Businesses in Gambia say unreliable electricity a major problem

The Africa Survey 2014 identifies three biggest threats to doing business in sub-Saharan Africa.

A generator of The Gambia's national electricity provider, NAWEC, which faces increasing financial problems. (Photo Credit: Access Gambia)

Deadlier Than Ebola

Survey finds HIV/AIDS, diarrhoe and malaria kill more Africans than the Ebola virus

Latest World Bank (WB) figures show almost 1.2 million Africans died as a result of HIV/AIDS in 2012, according to a new survey. A team from Médecins Sans Frontières arrived in Guinea at the beginning of the Ebola outbreak (Photo: Kjell Gunnar Beraas/MSF)

GGA: Easier to start a business in Africa

World Bank’s '2014 Ease of Doing Business Index' ranked Mauritius 20, Rwanda 32, South Africa 41, Tunisia 51 and Botswana 56 – as the top five countries in Africa where it is easiest to do business. (Photo Credit:MSJoof/TNBES

Africa: Very few have bank accounts, fewer borrow from banks

The Platinum Habib Bank, now renamed Keystone Bank, is  one of 12 commercial banks operating in The Gambia (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/August2011)

In most African countries, fewer than half of adults had a bank account and fewer than 10% borrowed from a formal financial institution in 2011, according to the 2014 Africa Survey to be released October 28^th by Good Governance Africa (GGA).

Education is the key to unlock Africa’s underdevelopment

Gambia forum divided over cause of Africa’s retardation

Physical map of Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Africa continues to grow strongly despite global slowdown

Africa’s economy rebounds strongly, but poverty remain elusive, says World Bank Africa Pulse (Photo credit: Africa Renewal)

But lessening poverty remains significantly elusive

Risk to global financial stability have increased: IMF

In its latest assessment of the global financial sector, the International Monetary Fund, IMF says the risks to global financial stability have increased and financial markets have been volatile as European policymakers grapple with the ongoing crisis. 

Faltering market confidence has led to capital flight from countries on the ‘periphery’ to the core of the euro area. 

Despite global slowdown, African economies growing strongly

Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow at 4.8 percent in 2012, broadly unchanged from the 4.9 percent growth rate in 2011 and largely on track despite setbacks in the global economy, according to the World Bank’s new Africa’s Pulse, a twice-yearly analysis of the issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects.

 

Excluding South Africa, the continent’s largest economy, growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to rise to 6 percent. African exports rebounded notably in the first quarter of 2012, growing at an annualized pace of 32 percent, up from the -11 percent pace recorded in the last quarter of 2011.

African countries have not been immune to the recent bout of market volatility stemming from the Euro Area crisis, as well as the growth slowdown that is occurring in some of the largest developing economies, in particular China, which remains an important market for Africa’s mineral exporters.