Energy Capital&Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com)– Africa’s leading investment platform – has partnered with the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) for the SAIA national convention (AZA 2024). Taking place September 4-7, 2024 in Johannesburg, the conference is a celebration of the practice, art, utility and conscience of modern architecture in South Africa.

Hosted by SAIA in collaboration with the Gauteng Institute for Architecture and the University of Johannesburg, the 2024 event will be organized by ECP, and returns for its fourth edition as the premier event for the South African architecture sector. The event unites companies and investors from across ten countries, with over 1,500 stakeholders expected to participate this year. 

AZA 2024 will unite project developers, investors, designers, policymakers, students and more under one platform to explore opportunities and challenges in South African architecture. The event will offer practical, educational and forward-looking insights, equipping attendees with the information they need to make informed and innovative decisions across the market.

Since its launch in 2012, AZA has emerged as the platform of choice for architects and urban planners, designers and builders, academics and researchers, and policymakers and government to discuss the future of South Africa’s built environment. The conference offers a myriad of participation opportunities, including high-level panel discussions, multifaceted exhibitions, sponsorships and networking functions, all of which are designed to place your brand at the forefront of the country’s architecture space. In 2024, the event returns bigger and better than before, and is tailored to drive investment, foster partnerships and accelerate the development of the industry for the betterment of the national economy.

“As the leading investment platform for the African energy sector, ECP has a wealth of experience in producing world-class, infrastructure-focused events across Africa. We are proud to partner with SAIA for this exciting conference and look forward to delivering a platform that bolsters engagement, investment and progress across the South African architecture landscape,” states Devi Paulsen-Abbott, CEO of ECP.

For more insight about this exciting event, visit www.ArchitectureZA.org.za.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have signed a protocol agreement for $5.2 million in grant financing to strengthen investment, human capital and philanthropic engagement from the diaspora in eight African countries.

The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Tripartite Funding and Implementation Agreement will support the ‘’Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investments and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience’’ (SDE4R) project. The target countries are The Gambia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Togo and Zimbabwe.

The project will assist the recipient countries to identify the best methods for effectively mobilizing the human and financial capital of the diaspora, either to support socioeconomic development by reviving the domestic private sector, or recovery from political or humanitarian crisis by leveraging the expertise and networks of Diaspora groups.

Dr. Abdul Kamara, African Development Bank Deputy Director General for East Africa, said the project will stimulate business opportunities and technical support for socio-economic resilience across the continent by promoting innovative financing tools and skills transfer initiatives.

He added: “The signing of the SDE4R project grant agreement today is an important step towards leveraging the diaspora engagement to catalyze private investments and entrepreneurship for enhanced resilience among populations, including women, youth, and rural dwellers. This intervention will help spur investments supporting the most vulnerable groups in beneficiary countries, including forcibly displaced populations and hosting communities.”

Ms. Betty Mupenda Wangozi, Acting Director of the African Union Commission’s Citizens and Diaspora Organization Directorate, underscored the timeliness of the agreement in view of her organization’s lead role in coordinating efforts to harness the contribution of the diaspora to Africa’s development. She added that the SDE4R project will greatly advance the AU 2063 Agenda in the beneficiary countries.

Ms. Mariama Cisse Mohamed, Director of the IOM Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa said the project aligned with her organisation’s mandate to promote socio-economic development through migration while providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced populations. “As such, this agreement constitutes a stepping stone for more comprehensive interventions envisioned across the African continent based on existing and scalable initiatives on diaspora engagement for private sector development.”

In addition to governments of the eight target countries, the project is expected to have 10,000 direct beneficiaries and 40,000 indirect beneficiaries in communities affected by conflict, climate change and other humanitarian and environmental disasters.

The Bank approved the SDE4R project on 4 July 2023, with funding from its Transition Support Facility (TSF). The International Organization for Migration will implement the project over three years with strategic oversight, guidance and advisory from the African Union Commission. This is a concrete example of a Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus partnership focused on implementation of strategic frameworks and shared priorities.

An estimated 160 million Africans are in the diaspora; the nearly $96 billion they remitted to the continent in 2021 far exceeded the $35 billion in official development assistance that flowed into Africa in the same year.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this press release issued on 2 December 2023 included an error in the headline and lead paragraph. This version updates the dollar value of the grant financing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact: 
Olufemi Terry 
Communication and External Relations Department 
African Development Bank 
media@afdb.org

Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar 
Senior Communication Officer
Information and Communication Directorate (ICD),
African Union Commission
GamalK@africa-union.org

Eric Mazango
Communications Officer
International Organization for Migration
emazango@iom.int

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has signed an agreement for a US$100-million trade finance facility in favour of Rawbank to assist the Bank increase trade flows into and out of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The facility, the largest trade finance facility ever provided by Afreximbank to a commercial bank in the DRC, is also expected to help reduce pressure on the country’s balance of payments using the trade finance instrument offered by the Afreximbank Trade Finance Facility (AFTRAF) programme. It will also create business opportunities for Rawbank and its clients while supporting the economic development of the DRC.

Speaking during the signing ceremony held as part of the ongoing Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2024), Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank, highlighted the contribution the facility would make in supporting economic development in the DRC.

“We are very pleased to deploy this important facility in the DRC to support such a strategic partner as Rawbank,” said Mr. Elmaayergi. “Our partnership with Rawbank will be further strengthened to support economic development in the DRC. Our synergies can only help to build the Africa we want by unleashing the full potential of intra-African and global trade for the benefit of our people.”  

He noted that AFTRAF was structured to provide trade confirmation services, trade confirmation guarantees and irrevocable reimbursement undertakings to clients, adding that it was designed to counter the recurring trend of reduction or withdrawal of trade lines to African banks by the international banks following the de-risking process.

Commenting during the deal signing ceremony, Didier Tilman, Vice-President, Business Development, for Rawbank noted: “Today marks a significant milestone for Rawbank and for the Democratic Republic of Congo. This agreement with Afreximbank represents not only a substantial injection of capital into our trade finance capabilities but also a testament to the confidence placed in Rawbank as a key player in driving economic growth and facilitating trade in the region”

AAM2024, happening concurrently with the third Africaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2024), will end on 15 June.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

About Rawbank:
Rawbank has been supporting the development of the Congolese economy for 20 years. It offers the most modern products and services to its 500,000+ corporate, SME and individual customers through a network of 100 outlets in 19 of the country’s provinces, including Greater Katanga, Greater Kasai, the two Kivus, Equateur and Central Kongo. This vast network of branches is complemented by a representative office in Brussels and 300 ATMs. With over 1,800 employees, Rawbank has a market share of over 30%. Strength, profitability and sustainability are Rawbank’s priorities in consolidating its growth strategy. Its efforts have been rewarded with the African Bankers Award 2022 and 2024 for the best regional bank in Central Africa, a Moody’s CAA 1 rating, and ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications. RAWBANK’s partners include IFC, BAD, TDB, BADEA, Shelter Africa, AGF, etc.

Lersha, a one-stop digital platform, recently participated in GITEX Africa 2024 (www.GITEXAfrica.com), an event celebrated for its networking and exposure opportunities within the tech ecosystem. The event proved to be a platform for Lersha to engage with industry stakeholders, forge strategic partnerships, and showcase its commitment to driving innovation in Africa.

Download document 1: https://apo-opa.co/3VETX77
Download document 2: https://apo-opa.co/3VHBIOv

Embracing the theme of innovation and investment, Lersha navigated the vibrant tech landscape of Africa with strategic objectives and meticulous preparation. The event provided a conducive environment for Lersha to foster cross-border collaborations, exchange insights with startups, and explore investment opportunities, contributing to the advancement of African innovation.

Reflecting on the experience, Satta Abraham, Strategy and Growth Lead at Lersha, remarked, “GITEX Africa was an invaluable opportunity for us to connect with industry leaders, exchange ideas, and establish meaningful partnerships. We are excited to harness these connections to drive forward African innovation and empower communities.”

One of the highlights of the event was the productive engagement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) team. Lersha’s Strategic and Growth Lead participated in insightful discussions, exploring avenues for collaboration and growth over dinner.

Furthermore, Lersha actively contributed to the panel discussion on “Agtech for Financial Inclusion,” where its Strategy&Growth Lead shared key insights on leveraging AgTech to promote financial inclusion in Africa. This discussion underscored Lersha’s commitment to utilizing technology to address pressing challenges in the agricultural sector and enhance financial accessibility for all stakeholders.

In addition to participating in panel discussions, Lersha showcased its digital solutions alongside other innovative startups, demonstrating its role in shaping the future of Africa’s digital landscape. From cutting-edge technology to groundbreaking ideas, Lersha reaffirmed its dedication to driving positive change through innovation and collaboration.

As Lersha continues to expand its footprint in Africa, the company remains committed to leveraging technology to empower communities, drive economic growth, and foster sustainable development across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

About Lersha:
Lersha is a leading digital solutions provider dedicated to driving innovation and fostering economic growth in Africa. With a focus on leveraging technology to address key challenges, Lersha offers a range of solutions tailored to empower communities, enhance productivity, and promote sustainable development. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives, Lersha is committed to shaping the future of Africa’s digital landscape.