch fuelled by Monster Energy. Surfers were quick off the mark and kept their foot on the gas. Round 1 saw 31 entries from all over the SA and beyond. The round was dominated by waves from Mozambique, J Bay, Cape Town, Durban, and Indonesia. So, …
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has called for a speedy resolution to end the decade-long water crisis at Makhanda in the Eastern Cape.
Even as a child, Gninlnagnon Koné , a young man from Katiola in north central Côte d'Ivoire, liked to follow his parents, who grew tubers and maize, to their farm.
Today, an engineer in agricultural business management, he says, “When I became an engineer, I realised that our agricultural producers still face the same difficulties with processing their products. People work hard but ultimately their products are undervalued and sell poorly. It made me want to change things. I decided to process these products to create added value and give farmers the chance to live a better life from the fruits of their labour,” he explains.
He too tried hard to set up an agricultural business without success. That is, until he encountered the Enable Youth Côte d'Ivoire project.
“My sole idea in coming to the Higher School of Agronomy (ESA) in Yamoussoukro, the country's political capital, was to get access to tools that would enable me to become a real agricultural entrepreneur as I've always dreamed,” he says, standing in front of a machine that roasts tiger nuts and maize.
Koné's food supplement for babies—named Cherubins— is a formula based on rice and tiger nuts. It also contains agricultural ingredients that set it apart from other food supplements available in Côte d'Ivoire, a market dominated by major brands, as Koné – good salesman that he is – hastens to add.
“The product is a fortified infant formula, made with 100% highly nutritious local agricultural products. It complies with all World Health Organization (WHO) standards in terms of infant nutrition. And it's identical to all the imported infant formulas that flood our markets,” he explains.
“It's an alternative we're offering to mums to ensure that children transition safely from breastmilk to solid food,” adds Koné.
Packed in 200g bags and then into attractive little blue boxes decorated with tiger nuts and grains of rice, Cherubins formula is made from brown or black rice, which is high in fibre and also an excellent antioxidant.
The rice is combined with other locally produced cereals, such as tiger nuts and soya. This adds lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, he explains.
“We also add mineral and vitamin supplements derived from other local products, such as roselle, moringa, carrot, mango and sometimes ginger to give the formula – which tastes amazing – a special flavour,” Koné adds.
“We researched the market for infant formulas and developed a strategy to enable us to penetrate the market by meeting consumer expectations. We're now ready to tackle it, with a well-honed strategy, solid market research and a number of test products. It all points to our being able to compete with the products already on the market,” he explains.
Set up by the government of Côte d'Ivoire with funding from the African Development Bank, the Enable Youth project is a national programme that seeks to attract young people into the agricultural sector. Its primary aim is to support young graduates to create businesses all along the agricultural value chain.
As well as offering a six-month training course, the project will provide partial funding for 20 young entrepreneurs to set up their businesses.
Subsistence agriculture plays an important role in the economy of Côte d'Ivoire, the world's leading cocoa producer. The authorities now want to see agricultural products processed locally to create added value for the country's economy which, with over 7% annual growth since 2013 – excluding the Covid-19 years – remains one of the world's most dynamic economies.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Termii, a leading African messaging platform, is pleased to announce its participation in GITEX Africa 2023 (www.GITEXAfrica.com), the largest technology event in the African continent, taking place from May 31st to June 2nd, 2023 in Morocco.
This announcement marks an exciting moment for Termii, as it looks to showcase its innovative messaging solutions to a global audience. The event provides a platform for Termii to demonstrate its capabilities and connect with key players in the industry, including customers, investors, and other stakeholders.
"We are thrilled to be participating in GITEX Africa 2023 and look forward to showcasing our messaging solutions on a global stage," said Atinuke Idowu, COO of Termii. "Our innovative technology has the potential to transform the way businesses communicate with their customers, and we are excited to demonstrate this to the world."
Termii's messaging platform is designed to help businesses of all sizes engage with their customers effectively. With features such as Messaging, Token (one-time passwords), and Analytics, Termii enables businesses to deliver personalized, real-time communications to their customers, helping to drive engagement, retention, and revenue.
The company's participation in GITEX Africa 2023 is a significant step forward for the company and a testament to its commitment to innovation in the messaging space. With the event set to attract over 5,000 attendees from around the world, it presents a unique opportunity for Termii to showcase its capabilities and connect with key players in the industry.
"We believe that GITEX Africa 2023 is the perfect platform for us to demonstrate our messaging solutions to a global audience," said Atinuke. "We are confident that our participation in the event will help us to connect with new customers and partners, and we look forward to showcasing our technology to the world."
For more information about Termii and its messaging solutions, please visit www.Termii.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.
About Termii:
Termii is a leading African messaging platform that enables businesses of all sizes to engage with their customers more effectively. With features such as Messaging - transactional & promotional, Tokens, and Analytics, Termii helps businesses to deliver personalized, real-time communications to their customers, driving engagement, retention, and revenue. For more information, please visit www.Termii.com.
Contact:
Name: Olajuwon Abayomi
Title: Head of Sales
Company: Termii
Phone: +234 810 257 8708
Email: olajuwon.abayomi@termii.com
