DHL Global Forwarding, the leading international provider of air, ocean and road freight services has launched its digital road freight platform Saloodo! to shippers and transport providers in Ethiopia. This free-to-use service marks the first time an international digital road freight platform is made available in Ethiopia connecting shippers to freight carriers that can meet their road transportation needs.
“Streamlining logistics both in infrastructure and through digital platforms like Saloodo! will bolster local, regional and international integration,” noted Tobias Maier, CEO of Saloodo! Middle East and Africa.
“Although the pandemic has caused significant slowdown in growth in the region, we are optimistic that Saloodo! will help bring logistics aspirations back on track and particularly benefit Ethiopia given its road map to boost logistics infrastructure. It will allow shippers to easily identify trusted freight carriers, help carriers manage fleets and optimise capacity, and provide real-time visibility all around for greater transparency and growth in the market.”
Saloodo! is the first digital logistics platform available in Ethiopia and the region that offers a single, simple and reliable interface for shippers and transport providers to best optimise cost, routes, cargo and transit times. Backed by DHL’s global and regional footprint and expertise, all contractual relationships on the platform are organised via the existing local DHL entity, providing trust and peace of mind to carriers and shippers alike.
DHL unveils its digital road freight platform Saloodo! in Ethiopia
The renewAfrica Initiative presented to EVP Timmermans
The renewAfrica Initiative was presented to Frans Timmermans, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal. By the end of the meeting, which saw the participation of CEOs and high-level representatives of 18 of the most important international companies and organisations active in the renewable energy sector, EVP Timmermans appreciated that the Initiative is in line with the green ambitions of the European Commission and welcomed the work of renewAfrica so far as a positive contribution to the EU’s Comprehensive Strategy with Africa.
The renewAfrica Initiative has been structured to implement PPPs, so to create a level playing field for European industry and investors. In this regard, the Initiative will contribute to add value to existing European financial instruments, so to mobilise the scale of public and private capital necessary to the creation of a pipeline of sustainable and bankable renewable energy projects in Africa. renewAfrica stems from the need of an EU-led programme that should offer end-to-end support along the entire project cycle, assist with high-level policy dialogue, provide technical assistance to national governments, and offer financial de-risking and capacity building measures. For the programme to be fully effective, it should avoid limitations in terms of the supported technology, geographical area and size of the project, thus mobilising private capital and unlocking bankable renewable energy projects across Africa. renewAfrica’s task forces have elaborated a proposal, identifying possible pilot countries, outlining a set of technical assistance services, and elaborating a financial package to cover the major investments risks. The Initiative has now reached the point where it can contribute to the EU green diplomacy objectives in Africa.
Rove Hotels unveils the only on-site hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai
With Expo 2020 Dubai now less than a year away, the eyes of the world are back on this much-awaited event as it gears up to help shape the future. A homegrown hotel brand that can be found at the heart of communities across Dubai – Rove Hotels made the very special announcement that it will be the only hotel at Expo 2020 Dubai, which will be taking place from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022.
A gateway to inspiring experiences of culture, innovation and human excellence at Expo 2020, the Rove Expo 2020 hotel – part of the Rove brand – will feature 312 king, twin and accessible Rover Rooms, as well as 19 Rover suites. Furthermore, the only hotel at Expo 2020 will boast several F&B outlets, including The Daily, a grab&go Rove Café and The Bar, along with a rooftop swimming pool and sundeck overlooking the Al Wasl Plaza, 100% sustainable in-room amenities, a 24-hour gym, prayer rooms, and more.
Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Pavilions and Exhibitions Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “This is a significant step forward in the development of the Expo 2020 site. An on-site hotel is a great addition to the world-class facilties we are creating to welcome people from all around the world to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event.”
COVID-19 spurs health innovation in Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic has galvanized the development of more than 120 health technology innovations that have been piloted or adopted in Africa, a new World Health Organization (WHO) analysis finds.
The study of 1000 new or modifications of existing technologies that have been developed worldwide to target different areas of the COVID-19 response finds that Africa accounts for 12.8% of the innovations. The response areas include surveillance, contact tracing, community engagement, treatment, laboratory systems and infection, prevention and control.
In Africa, 57.8% of the technologies were ICT-driven, 25% were based on 3D printing and 10.9% were robotics. The ICT-based innovations include WhatsApp Chatbots in South Africa, self-diagnostic tools in Angola, contact tracing apps in Ghana and mobile health information tools in Nigeria. The countries with the most innovations were South Africa (13%), Kenya (10%), Nigeria (8%) and Rwanda (6%).
“COVID-19 is one of the most serious health challenges in a generation, but it is also an opportunity to drive forward innovation, ingenuity and entrepreneurship in life-saving health technologies,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “It’s great to see the youthful energy of the continent fired up to fight COVID-19. Solar-powered automatic handwashing tools, mobile applications that build on Africa’s rapidly growing connectivity. These home-grown innovations are uniquely adapted to the African context.”
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization the more developed an economy is the more it innovates and vice versa, but some economies break this pattern by performing better or worse than predicted. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the largest number of economies performing above expectations for their level of development. While this is encouraging, investment is vital to further spark innovation on the continent. A study by the World Bank group reports that African countries, at around 0.01% per capita, invest far less in innovation than developed countries and the continent is not living up to its potential.
