Africa's energy future matters for the world
November 7, 2019--Africa is set to become increasingly influential in shaping global energy trends over the next two decades as it undergoes the largest process of urbanisation the world has ever seen, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
Africa Energy Outlook 2019, a special in-depth study published today, finds that current policy and investment plans in African countries are not enough to meet the energy needs of the continent's young and rapidly growing population. Today, 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity and 900 million lack access to clean cooking facilities.
The number of people living in Africa's cities is expected to expand by 600 million over the next two decades, much higher than the increase experienced by China's cities during the country’s 20-year economic and energy boom. Africa's overall population is set to exceed 2 billion before 2040, accounting for half of the global increase over that period. These profound changes will drive the continent’s economic growth, infrastructure development and, in turn, energy demand, which is projected to rise 60% to around 1,320 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2040, based on current policies and plans.<>view more
Source: International Energy Agency
Stocks on JSE maintain momentum
November 5, 2019--Local stocks remained buoyant, extending gains from the prior session where positive sentiment was driven by optimism of a trade deal between the US and China.
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Source: FIN24
Rand rallies with bonds as SA dodges
November 4, 2019--The rand climbed and government bonds gained the most in 20 months after South Africa clung to its last investment-grade credit rating.
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Source: FIN24
JSE tracks global stocks higher
November 4, 2019--The JSE edged higher on Monday as it tracked other global markets higher, inspired by trade optimism.
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Source: FIN24
JSE firmer ahead of Moody's ratings review
November 1, 2019--The JSE extended its gains on Friday led yet again by gains on the resources index.
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Source: FIN24
Africa: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Enters Into Force
October 25, 2019--On May 30, 2019 Africa made history as the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA officially entered into force.
With 54 out of the 55 member states of the African Union signing the agreement, Africa brought into being the largest trading block since the formation of the WTO.
The entry into force of the AfCFTA is also marked by the speed at which African countries worked together within a year to establish a regional trading block to promote intra-African trade following the adoption of the AfCFTA on March 21, 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda.
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Source: allafrica.com
Financials pull the JSE lower
October 24, 2019--Local stocks seemed to take a leaf from the firmer close in Asian markets where the Japanese Nikkei closed 0.55% firmer while the Hang Seng gained 0.87%.
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Source: FIN24
Resources lead gains on the JSE
October 21, 2019--A resource-led rally saw the JSE close firmer on Monday amidst a global market which was struggling to digest developments with Brexit
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Source: FIN24
Muzzled session for the JSE
October 18, 2019--Markets in Asia did have some direction primarily on the back of weaker than expected Chinese GDP numbers which fell to a 30-year low of 6.0% QoY.
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Source: FIN24
Connecting Africa to Broadband: A Roadmap for Inclusive Growth
October 17, 2019--STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A new report says around $100 billion will be needed to achieve universal access to broadband connectivity in Africa by 2030
The report calls for urgent action to close the internet access gap while providing a roadmap and action plan for reaching this objective
This report, one of the first to quantify the cost of bridging the broadband gap in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, is the first deliverable of the Broadband Commission Broadband for All Working Group
What will it take for Africa to connect an additional 1.1 billion people online by 2030 and bridge the connectivity gap? A new report launched today at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings estimates the cost of closing the digital divide at around $100 billion or close to US$9 billion a year. The challenge shouldn't be underestimated. In Sub-Saharan Africa, about a third of the population remains out of reach of 3G networks compared to about 2 percent in North Africa.
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Source: World Bank