-
Press release: Largest Non-Governmental Climate Insurance Program Launches for African & Asian Smallholder Farmers
Over 690,000 families totalling up to four million people living in six low-income countries stand to benefit from a new climate insurance programme launched today by VisionFund International, World Vision’s microfinance arm and Global Parametrics, a new venture funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and by the InsuResilience Investment Fund, set up by German development bank KfW and managed by Swiss-based impact investment manager BlueOrchard Finance. Financing for the initial preparation and assessment required to implement the programme came from the Rockefeller Foundation and FMO, the Dutch development bank.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Does Rwanda need a law on social enterprises?
People running social enterprises in Rwanda are increasingly concerned that there is no law governing social enterprises in the country which could have provided tax exemptions for their companies.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Growing Success of Telkom and Equitel Could Shift Kenya Mobile Money Dominance Debate
As Kenya waits for the publication of the controversial report on market dominance by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), latest data from the Telecoms regulator shows that rivals can eat into Safaricom’s market share. The total mobile subscriptions recorded by Telkom Kenya jumped by 18.5 per cent to stand at 3.4 million from 2.8 million reported in the previous period, according to the first quarter report covering July and September 2017.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Husk Power Systems receives $20 million investment from Shell, Swedfund, ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies to scale renewable mini-grid business in Africa and Asia
Husk Power Systems a leading rural distributed utility company operating mini-grids in Asia and Africa, today announced a US $20 million equity investment* by Shell Technology Ventures LLC, Swedish development finance institution Swedfund International and ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies, ENGIE group’s impact investment fund.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Businesses in boxes: how solar is creating African entrepreneurs
Access to power is a major issue in Africa, and in solar, many people feel they have the solution.
Yet solar is doing more than switching on off-grid populations, and providing a potentially lucrative and investor friendly business opportunities to companies like M-KOPA Solar and BBOXX.- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Econet Wireless, Untu Capital partner to launch mobile money bond platform in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's Econet Wireless, touted by analysts as best placed to develop mobile money offerings alongside Safaricom, has opened a mobile money bond purchase platform in partnership with Untu Capital to raise US$1 million in support of local start-ups - specifically to address the low level of funding in this space.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
MTN and Vanu partner to bring connectivity to rural Rwandans
MTN and Vanu have announced the integration of the two networks with an aim to extend MTN’s Network in rural areas which are currently unconnected in Rwanda.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Opinion: What the debate about Safaricom dominance is really about
That Safaricom is dominant in the voice, data and mobile money markets is not really debatable. What is debatable is what the regulator plans to do about it.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa