Djibouti: The Port State That Makes Clever Usage of Its Strategic Geographical Situation
A first contact with Djibouti… It was October 2017, and a delegation from Djibouti was coming to South Africa. Together with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, we were co-hosting them at a well-attended business briefing near Johannesburg. The delegation would then proceed to Durban to participate in a second conference. The visitors were a […]
Guinea-Bissau: A Potential Tourism Paradise Impeded by Political Turmoil
A quick stop in paradise… It was 1989. The government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau had invited us as a joint mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the South African Foreign Trade Organisation to visit the country as part of its drive to secure foreign investment. We received royal treatment: we were taken […]
The Zambian Connection to the Lobito Corridor
How Can Zambia Benefit from This Logistics Game-Changer? A major regional transport logistics development… In January 2023, the ministers of transport of Angola, the DR Congo and Zambia signed the Lobito Corridor Transport Facilitation agreement in Lobito, Angola. The objective was to provide an effective and efficient route facilitating the transport of goods within territories […]
Tete, Mozambique: Once a ‘Coal Eldorado’
Did the Global Campaign Against Fossil Fuels Weaken Tete’s Potential? A fast-growing ‘boom’ town… I visited the Tete area in the Zambezi valley, central Mozambique several times from 2009 to 2013. The reason? So much was happening there. It was a ‘boom’ period. An Australian junior, Riversdale Mining had confirmed findings of steam or thermal […]
Gabon: A Model for Conservation
Remarkable Achievements in Preserving Wildlife and Natural Rain Forest A sea of green… It was some time in the mid-1980’s, and I was a passenger on a 16-seater aircraft flying from Libreville to Moanda, situated deep in Gabon’s interior. I peered out the window as the plane rose above the outskirts of the Gabonese capital. […]
A Boost to Mozambique’s Ports
New Investments and Favourable Regional Developments Mozambique’s ports… Mozambique has a long coastline along the Indian Ocean of some 2 700 kilometres. It is mainly dotted with numerous bays and inlets which serve as small fishing ports such as Mocimboa da Praia in the far north in Cabo Delgado Province. Some are large enough to serve […]
Kenya Prepares to Become a Global Leader in Geothermal Power Production
The Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa and its Geothermal Endowment The eastern African rift valley system is about 6 400 kilometres long and averages 60 kilometres in width. It runs along two branches. The western branch comprises Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, southern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, while the eastern branch extends across Djibouti, Ethiopia, […]
Ethiopia Seeks an Alternative Sea Route A Complex Scenario
Ethiopian dependence on Djibouti Major investment in Berbera Port, Somaliland Ethiopia’s sea route options The Berbera ‘sticking point’
Sudan: The Tragedy of the Forgotten Conflict When There Was Once Hope
The forgotten conflict Africa and the world have seen so many major conflicts in recent years, which have held the attention of the international media. The suffering in Palestine, and the Russia-Ukraine war. In Africa, the insurgency attacks in northern Mozambique and the Sahel. The fighting between armed groups in eastern DR Congo. Ongoing strife […]
Sao Tome and Principe: An Island Paradise Looking for Oil
A scary landing It was December 2003 and I was on a night flight from Libreville, Gabon to the island of Sao Tome. The Twin Otter was small, and my seat just behind the two pilots offered a good view. We began to descend. On our left were the dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean […]
ROC: The Key Role of Pointe-Noire Port in the Development of Logistics Operations in Central Africa
When I first heard of Pointe Noire Port I first got to know of Pointe-Noire port in the late 1970s when I was in the diplomatic service and responsible for monitoring developments in central Africa. A construction company involved in a modular housing development project in the Central Africa Republic’s capital city, Bangui, had shipped the components to […]
Nairobi: A Major Centre for Regional Relief Aid
Sound advice from an experienced ‘old hand’ in United Nations relief aid… “Paul, you must tell your clients loud and clear that if we don’t get the right stuff to the right place in the right time, people die! In this business, we can’t play games.” These were the words of a good friend who […]
Namibia: Dimensions of the Lithium Opportunity
So much attention on Namibia The relatively recent oil finds off the coast of Namibia have drawn considerable global attention to this country. Namibia has a population of only around 2,6 million but its territory is vast – spanning nearly 826 000 square kilometres. Another reason for increased focus on this country is the reports of […]
The Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: What Can be Done to Lessen the Minerals-Fuelled Conflict Situation?
On the border of a conflict region… It was 2018 and I was visiting the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to fulfil my long-standing, priority ‘bucket list’ aspiration – getting up close to the famed mountain gorillas. Just a few kilometres across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lay the much larger […]
Unlocking the Zambian and DR Congo Copperbelts Major Bilateral Logistics Initiatives
First-hand experience of a major border crossing… The client’s instructions were very clear. My colleague, Duncan and I were to walk through the Zambia–DR Congo border crossing at Kasumbalesa, and report on the problems we encountered. The client wanted an account of the “real” situation. Kasumbalesa is the main border post between the Zambian and […]
Cape Verde: A Little-Known but Model African State
Two years in a country I knew so little about… For two years in the late 1980’s, I was tasked with coordinating technical assistance to the desalination and power generation plant situated on Sal Island in the Cape Verde archipelago. Up to that time, I only knew the country from my flights between South Africa […]
South Sudan: Africa’s Newest Baby Faces Its Birth Pains
An unusual arrival Whenever an aircraft begins its descent to a new city destination, and the announcement to fasten seat belts is made, I peer out the window to get an idea of the environment I will soon be experiencing. My first, (and to date, only) trip to Juba, capital of South Sudan in 2011, […]
DR Congo: The Kinshasa-Matadi Transport Corridor A Vital Link Receives Attention
An important announcement on a long-delayed rail project… In August 2023, an interesting news item appeared on my computer screen. It was headed: “The rehabilitation of the Kinshasa-Matadi railway: a crucial step for the economic development of the DRC.” The report reminded me of a meeting I’d had with the DRC Ministry of Transport in […]
Cameroon: The Kribi Deep Water Port Becomes a Reality
So much port development… From about 2010 until 2018, many of my business missions into sub-Saharan Africa were based on sea port developments. New ports were developing relatively suddenly in numerous markets, and I led group visits to Nacala in Mozambique, Lamu in Kenya, and San Pedro in Côte d’Ivoire to name a few. These […]
Ethiopia: Prospects for a Health Sector Transformation?
The mission The client was a multinational pharmaceuticals manufacturer, specialising in the production of drugs that treat rare diseases. Special emphasis was on the fields of oncology (cancer) and nephrology (kidney disease.) My mission was to visit the second most populous country in Ethiopia (about 105 million), to gauge the state of specialised healthcare there. […]
Botswana: Can Maun Evolve into Something More Than Just the ‘Welcome Mat’ to the Okavango Delta?
The precious Okavango Delta. A major ‘bucket list’ item… It’s a question clients have asked me many times: “You’ve travelled all over Africa. How come you’ve never been to the Okavango?” The truth is that it was on my ‘bucket list’ for many years. And then one day, in early 2019, my partner, Terry and […]
Zambia: Mpulungu Port As A Unique Inland Waterway Trade Route
One day I’ll get to visit Mpulungu… I have to start with the confession that I have never been to Mpulungu before. I had my first opportunity in the very early 1990-s, when I was with the Africa division of the South African Foreign Trade Organisation (SAFTO). I had heard from my Zambian contacts that […]
Libya: Stepping into a Pre-Revolution Scenario and Yet Another ‘Crisp Atmosphere’ Experience
My mission to Libya and a nervous arrival… It was December 2010 when I took an Egyptair flight from Johannesburg to Cairo and then another Egyptair flight onwards to Tripoli, the capital of Libya. I had been invited to speak at a conference, but my main reason for accepting the invitation was to meet with […]
Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast: An Agricultural Success Story that is Blossoming Even More
Why no dried mangoes?… It was sometime around 2002 and I was walking with an Ivorian friend in the streets of Abidjan’s posh Cocody suburb. “So many mangoes just lying all over the road and just rotting away. Why don’t you guys do something with them?” “Do what with them?” “Beneficiate. Process them. Dried mangoes […]
Namgola: Development of Southern Angola and Northern Namibia into a Significant Economic Region
A new trade route and ‘Namgola’… I was sitting on the stoep of a home on the outskirts of Windhoek enjoying a few sundowners with a Namibian consulting engineer. Although informal, it was an important meeting. His company had recently completed a feasibility study on a south-north trade corridor that would extend from Walvis Bay, […]
SOUTH AFRICA Employer of Record: Don’t be caught out by SARS! Simplify Your South African Compliance with Africa Deployments
Are you a foreign company currently operating in South Africa with no registration locally? The regulatory landscape in South Africa is evolving, and compliance with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has become more critical than ever. The current Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (“ITA”) is aiming to amend the laws to bring non-resident companies employing […]
Zimbabwe: The Critical Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in Providing Relief to Much of the Population
Elections have just been held in Zimbabwe with President Mnangagwa announced as head of state for a second term. Whatever the debate surrounding the elections and future prospects for the country, the NGO community operating there will continue to play a vital role in assisting communities and alleviating poverty. An unusual mission… Some years ago, […]
Ghana: Major Expansion of Takoradi Port Awaits Oil and Gas Developments
A flurry of port developments in sub-Saharan Africa Recent decades have seen major new port developments and port expansions in sub-Saharan Africa. Long-standing ports developed during colonial times are in the main, too shallow for today’s large heavy-lift vessels. Most are also heavily congested. There has consequently been a strong drive for the development of […]
Guinea: Home of the Last–Known Biggest and Richest Unrealised Iron Ore Deposit in the World
An exciting invitation for a mission to a country blessed with resource wealth… It was late 2012 when a long-standing client invited me to assist him with a mission to Guinea investigating a proposed major rail line in that West African country. I gladly accepted, because I had never been to Guinea but had learned […]
Mozambique: A New Bridge & A New Road Brings Limited Vitalisation of the Far South
The unlocking of a unique tourism area and a new cross-border trade route… It was 2017 when my colleague, Roelof and I visited Maputaland. This area encompasses the far north of the KwaZulu-Natal coast, spreading all the way up to Katembe town just south of Maputo City in Mozambique. This coastal strip is sandwiched between […]
Morocco: A Significant Investor in Sub-Saharan Africa
My initial experiences of Moroccan activity in sub-Saharan African countries… It was the mid-1980’s, and I had just landed at Malabo Airport in Equatorial Guinea. I was pretty nervous because I had two pockets full of CFA bank notes. My mission was to hand the money to the manager of the farm we were operating […]
Zambia: The Strategically Located But Largely Unexploited Luapula Province
A road connection to the rich Copperbelt… The first time I went to Luapula Province in north-eastern Zambia was in 2014. I had heard that it was the ‘province of the future’, with much economic potential. I duly decided to prepare a visit, and later led a business mission there to investigate possible business opportunities […]
Senegal Sets the Example for Africa with Efficient Water Supply Delivery in a Semi-Arid Area of the Continent
A water-stressed region… At over three million square kilometres, the Sahel region stretches from Senegal to Sudan, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, traversing the countries that lie south of the Sahara Desert. It is a hot and arid area, long-plagued by drought and desertification. Water supply is a major ongoing challenge […]
Tanzania’s Natural Gas Resources A Major New Project to Re-ignite Investment
The strategic importance of natural gas… Natural gas is viewed by many analysts as an important ‘transition fuel’ for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions as countries wrestle with diminishing fossil fuel use. However, it is so much ‘cleaner’ than coal and fuel that it could also be considered an energy source for long-term usage. […]
Kenya: The African ICT Hub Aspires to Global Status While Its Dynamic ICT Start-Ups Proliferate
So many ICT projects and initiatives… Here I am sitting at my desk, preparing a blog on Kenya’s remarkable information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. And I’m sitting with a flood of recent developments. The Kenyan mobile network operator is planning a new smartphone factory in the country. The government announces that the national fibre […]
Zimbabwe: Can the Government Succeed in Beneficiating its Vast Lithium Resource?
An important announcement… In December 2022, the Zimbabwean Minister of Mines and Mining Development issued the following government notice: “No lithium-bearing ores, or un-beneficiated lithium whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country.” The notice went on to state that the ban did not extend to any lithium concentrates which mining houses operating in […]
Mauritius: Can the Island Become a Major Logistics Platform for Relief Aid Supply in Africa?
An important mission I’m sitting in an Air Mauritius aircraft on my way to the island. The plane is full of tourists and honeymoon couples in casual attire – flowery shirts, short pants, sandals – and I’m stuck at the back wearing longs and a white shirt, clearly at odds with the passengers’ pervasive holiday […]
Gabon: An ‘Old’ Oil Country Finds Other Resources A Rich Country Getting Richer
Why is Gabon so rich?… Easy question to answer: It has plenty of oil and gas and also huge rainforests covering nearly 90% of its total land area delivering some of the best hardwoods in the world. And then there is also its well-developed manganese mining sector. But oil has been the country’s wealth mainstay. […]
Nigeria: A Massive Electricity Supply Problem, Brave Decisions & Small but Innovative Successes
A more than daunting power supply problem… Let’s start with the facts. There are various estimates of Nigeria’s true population count, but it must be around 220 million – the largest market by population by far in sub-Saharan Africa. An installed electricity supply capacity of some 12 500 megawatts but production that varies between 4 000 MW […]
RWANDA: THE ‘SINGAPORE’ OF EAST AFRICA?
A country emerging from the deep dark … It’s the late nineties and I’m visiting Rwanda for the first time. I’m attending a COMESA conference and I tell the Rwandan delegate next to me how excited I am to be in his intriguing country and I mention that I will be visiting the Genocide Museum […]
Côte d’Ivoire: The ‘Jewel of West Africa’ Makes a Major Move from Agriculture to Mining
Once the ‘Jewel of West Africa’ I first visited Côte d’Ivoire way back in 1982. It was my first foray into West Africa and I was alone without any bookings and feeling pretty nervous. My anxiety was heightened by the chaos on my arrival at Abidjan airport – young ragged touts pulling at my […]
Ethiopia: Strong Privatisation Developments in Telecommunications, Logistics & Banking Sectors
Government making long-awaited privatisation moves When I led a large business mission to Addis Ababa in 2016, it was impressed on me by the government authorities whom I met then that state controls and monopolies, and limitations on foreign company involvement were prevalent. One state shipping company representative told me that exporters and importers must […]
Namibia: Business Implications from Major Oil & Gas Finds
There has been much media coverage of the relatively recent major oil and gas finds in Namibia. Let’s set the scene before discussing the resultant business implications. First, there were the announcements by Shell and TotalEnergies of the offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin of the Graf and Venus deposits respectively and now there is […]
Zambia: The Return of Anglo-American & Revival of the Mining Sector
The news that Anglo American has returned to mining activity in Zambia has drawn the attention of global operators and investors. The move came in the form of a joint venture with the junior exploration company Arc Minerals for participation in copper operations in the North-Western Province. The venture may be considered relatively tentative at […]
Operating your business in Africa?
Are you a project house requiring a team on the ground in Africa for 2-5 years, this is new territory for you and you are not up to date with local labour laws and tax legislation. Take away the stress of dealing with labour legislation so you can focus on your project and the delivery […]
ADS in Mokaikai – South Africa
We were in Mokaikai this past week, in the province of Limpopo, South Africa. The ADS team had 6 days exploring the Safari reserve of Mabula, encountering different animals and enjoying the Africa Skies. This adventure indeed made the team grow in spirit and made us all realise that we are human at the end […]
Why choose an outsourced Africa Payroll provider over a full-time Payroll Department?
We are all accustomed to the word ‘HR’ as being a significant part of an organization. However, a more interesting picture is the ability to outsource your payroll to a Partner within the region providing Payroll Solutions. An outsourced Payroll solution is where an employer, doesn’t have to face the daily demands of the employee […]
Importance of Compliance & How ADS can help you to achieve Compliance in the Payroll field
Everyone knows that Compliance means to comply with a certain list of rules and regulations. What is important to know is, what is meant by compliance in the corporate world and how compliance helps companies around the world to operate successfully in a fully compliant environment. I am Anisha Jhumun – Ubhee, Commercial & Compliance […]
Why Companies are using Africa Remote Teams?
Today we are going to be discussing “Africa Remote Teams” and how they can play a pivotal role in expanding your talent base with ease of hire and flexible working solutions for any International Organizations looking to expand in the Region. I am Eugenio Maggi the Operations Director of Africa Deployments (ADS) a leading provider […]
CASE REVIEW: Employer of Record provided for NGO in Ethiopia funded by USAID
CASE REVIEW: #Africa Deployments was recently contacted by an #NGO to directly employ 28 contractors in #Ethiopia, providing them with an Ethiopia Employer of Record solution & #Payroll for a #USAID funded project. We were also required to onboard the personnel within a few days. As a requirement for USAID funding, we are required to employ them locally on a contract in-country, manage the payroll and submit all proof of remittances […]
