The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that H.E. Joash Arthur Maangi, High Commissioner-designate of the Republic of Kenya to Uganda has presented copies of his Letters of Credence to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Affairs, Hon John Mulimba. The formal ceremony took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscoring the longstanding and cordial relations between the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Uganda.

During the meeting, Hon John Mulimba extended a warm welcome to H.E. Joash Arthur Maangi, expressing Uganda’s commitment to further strengthening the bilateral ties that have been fostered over many years. He highlighted the mutual respect and cooperation that characterize the relationship between the two countries and underscored Uganda’s readiness to explore new avenues of collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

H.E. Joash Arthur Maangi conveyed warm greetings from President William Ruto, and the people of the Republic of Kenya, reaffirming Kenya’s dedication to enhancing diplomatic and economic relations with Uganda. He emphasized the importance of continued economic and diplomatic cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges, and in promoting peace, security, and sustainable development. High Commissioner-designate Maangi stated that Uganda was Kenya’s biggest trading partner and further informed that majority of food feeding Kenya and fresh fruits come from Uganda. Stating that he was privileged to be posted to Uganda and key among the areas of cooperation to be tackled was the cross-border conflict along the Turkana region and Karamoja. He further informed that President Ruto was considering increasing the One Stop Border Posts from two in order to further ease trade between Uganda and Kenya.

Minister Mulimba assured H.E Joash Arthur Maangi of the Ministry’s full support during his tenure and expressed optimism that his appointment will usher in a new chapter of robust and dynamic relations between Kenya and Uganda. He called for a shift in the East African Community Integration from Summit level to people-to-people integration in order to realize the actual economic and social benefits.

The presentation of the letter of credence marks a significant step in fortifying the ties between the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Uganda, reflecting a shared vision of progress and prosperity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to a productive and mutually beneficial engagement with H.E. Joash Arthur Maangi High Commissioner-Designate of the Republic of Kenya to Uganda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Africa Data Centres (www.AfricaDataCentres.com), a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has announced it is expanding its CPT1 facility in Cape Town.

This expansion shows the data centre giant adding three new state-of-the-art halls in new areas on the campus and adds another 6MW of IT load, effectively doubling its current capacity. The new expansion was implemented with support from the United States through an up to $300 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to Africa Data Centres.

According to Hardy Pemhiwa, President&Group CEO of Cassava, “This expansion by Africa Data Centres is in response to the increasing demand for co-location capacity in South Africa. Not only is Cape Town the second largest economy in South Africa, but it is also the de facto software and technology hub in Southern Africa.”

The company is seeing tremendous growth in the data centre market in South Africa generally, as both national and international cloud and IT service providers seek to expand their footprints in the region.

In terms of size, the expansion adds 1000 racks of white space or the space available for customers to lease, although the physical site is significantly larger than that. It is made up of two more colocation data halls and one hyperscale hall.

The additional halls are built in the cutting-edge modular design pioneered by Africa Data Centres, which enables rapid scalability and a modern design that allows the facility to be populated as and when required to suit the needs of the customer.

Pemhiwa says this would not have been possible without the support of the Ministry of ICT, Western Cape Provincial Government and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development. “I would like to acknowledge their ongoing support, as we expand our data centre facilities in South Africa.”

The new halls feature the same cutting-edge security standards and focus on the elements that matter most to clients, including scalability, flexibility, and energy efficiency, to bring world-class, affordable solutions to all its clients in the area. This data centre is highly flexible and designed to accommodate different and evolving customer demands.

Additionally, this data centre boasts hybrid cooling technology capable of handling both air cooling and liquid cooling. Despite its versatility, no compromises were made on efficiency. It is one of the most efficient and sustainable data centres ever built in South Africa. It is powered by renewable energy, boasts a Water Usage Effectiveness of 0 due to no water consumption for the IT infrastructure, and has an impressive Power Usage Effectiveness rating as well.

The Africa Data Centres’ CPT1 facility is at the forefront of pioneering the use of wheeled solar power in the market. This innovation is enabled through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed in March last year with Distributed Power Africa, part of the Cassava Technologies group. Africa Data Centres is the first company to successfully implement this groundbreaking technology in Africa, marking it the continent’s first project of its kind.

“The introduction of wheeled solar power at the CPT1 facility offers significant benefits to our’ customers, providing a truly sustainable data centre solution. As the demand for data continues to skyrocket across Africa, a continent where power supply is often intermittent, the need for reliable, cost-effective, and green power has never been more critical,” said Finhai Munzara, Interim CEO of Africa Data Centres.

By harnessing renewable energy, he says the CPT1 facility not only ensures consistent power supply but also supports sustainable operations, helping customers achieve their environmental goals. “Our state-of-the-art facility reduces reliance on non-renewable energy sources, setting a new standard for sustainability in the data centre industry.”

Munzara adds that Cape Town is an excellent location for colocation facilities as it is a stone’s throw away from all the submarine cable landing stations. In addition, the Cape Town facility houses the Cape Town Internet Exchange (CINX), which makes multi-region peering more accessible, efficient, and easy to manage. This also facilitates direct connections between networks, enabling data to flow more efficiently and reducing latency, giving our users a faster, more responsive online experience.

In ending, Munzara says the expansion increases the capacity of the company’s data centres in South Africa and it is an integral part of its investment plans to deliver several additional data facilities across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Data Centres.

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About Africa Data Centres: 
Africa Data Centres owns and operates Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities. Bringing international experts to the pan-African market, Africa Data Centres is a trusted partner for rapid and secure data centre services and interconnections across Africa. Strategically located in South, East and West Africa our world-class data centre facilities provide a home for all business-critical data for Africa’s small, medium and large enterprises and global hyper scale customers. https://www.AfricaDataCentres.com/

The 6th Congress of the National Council of Eritrean-Americans was enthusiastically inaugurated in Washington under the theme “Strengthening Eritrean Values for International Relations.”

The congress, attended by over 500 nationals, saw Ms. Lewam Debru, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, and Ms. Hadinet Keleta, Head of Public and Community Affairs at the Eritrean Embassy, outline the objectives and agenda of the event.

Mr. Berhane Gebrehiwet, Charge d’Affaires at the Eritrean Embassy, highlighted the significance of the congress, noting its timing as Eritrea embarks on a new chapter. He urged participants to leverage public diplomatic activities, emphasizing that Eritrea’s core values and independent political stance are key tools for fostering cooperation and relationships.

Mr. Berhane also stressed the importance of a strong organization, which he said reflects the civility and modesty of a robust society. He encouraged attendees to leave the congress with significant recommendations and resolutions focused on strengthening the organization, national values, and broad participation of nationals.

The congress featured detailed activity reports from the PFDJ, YPFDJ, the National Union of Eritrean Women, Hidri organizations in the US, and YPFDJ representatives from Europe. These reports were followed by in-depth discussions among participants.

Friends of Eritrea expressed their high regard for their relationship with the Eritrean community and highlighted Eritrea’s growing influence and acceptance on the global stage.

The congress is set to continue until 26 July.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

UN Tourism has launched a guide on sustainable tourism development in Zambia that identifies key sectors for investment. Titled “Tourism Doing Business—Investing in Zambia,” the guide aims to boost economic growth nationwide.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of UN Tourism, stated, “This publication will lead to greater prosperity, job creation, community empowerment, and SME expansion in Zambia. It offers a comprehensive overview of Zambia’s economic, political, and social landscape, highlighting the vast opportunities within Zambia’s tourism industry.” 

Rodney Simbuka, Minister of Tourism of Zambia, said: “Investment in tourism is pivotal not only for sustainable development, economic growth, job creation but also the preservation of our rich cultural heritage and the conservation of our natural resources creating opportunities for the local communities.” 

Stability and Growth in Zambia 

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Zambia’s economic outlook is promising, with projected growth rates of 4.3% in 2023, 4.7% in 2024, and 4.8% in 2025. Zambia has maintained a steady growth rate of 3.2% over the past decade, demonstrating economic stability that exceeds the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 3.0%. 

Reasons to Invest in Zambia 

“Tourism Doing Business—Investing in Zambia,” outlines the opportunities for international investors, emphasizing:  

Zambia’s biodiversity and natural resources make it an attractive destination for investors, with 30% of its land (22.4 million hectares) dedicated to 20 national parks and green spaces. 
Zambia shares borders with eight other countries. The location of this landlocked nation, along with its cultural diversity, with more than 70 ethnolinguistic groups, are a few of its many merits. 
Zambia has been ranked the 7th Best Country to do Business out of 54 African nations and the 1st for Ease of Obtaining Credit in Africa after celebrating 60 years of peace and stability. 
Zambia offers attractive investment incentives, with 16 investment promotion and protection agreements currently in place. 

Investing in Tourism  

Avenues for investment in Zambia, such as the tourism sector, startups, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), are attracting attention. Zambia has made its mark on the global investment arena with an average of USD 969.7 million in FDI receipts over the past decade. Zambia’s economic resilience, emphasis on tourism education, tax incentives, and efficient business setup processes make it a noteworthy prospect for investors.  

The services sector contributes to almost 58% to the Zambian economy and employs 33% of the country’s workforce. Fostering an investor-friendly climate facilitates well-informed decision-making, enabling stakeholders to maximize Zambia’s strengths and actively contribute to sustainable development initiatives. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).