We begin the show with business updates from across Africa: The Prime Minister of Ethiopia has been constantly on the news since he started with his reforms agenda, firstly by opening up the country to foreign investors and also drive agenda for peace within the region especially with neighbouring Eritrea and Ethiopia on its part has expressed its readiness to resolve differences with Eritrea through dialogue and mutually beneficial arrangements. It has long accepted the outcomes of the Algiers Agreement and has made a five-point proposal for peace and normalization of relations between the two countries. In the second part of the show, Dr. Aba Lisa Graham joins Adetunji in the studio to talk about the cost of healthcare in Africa with specific emphasis on Nigeria and South Africa; looking at infrastructure, financing, and access generally.

Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most-populous country, and the continent’s fastest growing economy are inviting big business to cash in.

Business confidence in South Africa eased in May, putting a further damper on the gloomy economy, following worse-than-expected first-quarter gross domestic product figures on Tuesday.

Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most-populous country, and the continent’s fastest growing economy are inviting big business to cash in.

The deal between the Central Bank of Nigeria and Peoples Bank of China to exchange N720 billion for 15 billion Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) in three years under the U.S.$2.5 billion bilateral currency swap is said to strengthen the Nigerian Naira by reducing the demand for USD.

This week in our Africa Chat segment we are discussing with Gloria Otieno Muka Founder & CEO Recours Four Kenya, an HR Services firm. Gloria has recently been listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneurs in Africa to watch; she's sharing with us how she became an entrepreneur, her journey, learnings, and motivation.

In 2013, Gloria Michelle Otieno Muka, founded Recours Four Kenya Consultants Limited (R4Kenya), a fast-growing professional HR services firm located in Nairobi, Kenya. She started the firm with $2,000 of her savings, and within the last 4 years, she has grown the company into a $400,000 (annual revenues) business with more than 15 employees.

Recours Four Kenya offers professional HR services in consultancy, recruitment, training, psychometric testing and staff outsourcing. The company’s clients include the World Bank group, Kenya National Examination Council, USAID, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sportpesa.

On the episode of HR Wired, like we always do, we shine the spotlight on the most important aspect of business and that is the talent; Sibongile joins us remotely to bring major HR updates; on HR Chat, we have Lauren Salt who is a senior associate for Employment and Compensation Practice at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg.

, she chats with us about the South African Employment Equity and how there's no provision for the Transgender individuals.

South Africa’s Employment Equity Act (EEA) contains a number of anti-discrimination provisions, as well as mechanisms for employers to collect, analyze, plan and report on employment equity information. The mechanisms, however, do not cater for those employees who do not identify with being either male or female. The practice of gathering and reporting only gender binary information for employment equity purposes might, therefore, be discriminatory. 

“Where an employer forces an individual who, either biologically or otherwise, does not identify with a particular gender, to choose to be either male or female, this could amount to discrimination,”

Lauren explains that Chapter II of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) requires designated employers to implement affirmative action measures in respect of designated persons. Besides identifying non-white racial groups as designated groups, the EEA identifies women as part of such group. As a result, the central focus of the information gathering, analyzing, planning and reporting processes set out in the EEA is the delineation of the workforce into racial and sex categories. The template forms attached to the EEA envisage that 100% of the employer’s workforce is either male or female.

Ivan Israelstam also joins us to clarify the case of falsification of credentials and how that is not always dismissable.

To close of the show, we have Dr. Anish Shivdasani founder & CEO of Giraffe to chat with us about the current HR trends globally and then bring it back home in Africa.

On this episode of Africa Now, Adetunji and Nonye focus on critical examination of Africa's infrastructure challenges and opportunities through the lens of a private equity investment company.

Mychal Jefferson, the CEO and Chairman of Hamershlag Sulzberger Borg Capital Markets Inc.

Hamershlag Sulzberger Borg is a private equity firm founded in 1835, the Company focuses on the business of buying and selling securities such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and certain other investment products. Hamershlag Sulzberger Borg Capital Markets conducts business in the United States.

Mychal is an Experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the private family office and private banking industry. Strong entrepreneurship professional skilled in Business Planning, Investor Relations, Entrepreneurship, Private Capital, and Venture Capital.

On today’s show, we are looking at top FDI destinations in Africa according to the 2017 data; on our chat segment, we will be looking at Africa Investment Forum 2018 which was recently launched by the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Adesina, to be hosted in Johannesburg coming later this year; And lastly on our lifestyle segment, we will be talking about wine.

Join the conversation on Twitter @AfricaBizRadio using the #AfricaNow.

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Speaking at a meeting with the delegation from AfDB, South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, said, “The Africa Investment Forum is indeed Africa’s investment marketplace. We have no doubt that it will have the desired development impact. South Africa is not only a gateway for investments on the continent but also a leading African investor. We thank you for allowing South Africa to host the inaugural event.”

The African Investment Forum provides an open platform to organize efforts among multilateral institutions, governments and the private sector to improve the pipeline of projects that can transform the continent. The Bank is working with several global partners and stakeholders to make the African Investment Forum the springboard for African economic transformation.

On today’s show, we are looking at top FDI destinations in Africa according to the 2017 data; on our chat segment, we will be looking at Africa Investment Forum 2018 which was recently launched by the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Adesina, to be hosted in Johannesburg coming later this year; And lastly on our lifestyle segment, we will be talking about wine.

Join the conversation on Twitter @AfricaBizRadio using the #AfricaNow.

Download Our Mobile App on Andriod and IOS

Speaking at a meeting with the delegation from AfDB, South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, said, “The Africa Investment Forum is indeed Africa’s investment marketplace. We have no doubt that it will have the desired development impact. South Africa is not only a gateway for investments on the continent but also a leading African investor. We thank you for allowing South Africa to host the inaugural event.”

SAPNA in partnership with Mineworkers Investment Company will be hosting a practical discussion which will explore the myths, truths and perceptions of transformation through an experienced panel of professionals and executives. Through this discussion we aim to unpack issues of transformation that are affecting young professionals and the role they can play in advancing transformation.

Panelist:

Mary Bomela, CEO of Mineworkers Investment Company;

Langa Manqele, Chairman of BMF Gauteng;

William Asiko, Executive Director of Grow Africa; and

Dr Meshack Khosa, CEO of Fresh Thinking Holdings

Facilitator

Thembi Chagonda, Managing Director of Global Business Solutions

SAPNA in partnership with Mineworkers Investment Company will be hosting a practical discussion which will explore the myths, truths and perceptions of transformation through an experienced panel of professionals and executives. Through this discussion we aim to unpack issues of transformation that are affecting young professionals and the role they can play in advancing transformation.

Sub Topics:

What are the challenges in advancing transformation?

A view from black managers and executives to contextualize challenges in balancing the transformation process versus other business processes.

Black exec sell outs! Why? How do we change this?

The role of young professionals in advancing transformation – stand up and be counted.

How do professionals challenge the system and slow pace of transformation without risking their careers?

THE Cabinet has approved the start of the nuclear procurement programme, clearing the way for the Department of Energy to call for proposals to provide SA with 9.6GW of nuclear power without first doing a cost-benefit analysis.

The programme is controversial as several independent studies have found that the cost of new nuclear energy will be greater than energy produced by other technologies. There is also deep suspicion that the procurement will be corrupt, with Russia claiming some time ago that it had already struck a deal with SA.

"Ubuntu and capitalism can live in one room but can never be friends"

Sanele touched up on the syndrome of greed, which is evident in society now as people hang onto a belief that there is not enough for everyone, noting specifically to previously disadvantaged individuals who only see the new money for themselves instead of trying to benefit everyone as much as possible.

Noxolo sees the solution to individualistic ideals by approaching capitalism with a mindset of abundance, and the only way to achieve that would be to target individuals to remember the richness of our land.