Zambia

24 June 2024

The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel By Anantara Hosts Celebrated South African Photographer Matthew Willman For An Exclusive Exhibition

Location: MyPR

The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara is thrilled to announce an exceptional photography exhibition showcasing the work of acclaimed South African documentary and fine art photographer, Mathew Willman. Titled “The Vic Victoria Falls Collection”, this exhibition will run from 8 June to 17 June 2024, providing a rare and in-depth visual journey …

24 June 2024

Capacitating veterinarians in African swine fever prevention and control in resource-limited settings

Location: News

FAO Regional Office for Africa
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The Southern Africa region is endowed with large numbers of pigs, with Angola, Malawi and Mozambique each recording over two million heads. This pig population in the region is growing at over 6 percent per year, the highest growth rate compared to other species of livestock. Unfortunately, the presence of African swine fever (ASF), the most feared pig disease, constitutes a major challenge to production and market access for the smallholder producers in resource-limited settings.

Traditional prevention and control approaches would employ humane culling and disposal of affected and in-contact pigs, with resource limitations often making it challenging for governments to provide adequate compensation. This situation often results in pig owners fearing not only the disease but also the measures applied in controlling it, such that they do not report disease outbreaks.

FAO has given particular consideration to the challenges of controlling ASF in resource limited settings, such as some of the small-scale farming systems found in the Southern Africa region. In 2023, FAO published new guidelines entitled: “African swine fever prevention, detection and control in resource-limited settings”, written by a global pool of experts.

These guidelines articulate the vulnerability of smallholder pig keepers and producers in rural settings, characterized by poverty and inability to meet the cost of compliance with national policies and legislation.

A unique new online course has been developed, based closely on the FAO guidelines. The course focuses on a collaborative and discussion-based approach to learning, in which participants co-create solutions in a series of live online workshops, backed by self-paced online learning modules. It emphasizes early warning, biosecurity, and the key features of the ASF virus that can be exploited in developing appropriate prevention and control programmes. The course was delivered from 10 May to 21 June 2024, with 81 participants from Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe completing the course and obtaining certificates.

“Resource-limited settings have unique barriers to the prevention and control of ASF. Methods for prevention, detection, and control recommended for higher resource settings may be inappropriate or impossible to implement. It is crucial to consider the context when designing control measures. The training course builds on experiences from Africa and elsewhere to provide participants with information and methods that could improve prevention and control of ASF in resource-limited settings,” said Andriy Rozstalnyy, FAO Animal Health Officer based in Rome, coordinating global efforts in the prevention and control of African swine fever.

The online course also included discussions on how to limit culling of infected and in-contact animals to control outbreaks, disposal of carcasses during outbreaks, and aligning national ASF control policies and legislation. Key to all this is the engagement of local communities for buy-in and sustainability.

“Community members have valuable knowledge, hence participatory problem analysis, design of solutions and decision-making, can boost commitment. We have to learn and understand community priorities and realities to identify together the roles and responsibilities of all players, when designing prevention and control measures at community level,” said Extraordinary Professor Mary-Louise Penrith, lead trainer and international expert on ASF.

Awareness raising at national and community levels is necessary to bring on board everyone in the smallholder pig value chain for adoption. Given that traditional approaches have been around in many countries for a long time and are now anchored in policies and legislation, lobbying for the new approaches is a necessity, including the alignment of legislation.

“Under conditions of limited resources, animal disease management approaches that do not place huge financial inputs upfront, but take into consideration the willing participation of communities, offer better chances of success. The approaches employed in this training course, which are backed by science, will alleviate the socio-economic catastrophe that is associated with the disease in this vulnerable group, while also reducing the national disease control burden,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa.

Through the Virtual Learning Centres, FAO is committed to support implementation of blended approaches of online and in-person training as they play a pivotal role in capacity development for animal health delivery in the region and globally. The VLCs offer a wide range of courses that aim to build skills related to One Health. Courses are available in a range of formats, including online tutored courses, blended learning, technical webinars and mobile learning.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FAO Regional Office for Africa.

21 June 2024

African Energy Week (AEW) 2024 to Drive Investment in African Energy, Announces Second Speaker Lineup

Location: News

With over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and abundant opportunities in solar, wind and green hydrogen, Africa has the potential to become a global hub for energy. The International Energy Agency estimates that to meet energy and climate goals, Africa requires over $200 billion in annual investment, highlighting a strategic opportunity for global financiers and project developers.

As such, the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – Africa's premier event for the energy sector – will drive a new wave of investment in the sector. The conference convenes under the mandate of making energy poverty history by 2030, with industry experts and thought-leaders, African governments and NOCs, and energy investors and developers leading discussions on the challenges and opportunities in Africa's energy sector. Taking place from 4–8 November in Cape Town, the event offers unparalleled access to the African industry.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

African governments are revamping fiscal policies and launching new licensing rounds to attract investments and partners, aiming to unlock the full potential of the continent's energy sector. Over 11 licensing rounds are planned for sub-Saharan Africa between 2024 and 2025, all of which aim to attract new investment and bolster project development. At AEW: Invest in African Energy, government representatives will outline optimal energy financing mechanisms and incentives aimed at advancing energy investments. Key speakers include:

Birame Soulèye Diop, Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Senegal
Habtamu Itefa Geleta, Minister of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zambia
Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Angola

African state-owned energy entities have positioned themselves as reliable partners for global energy firms, driving the continent's energy market expansion. During this year's AEW: Invest in African Energy conference, African NOCs and energy associations will discuss investment and partnership opportunities in Africa's energy value chain. In addition to the first AEW: Invest in African Energy speaker lineup, featured speakers include:

Proscovia Nabbanje, CEO of the Uganda National Oil Company
Zwanani Titus Mathe, CEO, South African National Energy Development Institute

Across Africa, international energy companies are driving a series of large-scale project developments under efforts to unlock high returns, increase energy access while driving sustainable economic growth. Projects such as the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG development – on track for first production this year -; the trio of LNG projects in Mozambique's Rovuma Basin; South Africa's offshore exploration campaigns and onshore gas projects and many more are set to transform the African oil and gas landscape. This creates newfound opportunities for regional and international technology providers, which also play a crucial role in driving Africa's energy renaissance. A strong lineup of IOCs, technologies companies and service providers will discuss ongoing projects, future prospects and efforts to maximize Africa's energy resources at the conference. These include:

Ainojie Alex Irune, CEO of Oando Energy Resources
Dave Campbell, Senior Vice President of bp in Mauritania and Senegal
Dennis Bauer, Senior Executive: Energy Transition Advisor, Neuman & Esser
Dennis Malkoc, Business Development Manager, Universal Africa Lines
Dmitry Khandoga, Head of International Department, Gazprom PJSC
Marica Calabrese, Managing Director and General Manager, Eni Mozambique
Matthieu Milandri, Head of Upstream Finance at Trafigura Group
Mikhail Chudakov, Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency
Nikki Martin, President & CEO,EnerGeo Alliance
Nosa Omorodion, Executive Director, SLB
Rene Awambeng, Director and Global Head of Client Relations, Afreximbank
Taelo Mojapelo, CEO, bp South Africa

During the AEW: Invest in African Energy conference, speakers will showcase projects, highlight energy financing mechanisms and government incentives, and provide insights on best practices for a just and inclusive energy transition, addressing the continent's goals for eradicating energy poverty and promoting environmental sustainability.

Keep following for more exciting announcements about the AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 speaker lineups! For more information, visit www.AECWeek.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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19 June 2024

Exciting New Leadership Appointed at Minor Hotels in Zambia and Mozambique

Location: MyPR

New Hotel Managers and Executive Chef set to enhance guest experience Africa, June 2024: Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator, and investor with more than 540 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas, is thrilled to announce the appointment of exceptional new Hotel …

12 June 2024

Reload Logistics Unveils New Brand Identity and Major Expansions

Location: Business

Reload Logistics (www.ReloadLogistics.com/), a leading provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions, proudly unveils its new brand identity to better align with its innovative, modern approach to logistics. Founded in 2007, Reload has been strategically amassing assets across major routes and ports in Sub-Saharan Africa to provide clients with the most flexible and accessible solutions in the market.

The new brand embodies Reload's commitment to constant innovation, ensuring clients receive the most efficient and forward-thinking solutions for their cargo. This fresh visual identity reflects the company's ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in the supply chain sector.

Reload Logistics is rapidly accelerating its growth with an already vast asset portfolio, including warehouses, trucks, and rail capabilities across all major routes and ports in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing end-to-end services to global clients. In addition to the rebranding, several key developments will enhance Reload's capabilities and service offerings:

Expansion of RGT Warehouse in Zambia: The RGT facility in Zambia has expanded to a total storage capacity of 80,000 sqm, with 60,000 sqm of covered storage and a 20,000 sqm secure bonded yard. This expansion provides Reload Logistics' clients with more efficient cargo handling and ample space for diverse commodities.

Sulphur Bulk Terminal in Richards Bay: Reload has invested in a 50,000 sqm Sulphur Bulk Terminal in Richards Bay, South Africa. This strategic addition complements the company's extensive portfolio, which includes a fleet of over 1,000 trucks, 200 wagons, and more than 1 million sqm of warehousing space across 13 countries.

Acquisition of Five Locomotives: To enhance service capabilities, Reload Logistics has acquired five diesel-electric mainline freight and passenger locomotives. These locomotives enable the company to handle larger cargo volumes, ensure timely deliveries, and offer greater routing flexibility while reducing its carbon footprint with energy-efficient technology.

"We are excited to unveil our new brand identity," said Roger Graham, Chief Marketing Officer of Reload Logistics. "This new look represents our growth and innovation. Our expansions and acquisitions underscore our commitment to providing top-tier service enabled by our forward-thinking solutions designed for our clients."

Visit our new website at www.ReloadLogistics.com to explore the refreshed brand and discover how Reload Logistics can provide tailored solutions for your logistics needs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Reload Logistics.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Roger Graham
Chief Marketing Officer
Email: brand@reloadlogistics.com

About Reload Logistics:
Reload Logistics is one of Africa's leading providers of end-to-end supply chain solutions for metals, minerals, soft commodities, and project cargo. With over 1,000 trucks, rail wagons, and more than 1 million sqm of storage, Reload Logistics operates in more than 13 countries, providing seamless freight solutions across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Fueled by cutting-edge technology, Reload Logistics ensures real-time updates for clients in challenging supply chain environments, reaffirming its position as an industry innovator.

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12 June 2024

MultiChoice reports resilient performance while expanding its platform

Location: Business

MultiChoice Group (www.MultiChoice.com/) demonstrated resilient operational performance for the year ended March 2024 (FY24), delivering a 26% trading profit margin in South Africa, while increasing trading profit in the Rest of Africa by 48%, despite very challenging macro-economic conditions. Clear strategic milestones were reached, with the group successfully launching Showmax 2.0, SuperSportBet and Moment, all of which are now revenue-generating and supporting the group's future growth prospects.

Download document: https://apo-opa.co/4cj3eXQ

“Four years after setting out a clear strategy of building Africa's entertainment platform of choice and investing in services to support a broader ecosystem, our three core segments are now fully operational: video entertainment, interactive entertainment and fintech. Our focus now shifts to building on these solid foundations to drive growth in these new areas, and on further enhancing business efficiency across our operations.

While we are not alone in feeling the challenges of a weak consumer environment, I am proud of the speed and effectiveness of the team in implementing strategic actions to retain customers, safeguard cash generation and drive costs savings which surpassed our targets. It is the strength of this team, the quality of the underlying business and the clarity of our strategy which underpins my confidence in delivering on our potential,” said Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO.

Some key points for the past financial year:

Subscriber base: Given the challenging consumer environment, overall active subscribers declined by 9%. This was mainly due to a 13% decline in the Rest of Africa business, with Nigeria, Angola and Zambia most affected, while the South African business was more resilient, declining by only 5%.
Group revenue: increased by 3% on an organic basis. However, due to weaker local currencies and consumer pressure, reported Group revenue declined by 5% to ZAR56.0bn.
Subscription revenues: grew by 2% on an organic basis. However, on a reported basis, subscription revenues declined by 7% due to a weaker Naira.
Group trading profit: increased 24% on an organic basis, despite the additional ZAR1.4bn investment in Showmax to drive future growth. After factoring in the ZAR4.5bn impact related to foreign exchange weakness, reported trading profit declined by 21% to ZAR7.9bn.
Positive operating leverage: Given the positive impact of the lower expenditure (including ZAR1.9bn in cost savings and ZAR1.5bn in reduced decoder subsidies), the group achieved positive operating leverage of 4.3% (i.e. a 3.3% organic revenue increase against a 1% organic reduction in operating expenses).
Adjusted core headline earnings: Higher realised hedging gains and benefits from a narrower gap between official and parallel Naira rate, was more than offset by the weaker trading profitability, resulting in adjusted core headline earnings (which now includes losses on cash remittances after tax and minorities) decreasing by 20% to ZAR1.3bn.
Free cash flow: amounted to ZAR589m, impacted by lower profitability and the ZAR1.7bn in Showmax platform payments.
Retained cash and cash equivalents: ZAR7.3bn in cash (before short-term commitments) and access to ZAR4.1bn in undrawn borrowing facilities provides significant headroom and flexibility to fund opportunities.

MultiChoice is by far the largest producer of original content on the African continent. In FY24, the group again produced over 6 500 hours of local content and its local content library now has more than 84,000 hours of content, a 12% increase YoY.

The highlight for the year was Shaka Ilembe, which launched on Mzansi Magic in June to become Africa's biggest TV series. Filmed entirely on location in South Africa, it was created through the skills and contributions of over 8 000 people. The premiere episode attracted over four million viewers and was the top-performing show with an audience share of over 45% in its time slot.

Other content highlights of the year was Reyka (season 2), Devil's Peak and White Lies on linear (co-produced with Fremantle, Canal +, Abacus Distribution and BBC Studios-owned Lookout Point) and Spinners, Original Sin: My Son The Killer, and Catch Me a Killer, on streaming. Across Africa, the group launched 3 new proprietary channels - in Ethiopia (Maaddii Abol), Uganda (Pearl Magic Loko) and Mozambique (Maningue Magic Kool) while also producing content in Africa's 4^th most spoken language, Oromo.

SuperSport broadcast 34 490 live events during the year – arguably more live sport than any other broadcaster in the world. Highlights included the Rugby World Cup in France, the Cricket World Cup in India, a second SA20 season in South Africa, AFCON, FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, as well as the Netball World Cup in Cape Town.

SuperSport Schools more than doubled its registered user base during the year. The fast-growing platform displayed more than 49 000 hours of live programming across 43 different sports codes, covering 900 school sport festivals and events, featuring more than 1 100 schools, and over 14 500 teams.

SEGMENTAL REVIEW

South Africa Pay-TV (MultiChoice South Africa)

Due to a strong focus on retention initiatives, the decline in active subscribers in South Africa was limited to 5%, despite the challenging environment. The base now stands at 7.6 million households. Power outages experienced on 275 days of the year further discouraged potential subscribers without backup power.

Although the Premium bouquet is trending toward a stable base given the targeted retention efforts, the premium customer tier (which includes the Premium and Compact Plus bouquets) declined by 8%. The mid-market Compact base, which is most exposed to the macro-economic challenges, was down 9%, while the mass-market tier was 2% lower due to pressure in the Family base, the impact of loadshedding, and reduced decoder subsidies.

A consequent 3% decline in subscription revenues and softer advertising income weighed on the segment's total revenues (-2% to ZAR33.6bn), but was partially offset by strong traction from new revenue streams, especially the insurance business (NMSIS) which reported a 35% increase in premium revenue to almost ZAR1bn. Several interventions to reduce costs enabled the SA business to achieve a trading margin of over 26%.

Rest of Africa Pay-TV (MultiChoice Africa)

The business in the Rest of Africa faced the toughest macro-economic conditions in its core markets with high, double-digit inflation and extreme depreciation of local currencies, (especially in Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and Zambia) which impacted USD revenues by 32%.

The active subscriber base declined to 8.1m, but effective retention efforts contributed to an improved subscriber mix.

Due to the challenging market dynamics, the short-term focus of this business shifted from subscriber growth to safeguard profitability and cash flows. Several cost-saving initiatives were implemented, including scaling back significantly on decoder subsidies (-46% YoY or ZAR1.3bn), and reducing SG&A costs by ZAR500m. These interventions enabled the Rest of Africa business to increase trading profit by 48% YoY to ZAR1.3bn.

Sub-Saharan Africa SVOD (Showmax)

FY24 was a pivotal year for Showmax as it relaunched across 44 markets in sub-Saharan Africa on Peacock's world-class platform, which is 4K/HDR and ATMOS ready. Almost 100% of the eligible customer base was migrated to the new Showmax platform, and 88% of those migrated had reactivated their accounts in the seven weeks to year-end.

Alongside local content from M-Net, Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic, Showmax ramped up its local content, releasing 59 original movies and series in SA, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana (FY23: 48). Popular shows that drove viewership included Tracking Thabo Bester, Koek, The Mommy Club, Youngins, Red Ink, Adulting, Outlaws and Real Housewives of Durban in South Africa, Cheta'm, Real Housewives of Lagos, Dead Serious, Wura and Flawsome in Nigeria, and Single Kiasi and Second Family in Kenya.

Showmax revenues for the year grew by 22% (+22% organic) to ZAR1.0bn, while trading losses increased to ZAR2.6bn. These losses came in below the expected range of ZAR3-4.0bn. As noted before, due to the partnership agreement signed in 2023, 30% of Showmax's funding requirements is contributed by Comcast.

Technology (Irdeto)

Irdeto's strong execution, enabled it to become the market leader in managed security services for video with a 22% market share. It also saw significant success in combatting piracy, taking down some 30 000 streaming piracy services during the year. Revenue increased by 17% (7% organic) driven by external customers across video entertainment, gaming and connected transport, with some additional uplift from a weaker ZAR against the USD. Disciplined cost management supported a 23% trading margin.

Irdeto shipped its first keyless solutions to leading customers, including one of the largest fleet operators in the US market. This resulted in a revenue increase of 119% YoY in the connected transport division, with revenue from new services now representing a combined 35.7% of total revenues.

Sports betting and interactive entertainment (KingMakers)

KingMakers reported strong growth in the online business in Nigeria, with monthly active users up 37% YoY and online gross gaming revenues up 26% YoY in constant currency. New products were also launched, including BetKing Casino and BetKing FootballGO, a virtual football sportsbook service.

Revenue of USD147m was affected by the weak Naira, while the business reported a positive EBITDA of USD2m. At the end of its December year-end the business had a retained cash balance USD113m to fully fund its growth initiatives.

KingMakers launched the SuperSportBet business in South Africa in January 2024. Its pre-game shows and live feed integration with SuperPicks, as well as the Playbook preview show were key drivers of uptake, further supported by SuperSportBet becoming the official betting partner of local soccer clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Fin-tech (Moment)

After being founded during FY23, Moment officially launched in FY24. The business played a vital role in the Showmax relaunch stepping up to fill a critical payments gap. In January this year, Moment also began processing MultiChoice's payments for DStv, reaching a milestone of processing USD85m in payments in early March 2024.

To-date, Moment has processed local and cross-border card payments in 44 Showmax markets and is already accounting for more than 20% of Group's payment volumes. It also joined real-time payment networks in 18 countries, including South Africa, and is currently piloting instant payment and account activation for DStv.

The business raised an additional USD22m of funding, with MultiChoice contributing USD8m. As a result, Moment is now valued at USD82m and MultiChoice owns a 26% stake.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

The linear video-entertainment business remains the mainstay of the group's operations and provides a valuable base from which to expand its service offerings. The new streaming, interactive entertainment, fintech and connectivity services are having a positive impact on the business, and more importantly, on the lives of its customers. Going forward, the group will focus its efforts on scaling Showmax, Moment, SuperSportBet, as well as on driving growth in insurance (NMSIS), DStv Internet and DStv Stream.

To counter the challenges around an uncertain economic recovery globally and across the group's operating footprint, the group will continue to drive business efficiency and cost optimisation, with an increased cost savings target of ZAR2bn.

Not only should this mitigate the ongoing impact of currency volatility and consumer weakness on performance, but together with the company's strategic plans to continue adapting its platforms to cater to customers' evolving needs, it positions the group well to prosper once currencies stabilize and economies rebound.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group.

MultiChoice Group Contact Details:
Litlhare Moteetee
Senior Manager: Corporate Communications
Litlhare.Moteetee@Multichoice.co.za

Meloy Horn, Head of Investor Relations
Mobile: +27 82 772 7123
meloy.horn@multichoice.com

About MultiChoice Group:
MultiChoice Group (MCG), listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), is a leading provider of entertainment and related consumer services, with an expanding ecosystem, underpinned by scalable technologies, and a track record now spanning almost 40 years. MCG provides video entertainment products and services through its linear and streaming platforms to 23.5m households across 50 countries on the African continent and continues to grow by producing and acquiring the best local, sport and international content and offering tiered subscription packages and aggregated streaming services to its customer base. MCG's superior technology capabilities enables it to continue innovating around distribution, digital and payment solutions and content security to offer the best customer experience across the continent. Reaching up to 100 million individuals on a daily basis, the MultiChoice Group is using its scale and distribution to expand its platform to include sports betting and interactive entertainment, fin-tech services, household services (focused on internet connectivity and emergency response services) and ed-tech. Irdeto, MCG's technology business, provides platform cybersecurity services which protect over 6bn devices and applications globally for some of the world's best media and technology brands, as well as clients in the connected industries sector.

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10 June 2024

Polygon’s outdoor media network expands across Africa

Location: Business

Polygon (www.PDOOH.co.za), South Africa's largest programmatic digital out of home (DOOH) publisher network, has recently announced that it will be expanding its network across Africa. This brings it one step closer to realising its vision of offering marketers a single point of entry into the largest network of DOOH inventory across the continent.

At the start of June, Polygon will be able to offer advertisers inventory in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, while in August, Mauritius, Ghana and Kenya will also come online. Towards the end of the year, the publisher network will add screens in Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola to its inventory arsenal.

Remi du Preez, Managing Director at Polygon, explains that June's roll-out – as well as the roll-out planned for later this year – will be located at petrol station forecourts spearheaded under the Vivo brand. Forecourts are renowned among advertisers for their high dwell times and attention-capturing displays. This is made possible by Polygon's partnership with media owner Oasis Digital Networks, which has the rights to build sites at these petrol stations.

“We are expanding our large format digital network across the most frequented petrol stations in each country; from Windhoek, Gaborone, and Lusaka to other key hubs that travellers are likely to visit when moving through the major cities of these regions.”

Says Reinhardt Hanel, CEO of Oasis Digital Networks “What excited us about partnering with Polygon is that it is strongly rooted in the DOOH market and it understands the value proposition that our network of inventory offers to advertisers.”

Du Preez explains that historically – and as with other emerging markets – when purchasing inventory in Africa, there was often a lack of consistency and transparency in reporting. Media buyers faced concerns about the number of ad serves that were promised, versus actually delivered.

Through its programmatic network, Du Preez says that Polygon can offer advertisers complete transparency. “Buyers have immediate access to the programmatic demand-side platform (DSP), which offers a clear view as to what is happening on the ground.”

He adds that up until now, programmatic buying throughout Africa has been limited. “Through these new network integrations, we're on our way to creating an African ‘mega network' that will allow digital strategists to buy programmatically anywhere on the continent and across a variety of venue types.

“We already have an array of digital strategists booking campaigns in Africa via Google, YouTube and Facebook; however, they now have the option to use these same tools to add DOOH to the mix, delivering high-impact, omnichannel campaigns.”

Adds Hanel: “Polygon, led by Remi, has positioned its business as an authority in the programmatic DOOH space, which is helpful to brands wanting to chart new ground in the outdoor arena.

“It has worked tirelessly to support media owners, like Oasis, in offering clients programmatic solutions. By marketing our inventory, they unlock new opportunities and revenue for us, fast-tracking our sales. We believe that they will play a key role in driving the move to greater programmatic availability in Africa.”

Concludes Du Preez: “This expanded network will not only allow media strategists and buyers to consolidate buying; it will also add value to the continent's media owners, who can now bank on a new stream of revenue, ultimately boosting Africa's economies.”

For more information, please visit www.PDOOH.co.za

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Polygon.

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9 June 2024

Dark and Lovely Moisture Plus Kits recalled

Location: News

Dark and Lovely Moisture Plus Kits recalled

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is urging consumers in possession of 50ml single use neutralizing shampoo contained in Dark and Lovely Moisture Plus Kits (Regular, and Super) and Dark and Lovely Anti Breakage Kit to discontinue use of the product and return it to the point of sale for a full refund.

NCC’s Deputy Commissioner, Thezi Mabuza said the manufacturer, Loreal informed the Commission that it detected the presence of bacteria in the 50ml single use neutralizing shampoo during regular quality controls.

“While this is single-use shampoo, we urge South Africans who might still have these products in their possession to stop use and return to the point of purchase for a full refund. According to the manufacturer, using this shampoo may lead to scalp infections in those with compromised immune systems” Mabuza said.

The product, which was produced in April 2023, was distributed nationally, and exported to neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Morocco, and Nigeria.

“The Consumer Protection Act requires that manufacturers and producers of products produce, and supply goods and products are of good quality and free of defects. We urge suppliers and manufacturers to always prioritize consumer safety. The Commission is monitoring the recall based on its Recall Guidelines” Mabuza said.

The NCC is an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Sun, 06/09/2024 - 11:30

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4 June 2024

The battle for our world’s last nature strongholds has begun

Location: Entertainment, MyPR

Don’t miss the four-part Wild Zambezi series on the big screen; tickets at R50 per episode. The mighty Zambezi River, the fourth largest river in Africa, plays host to an incredible four-part documentary series titled Wild Zambezi. Celebrating Environment Month in June, the docu-series will screen exclusively at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas around the country, with …

27 May 2024

Springboks, Kolisi honoured by African Union for Rugby World Cup (RWC) triumph

Location: Sport

South African Rugby
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The Springboks added prestigious continental awards to their impressive list of accolades following their back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles last year, when they received the Team of the Year and Sportsman of the Year awards at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Sports Awards in Lusaka, Zambia on Saturday.

The glittering awards ceremony, to celebrate the pinnacle of sporting excellence, was attended by athletes, sports luminaries, and government dignitaries from across the ten countries that make up Region: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The awards add a continental flavour to the accolades received by the world champions, with the Springboks most recently being crowned the Team of the Year at the SA Sports Awards and SA Rugby Awards, while Kolisi received the People's Choice and Sports Star of the Year Awards.

SA Rugby President Mr Mark Alexander congratulated the team and Kolisi for being honoured in such a prestigious manner: “This award underlines the continental significance of the Springboks' consecutive Rugby World Cup victories and the key role Siya played in guiding the team both on and off the field.

“They deserve all the recognition for their hard work and sacrifices over several years to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in France last year and Japan in 2019, and we are delighted to see how far and wide their achievements have reached.

“The team and Kolisi have been critical in showing what unity, teamwork, and overcoming numerous barriers on and off the field can achieve in nation-building and building winning teams, and we hope this inspires teams across Africa to follow in their footsteps and achieve similar success.”

The competition for these awards was stiff, with the Springboks going up against the Malawian Scorchers – the national women's football team – and Botswana's senior men's 4x400m relay team, while Kolisi triumphed in a highly competitive category, edging out notable athletes such as Bayapo Ndori from Botswana, and Mancoba Mahlatsi from Swaziland.

The ceremony's keynote address was delivered by Her Excellency Mutale Nalumango, Vice President of Zambia. The African Union Sports Council Region 5 is committed to the development and promotion of sports within the Southern African region. The council, through various programmes and events, aims to foster unity, enhance athletic performance, and support athletes in achieving their highest potential.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby.

For further information, please contact:
Andy Colquhoun
GM: Communications and Commercial
+27 (0) 21 928 7010
+27 (0) 82 926 0789
andyc@sarugby.co.za

De Jongh Borchardt
Communications Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7021
+27 (0) 82 999 9979
dejonghb@sarugby.co.za

Rayaan Adriaanse
Junior Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7013
+27 (0) 82 999 0022
rayaan@sarugby.co.za

Sindiswa Ximba
Media Operations Coordinator
+27 (0) 21 928 7011
+27 (0) 60 504 1069
sindiswa.ximba@sarugby.co.za

Zeena Isaacs
Springbok Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7020
+27 (0) 82 357 3112
ZeenaI@sarugby.co.za

JJ Harmse
Sevens and Women's Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7014
+27 (0) 71 480 4570
jjharmse@sarugby.co.za

27 May 2024

6 Ways the KZN South Coast is leading the way in 2024 travel trends

Location: MyPR

Sustainably exploring the natural world, experiencing authentic culture, and improving self-wellness are just some of the demands of the modern traveller. On the exquisite KZN South Coast where natural beauty abounds, visitors are enjoying the best in 2024 travel trends, with exciting new tourism activities being developed every year. “The KZN South Coast is a …

27 May 2024

Triumph for Zambian tourism sector as Zambia is named Best Leisure Destination in Africa in 2024 Global Traveller Awards

Location: MyPR

Triumph for Zambian tourism sector as Zambia is named Best Leisure Destination in Africa in 2024 Global Traveller Awards Following the announcement that Zambia has been named as the Best Leisure Destination in Africa in the 2024 Global Traveller Awards, Laurie Burr, Complex General Manager at The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara, acknowledges this prestigious …

23 May 2024

African Union Election Observation Mission arrives in South Africa ahead of the 2024 General Elections

Location: News

African Union (AU)
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The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) has arrived in South Africa ahead of the 29 May 2024 General Elections. At the invitation of the Government of South Africa and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, approved the deployment of the short-term AUEOM to assess and report on the conduct of this election.

The AUEOM is led by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of the Republic of Kenya and is comprised of 60 short-term observers (STOs) drawn from ambassadors accredited to the African Union, officials of election management bodies, members of African civil society organisations, African election experts, human rights specialists, gender and media experts, and representatives of youth organizations. The observers are drawn from 24 countries which include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The AUEOM will base its assessment on the legal framework governing elections in the Republic of South Africa and the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the standards and obligations stipulated in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the International Declaration of Principles (DoP) for International Election Observation among others.

The Mission shall interact with state authorities, the Independent Electoral Commission, political parties, the media, civil society organisations and representatives of the international community. The Mission will also interact with other election observation missions deployed to observe the 2024 General Elections in South Africa.

The Mission will release its preliminary findings and recommendations on the conduct of the elections on 31 May 2024 in a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. A final and comprehensive report will be released within two months from the date of announcement of final election results and will be posted on the AU Commission website.

The Mission's Secretariat is located at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton, South Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

22 May 2024

The Coca-Cola System in Kenya Announces Major Investment

Location: Business

The Coca-Cola system, consisting of The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised bottler Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (https://www.CCBAGroup.com), has announced its intention to grow its investment in Kenya by up to $175 million over the next five years, should the business achieve its anticipated growth targets in the country.

Hosting Kenyan President H.E. Dr William Ruto at The Coca-Cola Company's headquarters in Atlanta, Sunil Gupta, CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, said, “The Coca-Cola system has been an integral part of Kenya's landscape for more than 75 years. Today, we are excited to announce our intention to strengthen this legacy through a substantial investment.”

“This investment is aimed at accelerating the Coca-Cola system's capacity and capability expansion over the next five years. Our decision to invest underscores our belief in the long-term potential of Kenya's economy,” Gupta said.

Luisa Ortega, President of The Coca-Cola Company's Africa Operating Unit, emphasized the importance of collaboration with the government to create a stable policy environment. "The Coca-Cola system has been part of communities in Kenya for more than seven decades. We are excited to continue growing our business and supporting communities across Kenya for many years to come," said Ortega.

The Coca-Cola system has a rich legacy of refreshing Africa and making a difference in the East Africa region, where it is a major employer, directly employing 10,000 people.

The Coca-Cola system also works with over 500,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across the region, giving the company a direct connection to the experiences shared by many businesses in Kenya and across the East African region.

“Our value chain supports livelihoods for over a million people in distribution, sales and other roles,” said Gupta. “We source close to 8,000 metric tons of mango puree from East African farmers. We believe in the region's potential and its ability to achieve significant growth through collaboration between public and private sectors. Our business in Kenya is centered on a local approach - we hire locally, produce locally, distribute locally and source locally.”

“We are optimistic and fully committed to Kenya's future. We foresee great social and economic advancement, and this is why we continue to invest in our Kenyan business as well as community programs that help strengthen Kenya's prosperity,” Ortega concluded.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca Cola Beverages Africa.

ISSUED BY:
Wendy Thole-Muir
Group Head of Reputation and Communication
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Tel: +27 83 795 8524
Email: WThole-Muir@ccbagroup.com

Clifford Machoka
Senior Director
Public Affairs
Communication & Sustainability
East & Central Africa
Coca-Cola Africa
Tel: +254 734 109 260/1
Email: cmachoka@coca-cola.com

About The Coca‑Cola Company:
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company's purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee, and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We're constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Follow us on Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/42DbAWX), Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4bKvZ0m) and LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4bpOQ03).

About Coca-Cola Beverages Africa:
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 18,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 720,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho and Malawi.

Learn more at https://www.CCBAGroup.com

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17 May 2024

Good Nature Agro named one of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies of 2024

Location: News

Good Nature Agro (https://GoodNatureAgro.com/), the Zambian company helping smallholder farmers reach the middle class, has been recognized by the Financial Times in the annual ranking of Africa's Fastest Growing Companies of 2024, focused on identifying top performers in Africa's private sector. This ranking places Good Nature Agro as number 44 on the list and the only Zambian company in the top 50.

The company has accomplished this feat through measured and consistent growth in their legume seed and commodity business lines, while increasing incomes for the more than 20,000 smallholder farmers with which they work.

2024 also marks the 10th anniversary of Good Nature Agro. Starting in 2014 with just 40 smallholder farmers in Kasenengwa District, Zambia, the company's founders have remained committed to the company's mission since day one. Today, Good Nature Agro farmers are present in all provinces of Zambia and the company has expanded its offerings to Malawi. The company has two active processing plants in Lusaka and Chipata, Zambia, an active seed breeding program and lab space, a proprietary digital platform for farmer and customer engagement, and more than 175 full-time employees. Good Nature Agro is also building a state-of-the-art export and processing facility in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Zone(MFEZ).

Good Nature Agro Co-fonder and CEO, Carl Jensen, is thrilled with the news of the ranking, “We are proud to be included on the list, and we intend to use this opportunity to highlight our work with smallholders and the strength and potential of the Zambian agricultural economy. Credit for the strides we have made over the last 10 years goes to the hard work of our farmers, team, investors, and partners. Collectively, we are primed for a leap forward, and we will work tirelessly to move more smallholder farmers into the middle-class and emergent farmers towards generational wealth.”

On top of training, financing and production with Zambian farmers, Good Nature Agro has for the last 3 years been focusing on aggregating legume seed and commodity needs in the wider Southern and Central African region. “Being a Zambian-born and based company has strategically placed us to fulfill grain needs from beyond Zambian borders. We are exporting high-value beans, soya beans and groundnuts to food processors in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, and we continue to prospect both production and supply in the Eastern African region. We are looking to onboard more customers and anyone looking for a reliable supply of legume seeds and commodities in and beyond the region. The Financial Times listing affirms our constant commitment to growth and service to our farmers and customers” said Sunday Silungwe, Founder and Director of Communications.

Representing Zambia alongside Good Nature Agro on the list are Zamseed (#91) and Zambeef Products (#113). The list of Africa's fastest-growing companies, compiled by Financial Times in collaboration with Statista, a research and database company, highlights advanced, modern, and thriving businesses in Africa fueling the global economy in the 21st century. The list showcases the growth of private companies across different sectors and offers a brief overview of the recent corporate landscape where technology, Fintech, and other businesses have had to adapt to a challenging environment. Good Nature Agro salutes all other companies represented as peers and examples of resilience and job creation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Good Nature Agro.

Media Contact:
Company name: GoodNature Agro
Contact person name: Sunday Silungwe, Co-founder and Director of Communications
Phone number: +260 97 9392832
Article website: https://apo-opa.co/4arONQ1
Email: sunday.silungwe@goodnatureagro.com
Website: www.GoodNatureAgro.com

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14 May 2024

BCX Alibaba Cloud Academy and Arovy University join forces to empower African students for the digital economy!

Location: MyPR

BCX Alibaba Cloud Academy and Arovy University have joined forces in a strategic partnership aimed at empowering students to cultivate essential skills for the expanding digital economy in Africa. The basis of this initiative is the Alibaba Cloud Academic Empowerment Programme, a pioneering effort to embed digital excellence within academic institutions globally. Arovy University, situated …

13 May 2024

RugbyPass TV To Stream Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Final for Historic Debut

Location: Sport

The final round of the 2024 Rugby Africa Women's Cup organized by Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com), the continental governing body of Rugby across Africa will be streamed live for the first time on RugbyPass TV (www.RugbyPass.com), official free streaming service of World Rugby, at 13:00 (East Africa Time) local time in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Sunday, May 12.

Defending champions, South Africa will compete against host nation Madagascar, to secure pathway for the 2025 Women's World Cup in England. Runner-up will qualify for the WX3 tournament in Dubai scheduled for October 2024.

Launched in 2023, the official global streaming platform of World Rugby (www.World.Rugby), Rugby Pass TV, aims to grow the global game by making rugby more accessible to fans worldwide for free. The live streaming of the Rugby Africa Women's tournament on Rugby Pass TV highlights the growing interest in women's rugby across the African continent. This occasion provides an opportunity for fans to support their teams and experience the thrill of the game. The match will also be live streamed on Super Sport YouTube Page, Rugby Africa Facebook and YouTube Page. In addition to live stream, the final round will be broadcasted on SuperSport.

The Rugby Africa Women's Tournament is a continental rugby union competition organized by Rugby Africa. Participating countries in the three round tournaments include Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar and South Africa. All three rounds of the women's tournament are actively taking at the Stadis Makis in Antananrivo, Madagascar, following commencement on May 4. It is the second time Madagascar is hosting the Rugby Africa Women's tournament, having done so successfully in 2023.

The final round of the Rugby Africa' Women's Cup will be kicking of at 13:00 (East Africa Time), with Kenya' Lionesses competing against Cameroon. Followed by the deciding match South Africa's Springboks and Madagascar at 15:00 (East Africa Time).

To Access Live Stream:

RugbyPass TV: https://apo-opa.co/3USxcMu
SuperSport: https://apo-opa.co/3wkaZ0E
Rugby Africa YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3WD8NvD
Rugby Africa Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/4dAAXgY

To View Broadcast:
SuperSport Linear: Channel 244

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.

Media contact:
Nicole Vervelde
Communications Advisor to the President of Rugby Africa
rugby@apo-opa.com

About Rugby Africa:
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women's rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 39 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.

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9 May 2024

Public-private partnerships essential to unlock SADC opportunities

Location: News

Public-private partnerships essential to unlock SADC opportunities

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are essential to unlock economic opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in the transport and logistics industry for the movement of goods across the continent, says the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

“Collaboration between the private sector and government is key to unlocking opportunities. For instance, the Lobito Railway Corridor is a brownfield project, where the private sector identified the opportunity and partnered with government,” DBSA Senior Deal Originator Bongo Bacela said on Thursday.

The Lobito Corridor project entails the construction of almost 350 miles of rail line in Zambia, along with hundreds of miles of feeder roads, linking the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the northwestern part of Zambia to regional and global markets via Angola’s Port of Lobito.

The Lobito Corridor ushers in myriad new opportunities for economic growth and development that will unlock the region’s commercial competitiveness. This infrastructural investment is a powerful catalyst for the establishment of small businesses along the railway transport routes, fostering local economic growth.

“They [Zambia] entered into a concession agreement because the State-owned enterprise that was running the line was struggling to run it in an efficient manner, so given the experience and the knowledge of the industry by the private sector, they entered into a concession agreement with government.

“We believe that there will be economic opportunities that will be unlocked, traffic will be higher, both the DRC and Angola will benefit from a tax point of view. Jobs will be created and the whole world will benefit from the minerals that will be transported on the corridor," Bacela said.

The bank is involved in a number of transport corridors in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

"We are involved in these projects because we understand the region needs regional integration to promote trade amongst the countries in Africa so we can achieve our developmental goals as the continent and improve economic activity between the various countries in the region.

“Without these [projects], there is now way that the countries can promote trade if we don’t improve our transport infrastructure in the transport sector,” Bacela said during a webinar hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) on Thursday.

The bank is involved in the financing of the Lobito Railway Corridor, together with an American Development Finance Institution.

“We are looking to provide funding to the tune of up to $200 billion. We see this as an important corridor because of the minerals that are coming out of the DRC mines that must be evacuated and exported to markets such as China and the United States

“Our interest is mainly around some of the transition minerals such as lithium and some rare earth minerals that are coming from mines in the Zambia and the DRC,” Bacela said.

The DBSA is a government-owned development finance institution mandated to promote economic growth as well as regional integration for sustainable development projects and programmes across the African continent.

It finances infrastructure projects in six sectors, namely, transport and logistics; Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); water and sanitation; energy, and social housing.

“Government cannot succeed without the private sector and the private sector cannot succeed without government because governments will have to issue licences and permits that are required for the private sector to operate the infrastructure,” Bacela said.

He cited regulations, skills shortage, funding shortages and the currency mismatch as some of the challenges that the transport and logistics sector experience in the region. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Thu, 05/09/2024 - 13:47

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6 May 2024

Africa’s Business Heroes Takes 40 Entrepreneurs to China and Extends 2024 Application Deadline

Location: Business

Between April 20-27, the Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org), a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, hosted 40 participants—consisting of top 10 Heroes, other finalists and partners from across Africa—in Hangzhou, China. Participants engaged in an immersive experience at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou and have returned to their home countries enriched with valuable insights to further enhance their entrepreneurial endeavors on the continent.

During their visit, the ABH Heroes (spanning cohorts from 2019 to 2023) participated in a wide range of activities. These included deep dives that explored various facets of the digital economy from cloud computing, AI-driven logistics to e-commerce villages. They participated in a series of workshops and site visits—all designed to elevate entrepreneurs to a higher level of success. The Heroes also exchanged knowledge and explored opportunities for collaboration with business leaders from Alibaba and with each other. These activities provided the participants with new knowledge and perspectives that they can potentially apply to overcome challenges, seize opportunities and scale their businesses.

Diarra BOUSSO, Founder & Creative Director of Diarrablu and ABH 2020 top 10 Hero, who was among the participants in the trip to China, expresses her gratitude for the experience, stating: “This trip was so inspiring in so many ways. First, meeting all these entrepreneurs who are the top entrepreneurs on the African continent and spending a week together was an incredible experience. And second: being immersed in the world of Alibaba and all the companies Jack Ma and his team built over time and understanding the vision behind it was like a dream come true.”

In another exciting development, ABH is extending its deadline for 2024 entries from May 19 to June 9 to accommodate more entrepreneurs eager to participate in the competition. Candidates selected for the top 50 will gain access to a host of resources, including training, mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as a supportive network of fellow African business leaders. US$1.5 million in grant funding will be distributed among the top 10 finalists; the first prize winner will receive an award of US$300,000.

This year, ABH has also hosted information sessions and community events across the continent to facilitate the application process and nurture a vibrant entrepreneurial community. These events have taken place in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, with upcoming sessions scheduled for Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Senegal. These events are conducted in partnership with local entrepreneur organizations and key ABH stakeholders including judges, Heroes and partners.

To date, ABH has received applications from entrepreneurs spanning all 54 African countries. Entrepreneurs from across the continent – regardless of sector, age or gender – are invited to participate. Applications can be submitted in English or French at: https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org/en/apply-now.

Individuals are also encouraged to nominate eligible entrepreneurs who they believe are creating impactful and sustainable solutions to challenging issues here: https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org/en/nominate

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH).

Press Contact:
Africa's Business Heroes Press Room:
abh.press@list.alibaba-inc.com

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
English:
Tracy Walakira
tracy.walakira@apo-opa.com

French / Arabic:
Malika Bouayad
malika.bouayad@apo-opa.com

Follow ABH on:
X (https://apo-opa.info/3KY3OQs)
LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.info/3L1Cgda)
Instagram (https://apo-opa.info/3KZTXKa)
Facebook (https://apo-opa.info/3ylgNE9) and
YouTube (https://apo-opa.info/3YDG5bH)

For more information about ABH 2024, please visit https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org/en/.

About Africa's Business Heroes:
The Africa's Business Heroes Prize Competition is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy. It aims to support, inspire and enable the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors who are building a brighter future for the continent, by offering grant funding, training programs and support for the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over 10 years, each year the ABH Prize Competition features 10 entrepreneur finalists as they pitch their business to win a share of US$1.5 million in grant money.

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2 May 2024

#DiscoverMyAfrica, a Celebration of Creative Economy on Africa Month

Location: News

African Union (AU)
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A thriving creative economy fuels innovation, jobs, and economic growth across Africa. Recognizing this potential, the African Union and Google Africa join forces to launch the #DiscoverMyAfrica Shorts Challenge, a month-long campaign of the continent's rich diversity, heritage, and vibrant spirit.

In celebration of Africa Month,YouTube creators across Africa are invited to share short videos capturing their unique perspectives using the #DiscoverMyAfrica hashtag. The challenge encourages them to showcase various facets of African life, from music and art to food, fashion, and local landmarks. A curated playlist of African-inspired music on YouTube Music fuels inspiration and accompanies these creative expressions.

This initiative goes beyond celebration. As Ms. Chido Mpemba, AU Youth Envoy, states, "#DiscoverMyAfrica empowers African youth to share their stories and rich cultural heritage globally." By providing a platform for African voices, the challenge fosters cultural exchange and positions Africa as a hub of creative energy. It's about unlocking the vibrant future of Africa's creative landscape, aligning with the vision of a digitally-enabled Africa harnessing its cultural wealth for economic growth and social progress.

"YouTube is committed to supporting the diverse voices and talents that make up Africa's creative landscape," said Addy Awofisayo, Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at YouTube. "These initiatives provide valuable resources and platforms for African filmmakers, musicians, and content creators to share their stories and connect with global audiences."

In addition to the challenge Google - African Union partnership will further celebrate Africa Month with a series of programs designed to elevate African musicians and creators. The "Up Close With" series, a platform where African music's brightest stars get up close and personal about their music and journey, will feature intimate conversations and live performances by Grammy-nominated superstars Musa Keys (South Africa) and Ayra Starr (Nigeria). These exclusive sessions will offer a rare glimpse into the artistry and creative processes of these celebrated musicians, with live performances of their chart-topping hits. The sessions will be recorded and uploaded to the artists' YouTube channels, allowing fans worldwide to experience the magic.

The #DiscoverMyAfrica Challenge is part of the African Union's collaborative effort in driving innovation through strategic partnership with Google, through the Office of the Youth Envoy, Make Africa Digital (MAD) initiative. The MAD initiative is implemented under the African Union's Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030 which envisions an “integrated and inclusive digital society and economy in Africa that improves the quality of life of Africa's citizens “The MAD initiative, launched in 2023 has been domesticated in six countries - Ethiopia, Madagascar, Ghana, South Sudan, Senegal and Zambia, reaching over 4000 young Africans with innovative skills to leverage the digital economy. The #DiscoverMyAfrica Shorts Challenge will further emphasize the innovative prowess of young Africans through talent, music and story-telling.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

2 May 2024

Mukuru announces sponsorship of Zimbabwe’s Sables as they strive for Rugby World Cup qualification

Location: Sport

Next-generation financial services platform Mukuru (www.Mukuru.com), one of the most recognisable fintech brands on the continent, has announced that it is sponsoring Zimbabwe's national rugby team as it seeks to achieve Rugby World Cup qualification, the first since 1991.

With the hopes of a nation on their shoulders, the Sables, as the national team is known, will run out against Zambia on 4 May sporting Mukuru's branding on the beloved national jersey for the first time.

The Sables are admired in Zimbabwe and around the continent, known for their attacking style of play, technical acuity and sportsmanship. The team, blessed with talent and a rejuvenated system, is confident of its prospects of qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Mukuru, which has over 16-million customers in 50 countries, can trace its roots back to Zimbabwe, which remains a crucial and important market for the multinational fintech.

Brandon Mncube, Chief Marketing Officer at Mukuru, says the sponsorship of the Sables made sense as the team displays the same passion and love for the country as Mukuru. “We are incredibly excited to be sponsoring Zimbabwe's national rugby team. The Sables are eyeing World Cup qualification and with their revitalised systems in place and the formidable talent at their disposal, we wanted to give them the best possible chance of living up to their potential,” he says.

“The Sables embody the same passion that has seen Mukuru grow exponentially across the continent. Just as we are passionately driven to provide relevant and competitive financial services products that delight our customers in Zimbabwe and abroad, one gets a real sense of the confidence in this team – all the way down from administrators, to the coaches and of course, the players. Mukuru is backing the Sables to achieve their goal.”

Rugby fans have a great season of excitement in store, as the Sables are set to take on formidable opponents such Zambia, Uganda and the Netherlands over the next few months.

Commenting on the team's new sponsorship, Sables Head Coach Pieter Benade had the following to say: “We are delighted that a financial company as big as Mukuru recognised our commitment and passion to deliver the kind of rugby success that Zimbabweans deserve. Their sponsorship will go a long way towards enabling our journey to achieve our goal of 2027 World Cup qualification.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.

About Mukuru:
Mukuru is a leading next generation financial services platform in Southern Africa that offers affordable and reliable financial services to a customer base of over 16 million+ across Africa, Asia and Europe.
With over 100 million transactions to date, our core was built providing international money transfers and from this base, we've developed a set of services to address the broader financial needs of our customers. We now operate in over 60 countries and across over 500 remittance corridors.
We are a business that puts the customer at the centre of everything we do, and for that reason, we serve clients across physical and digital channels, by various payment methods (cash, card, wallet) as well as a range of engagement platforms including WhatsApp, USSD, contact centre, App, website, agents and a branch and booth network.
Mukuru has, for the fifth consecutive year, been listed as one of the top 100 Cross Border Payments businesses in the world in the 2024 FXC Intelligence Top 100 Cross-Border Payment Companies, one of only six African companies to receive this accolade.
In 2023, Mukuru officially ranked sixth on the LinkedIn Top Companies List in South Africa.
Mukuru was celebrated for innovation and excellence at the 2023 Africa Tech Festival Awards, receiving the Fintech Innovation of the Year Award - an acknowledgment of the transformative power of financial technology in driving economic growth, financial inclusion, and digital transformation.
Further information can be found at https://www.Mukuru.com.

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29 April 2024

Africa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Forum Welcomes Rugby Africa President to Discuss the Business of Sports

Location: Sport

The President of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com), the continental governing body of Rugby across Africa, Herbert Mensah, will explore the business of sport in a panel discussion at the 2024 Africa CEO Forum (www.TheAfricaCEOForum.com) on Thursday, May 16 in Kigali, Rwanda.

In partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) (www.IFC.org), the Africa CEO Forum is the largest annual gathering of the African private sector. Each year, the Africa CEO Forum gathers more than 2,000 African and international captains of industry, public decision-makers and leading visionaries to debate the continent's most pressing priorities and set its business agenda.

Founded in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum has enabled dialogue between the public and private sector, bringing together business leaders, CEOs, investors and heads of state to highlight the driving role of the private sector in the development of the continent. Previous speakers include H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique and H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana.

Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa (www.NBA.com), will join Rugby Africa President, Herbert Mensah to delve into the business potential of Africa's sporting industry in the panel discussion at the Africa CEO Forum. Amid the success stories of the Basketball Africa League, Morocco's joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, the establishment of the CAF Champions League, South Africa's Springboks victory as fourth time champions of the Rugby World Cup and the highly anticipated return of Formula 1 to the continent, Africa's sports industry is witnessing a boom. Given the global sports market's estimate of over $600 billion and a steady growth rate of 5% annually, Africa is seeking opportunities to transform and expand the sports industry.

The President of Rugby Africa, Herbert Mensah, continues to emphasize the business potential of rugby across Africa. Since his election, Mensah has called for a change of mindset from African governments and international organizations to increase investment in rugby across Africa. President Mensah has served as a keynote speaker at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa 2023 and the 2023 Africa Investment Forum.

Watch the video of the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway: https://apo-opa.co/4bdaPql

Watch the video of the Africa Investment Forum: https://apo-opa.co/49UxCGt

The annual two-day Africa CEO Forum will commence on Thursday May 16 to Friday May 17 under the theme “At the Table or on the Menu? A Critical Moment to Shape a New Future for Africa” in Kigali, Rwanda.

Read more information about the Africa CEO Forum: www.TheAfricaCEOForum.com

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.

Media contact:
Nicole Vervelde
Communications Advisor to the President of Rugby Africa
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26 April 2024

Elections 2024: South Africa is one of the few African countries where prisoners can vote

Location: News

But the right of prisoners to vote has at times been resisted by the government and the Independent Electoral Commission

25 April 2024

Launch of cutting-edge recycling facility in Namibia

Location: News

A N$24 million (over US$1.2million) investment through a partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) (www.CCBAgroup.com) in Namibia and Plastic Packaging has culminated in the opening of a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flaking plant in Okahandja which will double the capacity of the only mechanical recycler of plastic waste in the country.

The plant was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta.

“The Coca-Cola system aims to drive systemic change through a circular economy for packaging. We are leading the industry to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030. We have a responsibility to help solve complex plastic waste challenges facing our planet and society, and we're leveraging our scale and reach to achieve our sustainability goals and reduce packaging waste,” said CCBA Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer, Tshidi Ramogase.

“This facility is an example of how we work with partners across business, government and civil society to support or create closed loop systems to ensure our packaging is collected and recycled or reused.

“Supporting the establishment of a circular economy for packaging has both environmental and economic benefits since recycling has the potential to create jobs and to empower the informal waste collection sector in a circular economy.

“Unlike a traditional linear economy in which packaging is made, used and disposed of; a circular economy preserves the economic value of packaging through robust collection and recycling systems,” said Ramogase.

The completion of this cutting-edge recycling facility will enable Namibia Polymer Recyclers (NPR), a subsidiary of Plastic Packaging, to recycle up to 500 tons per month.

The recycling plant transforms discarded beverage bottles made from PET material into PET flakes with an international market value. The flaking process of post-consumer PET bottles involves sorting, shredding it into PET flakes, hot-washing and drying of flakes, which are then sent for further processing into recycled PET pellets and other end-uses.

This reduces the need to use virgin PET, while diverting waste from landfills and the environment.

“We are investing in infrastructure and exploring ways to support additional recycled PET capacity in each of the regions where we operate. These investments not only provide a source of recycled content for our packaging but also create additional demand for empty packages, driving increased collection.

“At CCBA, we are a proud industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to produce, distribute and sell our products. We use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change and to build a more sustainable future for our planet,” said Ramogase.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca Cola Beverages Africa.

Issued By:
Enid Johr
PACS Director
CCBA in Namibia
Tel: +264 81 778 5381
Email: ejohr@ccbagroup.com

Wendy Thole-Muir
Head: Reputation and Communication
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Tel: +27 83 795 8524
Email: WThole-Muir@ccbagroup.com

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About CCBA:
CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 18,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 720,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.
Learn more at https://www.CCBAgroup.com

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