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All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), President speaks on fostering collaboration within African music community as BridgeAfric launches in Malawi

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In continuation of promoting and showcasing African artistes, providing them with platforms to reach a global audience beyond their home countries, the President/Executive Producer, All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA (www.AFRIMA.org), Mike Dada, would be sharing his thought at the BridgeAfric’s Southern Africa launch in Malawi on March 23, 2024.

BridgeAfric is a revolutionary initiative aimed at connecting African artistes and industry professionals across the continent led by the dynamic Victoria Nkong.

With the theme; importance of fostering collaboration within the African music community, Dada would be speaking on the significance of working together in promoting African music on a global scale.

In his statement, the AFRIMA President noted that there are potentials for growth and success that come from uniting artistes, producers, and other stakeholders in the industry.

Dada, who lauded BridgAfric for its efforts in connecting Malawians artistes with industry professionals, helping them to build their careers and reach a wider audience, said he is committed to supporting initiatives like BridgAfric that empower African artists and promote the rich diversity of African music. He believes that by working together, they can create a more vibrant and inclusive music industry that celebrates the talent and creativity of artists from across the continent.

“This is very significant for the growth, development and promotion of the arts and music industry in Africa, especially when you look at it from the point of view of collaborations, the Malawi music industry and connecting to the center of the journey of the ongoing movements and the development of the African industry to the global audience,” Dada submitted.

Speaking on its widely acknowledged Africa’s prestigious annual music awards, Dada noted, “AFRIMA is for Africans, and everybody is entitled to be part of it. Malawi is entitled to be part of it being an African country, if you are a Malawian, it’s your right to be part of it. I think from records, if I’m correct, only two or three artistes from Malawi have won the AFRIMA Awards in the past, so we encourage more Malawians to be part of it so that you can get the benefit of being part of the collective movement of the continent. They should come on board more when it’s time for the submission of works, they should be part of the people to submit their works because we believe they have good sound and music coming from Malawi, so they use the AFRIMA platform to showcase to the rest of the world.”

Expressing her excitement, The BridgeAfric President, Victoria Nkong noted that the AFRIMA President’s insights and expertise will undoubtedly provide valuable knowledge and inspiration to all those in attendance.

“The presence of the AFRIMA President at the launch signifies the importance of this initiative and the potential impact it can have on the music industry in Malawi. BridgeAfric aims to provide a platform for emerging artists in Malawi to showcase their talent and connect with industry professionals. We look forward to a successful launch event and the positive impact that BridgeAfric Malawi will have on the local music scene,” Nkong submitted.

The star-studded event slated to be held at the majestic Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) Banquet Hall, in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, is expected to attract several corporate executives, African artistes, entertainment stakeholders, celebrities, local and international media.

The BridgeAfric’s launch in Malawi will facilitate a talent workshop: Collaboration, Investments&Talent Development with seasoned African music giants in attendance. The workshop will provide a platform for local artists to interact and share their experiences with big names in the entertainment industry.

Some of the biggest acts from Malawi, such as the Nyau King Tay Grin, Phyzix, Che Kalonda, Lulu among others would be headlining the Southern African launch of BridgeAfric.

Other dignitaries expected to grace the event include Trace Representatives, representative of Live Nation in France, Ace Video Directors, 50 cents Producer and a lot more music business executives and international artists from around Africa.

Veteran music producer and entrepreneur Taps Bandawe will also be part of the speakers at the event while award-winning television personality Priscilla Kayira Nsane will be the moderator, as DJ Neptune will be on the decks.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

Afreximbank’s MANSA Digital Initiative Achieves Four ISO Standards Certifications for its Integrated Management System (IMS)

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The Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank’s) (www.Afreximbank.com) MANSA Digital Initiative, a Pan-African due diligence platform, has been awarded four ISO standards for the effective implementation of its Information Management Systems (IMS). MANSA Digital Initiative is a pan-African customer due diligence platform created by Afreximbank to promote, expand and support both intra and extra African trade, with a special focus on value-added exports from Africa.

These four certifications recognize the successful implementation of Integrated Management Systems, encompassing: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS), ISO/IEC 20000–1:2018 Service Management System (SMS), and ISO 27701:2023 Privacy Information Management (PIMS). MANSA Digital Initiative is the pioneering recipient of the PIMS certification among the four distinguished categories.

The ISO body granted the certification to MANSA Digital Initiative after it fully complied with all the criteria related to the International Standard for the Management of Information Security, ISO Business Continuity, Privacy Information Management System and Service Management.  This recognition is attributed to MANSA Digital’s establishment of a core repository platform, serving as a centralized source for essential data needed in conducting customer due diligence on African Entities, Financial Institutions, Corporations, and SMEs.

Afreximbank President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Prof. Benedict O. Oramah said:
“The MANSA Digital Initiative is the answer to some of the challenges hindering trade growth in Africa, particularly, our correspondent banking relationships, where a majority of international financial institutions withdrew due to inadequate data about African entities and the substantial cost of compliance. By achieving these standards, MANSA has established a robust foundation, positioning itself prominently as the ‘go-to’ platform for customer due diligence among African business entities on the continental stage.

The President noted that MANSA Digital Initiative and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are working together to enhance intra-African trade and global trade connections. The partnership aims to eliminate information asymmetry, tackle the de-risking of African Financial Institutions, and dispel uninformed negative perceptions of conducting business with Africa, among other initiatives. With the recent introduction of the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) by Afreximbank, which serves as a market-place for the Bank’s Digital Business, including MANSA, it is anticipated that MANSA will receive increased recognition throughout Africa and beyond.

Founded in 2020, MANSA Digital Initiative is a pan-African customer due diligence repository for financial institutions, corporate entities and SMEs, developed to address the perceived risk of doing business in Africa and with Africans. Its key mission is to promote, expand and support both intra and extra African trade, with a special focus on value-added exports from Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Manager, Communications and Events (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com
Tel: +20 2 24564100 /1/2/3
Mobile: +201030121123

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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance, facilitate and promote intra and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative instruments 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 AfCFTA, Afreximbank has in partnership with the African Union Commission and AFCFTA Secretariat 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 Free Trade Agreement. The AFCFTA Secretariat and the Bank have created a USD 10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of September 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at USD 31.5 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to USD 5.85 billion. The Bank disbursed more than USD 100 billion between 2016 and 2023 through various interventions for the advancement of the continent. 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

Large players pull out all the stops to keep Africa connected

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With only three of the ten undersea cables that connect South Africa to the world still in operation, it is quite remarkable that the region remains as well connected as it is.  This is the view of Workonline Communications (www.Workonline.Africa/), one of the leading providers of wholesale IP transit services in Africa, commenting on recent disruptions to internet connectivity across the continent due to multiple undersea cable faults.

“The cable breaks on both sides of the continent have highlighted the issue of the lack of capacity to support Africa’s burgeoning internet requirements,” says Edward Lawrence of the Workonline Group. “There are 574 active and planned submarine cables across the globe, yet South Africa only has 10 that connect it to the rest of the world, and seven of these are currently out of action.”

In February 2024, three vital cables—AAE-1, EIG, and SEACOM—connecting the east coast of Africa to Europe were disrupted, allegedly due to vandalism by the Houthis. Then, on March 14, 2024, four out of the five west coast cables—SAT3, WACS, ACE, and MainOne—were affected, reportedly by an undersea rock fall near Ivory Coast. These incidents have significantly impacted internet connectivity, not only in South Africa but across the entire continent.

The capacity constraints are further complicated by the time it takes to not only repair submarine cables, but also to lay new infrastructure. Lawrence explains that it can take 18 months or longer to plan for new cables, and a further two years or more to actually build and commission them.

“We’re fortunate that due to our investment in Africa and abroad we are able to be more nimble than most and can increase our undersea capacity at speed. We’ve designed our network to be as resilient as possible, acquiring capacity on the most stable routes we can find. Incremental capacity, or augments as they are referred to, require us to acquire hundreds of Gbps of capacity at a time, so we rely on our deep relationships which we’ve developed across the industry.”

Through strategic partnerships and investments in mega Points of Presence (PoPs) across Africa, Workonline remains at the forefront of delivering high-quality IP transit services to meet the evolving needs of ISPs and CDNs in Africa.

“We understand the critical importance of internet connectivity in today’s digital age,” added Lawrence. “As such, we are committed to proactively managing network disruptions and minimizing downtime to provide our customers with the continuity they need to thrive in a competitive landscape.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Workonline Communications.

Follow Workonline Communications on:
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About Workonline Communications Group:
Workonline (AS 37271), founded in 2006, is one of the largest IP transit networks in Africa. The company operates mega PoPs across South, East and West Africa, Europe, and Asia, and is continually expanding its infrastructure across the African continent.

Workonline (AS 37271) is one of the largest and the fastest growing IP transit networks in Africa. The company is focused on providing highly scalable, high quality, and flexible service options to meet the needs of carriers, Internet Service Providers, content providers, and mobile operators.

Website: www.Workonline.Africa/news
Email: bizdev@workonline.africa

African Development Bank and Mozambique strengthen partnerships to boost regional infrastructure development and trade

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The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Mozambique reinforced their partnership during a visit by Mr. Solomon Quaynor, the Bank’s Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization.

This visit, held from March 12th to 15th, 2024, underscores the Bank’s commitment to supporting Mozambique’s economic growth trajectory, particularly following the third review of the country’s Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund and the Bank’s recent Economic Acceleration Package and Budget Support Mission.

Accompanied by the Bank’s Country Manager Cesar Mba Abogo, Vice President Quaynor held meetings with key government officials, including Minister of Economy and Finance and African Development Bank Governor Ernesto Max Elias Tonela; Minister of Transport and Communications Mateus Magala; and Minister of Industry and Commerce, Silvino Augusto Moreno.

Discussions revolved around the Bank’s support for private sector development and industrialization through strategic infrastructure projects along vital regional economic corridors linked to Maputo, Beira, and Nacala. These corridors hold immense potential to unlock Mozambique’s economic opportunities and foster regional trade with several other countries.

Quaynor also held consultation meetings with other stakeholders involved in the Mozambican economy, including the Mozambican Association of Banks, Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric, Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Mozambique, Maputo Port Development Company, Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique, Mozambique’s premier industrial park company called Moz Parks, Export Trading Group and the Canadian Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen. 

The Mozambican government expressed gratitude for the Bank’s continued support for regional integration and green industrialization in Southern Africa.

Minister Tonela said, “We are encouraged by Mozambique’s economic prospects. The resilience our nation has demonstrated in the face of acute shocks is a testament to the strength and determination of our people. However, we acknowledge that fragility drivers, such as climate change and security threats, remain a concern. This is why partnerships with development institutions like the AfDB are so crucial. We are determined to foster inclusive and green growth for our people, the region and the world.”

The partnership between the Bank and Mozambique aligns with the country’s national development plans and the institution’s long-term strategies, prioritizing economic governance, private sector investment, and sustainable agricultural transformation – a critical sector for Mozambique’s economic diversification.

Quaynor stated, “Mozambique’s resilience is a strong indication of the leadership role that it is poised to play in ensuring green energy supply to the South African Power Pool, as well as building climate resilient economic corridors to benefit internal markets in Mozambique as well as regional trade with and from land-linked countries in the Southern Africa Development Community. We appreciate the government’s steadfast trust in the Bank’s capacity to deliver on its mandate in Mozambique.”

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

Media contact:
Elisângela Cristo
e.pintocristo@afdb.org

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