A total of eight dynamic African young women-led businesses emerged as winners of the 2023 YouthAdapt challenge. Each business will receive grant funding of up to $100,000, as well as comprehensive mentorship and coaching as part of a 12-month accelerator program. The winning ventures focus on sectors affected by climate change: agriculture, energy efficiency, disaster risk management, water resources, and biodiversity conservation: Deborah Nzarubara (ETS Grencom), Democratic Republic of Congo: Leveraging big data, ETS Grencom provides real-time weather data, bolstering agricultural productivity and supporting pollinating bees for sustainable farming practices. Mirriam Chapi (Chapi Core Tech), Zambia: Through the EaseOn Track…
Just In B1
Jonathan Oppenheimer (South African billionaire businessman and conservationist) Jonathan Oppenheimer, son of South African billionaire Nicky Oppenheimer, has acquired full control of Nigeria’s biggest beverage can-maker, GZI, a supplier of cans to companies including Coca-Cola Co. GZI has about two-thirds market share of Nigerian drinks cans Oppenheimer Partners Ltd. bought the shares in GZ Industries Ltd. from Private Equity firm Affirma Capital (formerly known as Standard Chartered Private Equity), for a 37.5% stake, according to a recent statement from Affirma. The private equity firm had held a 37.5% stake in GZI, which it sold to Oppenheimer. GZI, engaged in competition with Nigeria’s loss-making Nampak…
(L-R): Dr. Elizabeth Shaw 9Founder, 1000 Black Voices); Winner of the Inclusive Journalist award, Cheryl Cole Recently, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (founder, 1000 Black Voices – specialists in diversity, equity & inclusion, and connecting founders to resources) led her team in hosting 1000 Black Voices Connect, an evening that brought together founders, investors and ecosystem partners in the UK for a relaxed atmosphere of roundtables, awards, a pitch competition, and an opportunity to get to know one another. Winner of the 1000 Black Voices pitch competition and the Tech Startup to Watch: Pigee Inc The Roundtables had valuable conversations around a…
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana Ghanaian President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, November 13, 2023, joined Jules Armand Aniambossou (the French Ambassador to Ghana) in launching Creation Africa Ghana, an initiative by the French government to support entrepreneurs in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in creating wealth and growing the economy. Creation Africa is part of a broader project initiated by the government of France to benefit 15 African countries including Ghana, South Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Chad, and Togo. At the launch, President…
(R): Abiola Bawuah (Executive Director/ CEO, UBA Africa) 📸UBA Group United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Africa’s global bank, has been named ‘African Champion of the Year 2023’ at the just concluded Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS), an annual event that acknowledges outstanding achievements in the financial sector. Held in Lomé (Togo), UBA was recognised by AFIS for its exceptional contribution and significant impact in shaping the financial landscape across Africa, especially in terms of innovation. Abiola Bawuah (Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer, UBA Africa) received the award on behalf of the bank, saying: “We are honoured to be recognised as…
British-Ghanaian textile artist, Enam Gbewonyo New Art Exchange is pleased to present Dellu, a showcase of textural works and performances on film from Enam Gbewonyo (winner of the NAE Open 2022 Exhibition Prize), on display between October 2023 and January 2024. : 📸 Still from ‘Dellu’ by Enam Gbewonyo Dellu (translation from Wolof: The Return) is a series of works commissioned by New Art Exchange, made in 2023, and featuring the artist’s most ambitious film work to date. These works were developed as part of her residency at Black Rock Senegal, where she spent six weeks exploring the role French colonisation played…
🎥 @puffpuffministry Puff Puff Ministry, a company run by a group of British-Nigerian sisters, has taken puff puff (a street food snack popular across the African continent) right into Google! Founded by a group of sisters, the company was invited to teach a Puff Puff Masterclass at Google headquarters in London. The legendary puff puss is a ‘small chops’ platter (similar to a doughnut), and a huge party favourite in the life of any Nigerian gathering or celebration. According to the Founders: “Most of our childhood was spent running from our living room to mum’s bakery at the back of…
Julie Mehretu’s Untitled (2001) sold for $9.32m (with fees) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong contemporary evening 📸 Sotheby’s Last month, Ethiopian-born Julie Mehretu set a new auction record for an African-born artist. At the Sotheby’s Hong Kong contemporary evening on 5 October, 2023, her untitled 2001 diptych sold for $9.32m (with fees). Mehretu’s current record-breaking work previously sold for $2.89m at Christie’s New York in 2015, and so has seen a 227% increase. Julie Mehretu in her Chelsea (New York) studio. 📸 JOSEFINA SANTOS Ms. Mehretu’s result has far surpassed a record previously held by South African artist Marlene Dumas whose 1995 work, The…
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (R) with Jehiel Oliver (Founder & CEO, Hello Tractor) 📸Hello Tractor Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands last month visited Kenya as the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s special advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA) In a bid to bolster climate-smart agriculture as a basis for food security, her message was strong – through climate-smart agriculture, farmers would be able to weather through the shocks of climate change, drought, and floods and get better yields. During her visit, the Dutch regent made a symbolic pit stop at Hello Tractor, where she explored the…
(R-L): Mevis Aiyeju (co-Founder, M. E. Solutions); Nkemdilim Begho (Founder, Future Software Resources); Elele Ogunsanya This photo of Mevis Aiyeju (co-founder & Managing Director of M.E. Solutions Limited) was taken at the recent German-Nigerian Business Conference, in honour of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Olaf Scholz. Dr. Scholz’s diplomatic trip to Nigeria was part of Germany’s effort at strengthening economic relations with countries linked to the reform of Berlin’s ‘Compact with Africa’ initiative – this, ahead of the November 20 meeting of African and G20 countries in Berlin. Mevis does some interesting and important Agricultural Technology…