Opportunité Africa

Solar energy is experiencing meteoric growth, notably in developing economies in hotter, sunnier parts of the world. The African Solar Industry Association (“AFCIA”), for example, has identified more than 7,600 solar projects in various stages of development, with more than a thousand currently operational. But the rapid adoption of solar power to meet electricity demands is also giving rise to significant challenges when it comes to waste…

Generally, the manufacturing sector in Africa is weak – only a few countries have a solid manufacturing ecosystem. However, there’s a growing interest by governments to set up manufacturing locally, particularly after the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The agreement allows companies with better industrial development to obtain raw materials from neighbouring countries: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal, for example, can support interior countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

 Saikat Chowdhury, the Managing Director of NivéSal – a Singapore-based firm involved in project engineering solutions for developing countries, discusses how African countries can kick-start manufacturing locally to drive investment.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international agreement that allows inventors and applicants  to gain patent protection in all of its contracting jurisdictions. Mauritius recently entered into the treaty, which will bring a new dimension to the merchant intellectual property industry and allow companies to centralise and control their patents from the island nation.

Investing in Africa has changed radically over the last decade. The boom period might be over but there are still opportunities if you know where to look – and if you have the right advice about setting up the best possible structure for your investment fund.

 Patrick Colegrave is our guest on the latest Opportunite Africa podcast. He’s an expert in international corporate legal affairs at Forbes Hare and he splits his time between Singapore and his home country of Zimbabwe.

In the latest Opportunité Africa podcast, Brendon Jones speaks to Seoul-based attorney Tim Dickens, a partner at DR & AJU International Law Group and the chairman of the South African Chamber of Commerce in Korea. Tim unpacks Korea’s historical hesitancy to invest in Africa and explains why the time is right to change that.

By 2027, battery metals are expected to reach a global market value of nearly US$18 billion. As this market continues to grow exponentially, supply chain security has become increasingly important, especially as Western countries transition to clean energy and try to shift away from reliance on China.  

Ross Gregory, a partner at the consultancy firm New Electric Partners in South Korea, is the latest guest on Opportunite Africa, delves into both the challenges and potential solutions of this global topic.

From Africa to Asia and back again with purpose – that’s Chisha Chiselebwe’s story, the Zambian-born, Singapore-based creative director of Archiprime Designs Co. Ltd, an architecture and planning firm operating out of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. In the latest Opportunité Africa podcast, Brendon Jones talks to Chiselebwe about the future of property development in Africa, especially among the youth. With a reported 60% of the population under 25, Chiselebwe sees this group as the main driving force on the continent. 

In the latest Opportunité Africa podcast, Connect Africa founder Brendon Jones speaks to Jumoke Benson, founding partner and MD of engineering company Knots and Gear, on the evolution of the Nigerian manufacturing industry and the transformation of the supply chain. 

In the latest Opportunité Africa podcast, Connect Africa founder Brendon Jones speaks to Carl Endenburg of Copper Quail and Africa Deployments, Mauritius, on the recruitment landscape in Africa.

Carl tells Brendon how the human capital landscape in Africa has evolved over the last two decades with returning diaspora adding the benefit of their experience and know-how to take their home economies to the next level of development.

Connect Africa, the premier business platform for Africa based in Singapore, hosted an insightful webinar on Thursday, 07 July 2022 that took a deep dive into how startups from Francophone Africa can scale to the next level with access to relevant funding and business development opportunities.