Opal Miners Dig Their Way to Prosperity

Ethiopia's opal industry currently generates around 25 million USD a year.   The Ethiopian highlands are often called "the roof of Africa". It's a rugged, breathtakingly beautiful landscape and a discovery in recent years has got precious gem experts around the world excited: opals.   The government has supplied the miners with basic tools and says it wants to improve health and safety standards. Miners who have formed cooperatives told Al Jazeera they have.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 4th September 2015

Kenya: GenKey supplies Healthcare Solution to Kenya NHIF

 GenKey, a leading provider of end-to-end solutions for securing identity in Elections and Healthcare,announces that it will supply its Healthcare Solution to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF)of Kenya. The solution consists of an electronic healthcare information management system,including a biometric smart card solution for member registration, biometric deduplication, identification and verification; a healthcare management system for generating electronic claims.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Kenyas smallholder farmers to get IFAD funding

Kenya and the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed an agreement to finance smallholder farmers in Kenya. The funding of US$71.8mn will go towards the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme - Climate-Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods Window which will benefit ten thousand smallholder farmers, including women-headed households and young people whose livelihoods depend on maize, sorghum, millet and associated pulses living in eight eastern and.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

First ever flower maps for beekeeping in Africa

 The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) has produced the world’s first ever flower maps in Africa   Researchers at the Kenya-based institute have developed a new remote-sensing method, allowing ICIPE to produce a map of flowering plants across Africa which can be used by beekeepers to identify flowers suitable for bees. In a paper recently published in the Remote Sensing of Environment Journal, researchers were able to show spatial.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

US$19mn in agribusiness financing for East Africa

 The US has launched a US$19mn, five-year agribusiness financing plan targeting Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania The project will provide financing to small and medium-sized agribusinesses and training for businesses that work along the agricultural value chain in the three nations. “Adding value to farm produce and increasing regional trade in agriculture has the potential to transform the economy in these countries. The program seeks to build stronger linkages between.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

MTN Rwanda looks to corporate, SME market segments

MTN Rwanda is looking to provide new digital solutions, like data backup and infrastructure support services, to corporate and small-and-medium enterprises market segments, a move that could ease business operations and boost profitability of the firms, writes Ben Gasore. “We not only want to be seen as a provider of connectivity, but also to look for other ways we can serve customers better and ease their processes,” Gunter Engling, MTN Rwanda new chief executive.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Uganda: Govt Tightens Rules On Expatriates in Oil Sector

 In a move meant to boost the participation of more Ugandans in the oil and gas sector, government has set stringent rules on hiring expatriates.   Dozith Abeinomugisha, an assistant commissioner in the petroleum directorate in the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, says the rules are meant to regulate expatriates in the sector. Abeinomugisha was on Wednesday presenting a paper on the progress of oil and gas sector to The Observer staff. The African Centre for.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Uber and Kia combine for driver deals in Lagos

E-hailing taxi company Uber is reportedly negotiating cheaper deals for new vehicles with Kia to boost its number of drivers fivefold in the Nigerian city of Lagos.   Bloomberg reported that Uber is hoping the low-cost deals will help boost its driver tally in Lagos – Africa's most populous city – to 3,000 by the end of next year.   The report says that Uber has signed agreements with Kia and Lagos-based Access Bank Plc to reduce the down payment required for.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Rwanda: Ngoma Residents Urged On Agro-Based Cooperatives

The Government is committed to transform the co-operative sector across the country to achieve sustainable development, officials have said.   While addressing residents of Ngoma District at the closure of a seven-day trade show in the area, on Monday, government officials highlighted the importance of co-operatives to achieving the country's vision for 2020.   The annual trade fair attracted farmers and business persons from all districts of Eastern Province, the East.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Arda to Resuscitate Tomato Plant

The Agriculture Rural Development Authority has secured $2 million to resuscitate its tomato processing plant in Norton that has been lying idle for the past five years. arda board chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza told The Herald yesterday that they had partnered Schweppes Limited to resuscitate the plant which is known as the arda Zagrinda.   He said refurbishment of the plant would start this month after which production would follow early December. This followed a visit to the.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Savanna Tobacco Gears for Expansion

Cigarette manufacturer Savanna Tobacco is gearing to expand its footprint on the African continent and has made key changes to its structures in pursuit of that objective, the company said yesterday. The Savanna group, chaired by Adam Molai, announced appointment of two key executives namely Mr Nick Hales as its global chief executive officer and Mr Douglas Mamvura as chief marketing officer.   Announcing the appointments, the cigarette manufacturer said; "As part of the.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015

Ethiopia: Promising Stride in Harvesting, Exporting Avocado

A workshop for framers from Bahir Dar and Butajira surrounding areas was organized at Bicolo Fruit Nursery, West Gojjam in order to train them on how to harvest, pick and prepare, handle avocado. Speaking on the workshop, the Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia Belaynesh Zevadia said that the project has been implemented by Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) and USAID in cooperation with the Ethiopian Government.   Avocado, due to its mono and.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 3rd September 2015