Foreign investment has flowed into African debt markets, with outstanding Eurobond debt of 20 African countries exceeding US$110 billion as of March 2021.

Most Eurobonds are dollar‑denominated; some euro issues come from Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.

Egypt and Ghana are candidates for the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, which could raise foreign participation.

The COVID crisis widened bond spreads in March, and IMF and World Bank support helped stabilize markets.

The G20 Common Framework for debt treatment was unveiled in November 2020; only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied to date.

The IMF approved a Special Drawing Rights allocation that could increase reserves by US$650 billion.

Investment has shifted strongly into technology and digital sectors; Africa's internet economy is forecast to reach 5.1% of GDP (about US$185 billion) by 2025.

Venture capital into African startups was US$1.31 billion in 2021, led largely by fintech.

Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt are major tech hubs and together host over 30% of the continent's technology hubs.

Innovation hubs partner with multinationals: CcHUB works with Amazon, Google for Startups and Visa; MEST has partnered with Societe Generale; Startupbootcamp lists Amazon, Nedbank and PwC among partners.

China is a dominant external actor: China–Africa trade reached US$282 billion in 2022 and Chinese firms in Africa rose to about 3,500.

Education and institutional partnerships are expanding via programs like the China‑Africa 20+20 university cooperation, the China‑Africa University Alliance, and links such as Nanjing Agricultural University with Egerton University.

North Africa attracts investment in services including logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and tourism.

Foreign investment has flowed into African debt markets, with outstanding Eurobond debt of 20 African countries exceeding US$110 billion as of March 2021.

Title:

Content: African bond markets are an attractive way for global investors to participate in Africa ’ s economic transformation.
The relatively high growth rate is supported by favorable demographic trends, rapid urbanization, technological breakthroughs, abundant natural resources, and deepening financial markets.
Second, the ultra-low interest rate environment that has continued over the past decade has accelerated the long-term pursuit of yield and portfolio diversification by global investors, in part because of ample liquidity provided by central banks; these conditions have created a favorable environment for low- and middle-income countries to borrow foreign currencies from international financial markets and promote market consolidation.
Eurobond makes it easier for investors to expand their investment footprint to Africa without incurring additional currency risk or administrative costs.
There is considerable diversity in the African European bond market.
As of March 2021, the outstanding major debt of 20 African countries in European bonds exceeded US $110 billion.
Most European bonds are denominated in US dollars, but there are also some denominated in euros, especially from countries with close ties to the Eurozone, such as Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.
Both Egypt and Ghana are candidates for the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, so this should be a boost to increased foreign participation in the future.
Due to the lack of development in African countries, governments need foreign sources of financing to reduce infrastructure gaps and realize their full growth potential.
We believe that European bonds can be one of the sources of funding if they are part of a sustainable and responsible public financial management programme.
European debt remains an important tool for investors to reach Africa.
The coronavirus crisis has worsened balance sheet and affordability weaknesses in many countries, including border markets. Spreads on European bonds issued by African governments surged in March, helped by a slide in investment risk appetite and a lack of liquidity.
But immediate policy responses from mature and emerging countries, as well as unprecedented support from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, have helped stabilize markets.
While debt restructuring processes are often opaque, China, as one of the continent ’ s most important lenders, is critical to addressing liquidity pressures. In November 2020, the G20 unveiled its “Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond DSSI (the World Bank ’ s Debt Relief Initiative) ” to coordinate debt treatment among creditors in low-income countries.
Overall, this set of policies represents a suspension or maturity extension of debt repayment, not a cancellation of debt.
To date, only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied for the scheme, and progress to date has been limited.
The framework calls for private sector participation, but it is unclear how it will work.
We believe that it is best to involve the private sector on a case-by-case basis in order to find the best outcome from the perspective of issuers and creditors.
The latest potential form of policy is the new SDR, which could be used to increase countries ’ international reserves by $650 billion.
The IMF Board approved the funds in August this year. Special Drawing Rights are not subject to any specific conditions, and countries can decide how to use them.
As mature countries continue to discuss the redistribution of special drawing rights in the form of donations, more room for survival is in the pipeline.
Overall, African bond markets remain an attractive investment opportunity for active emerging market investors in the medium to long term.
(Times Information)
# African Bonds # European Bonds

Most Eurobonds are dollar‑denominated; some euro issues come from Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.

Egypt and Ghana are candidates for the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, which could raise foreign participation.

The COVID crisis widened bond spreads in March, and IMF and World Bank support helped stabilize markets.

The G20 Common Framework for debt treatment was unveiled in November 2020; only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied to date.

The IMF approved a Special Drawing Rights allocation that could increase reserves by US$650 billion.

Investment has shifted strongly into technology and digital sectors; Africa's internet economy is forecast to reach 5.1% of GDP (about US$185 billion) by 2025.

Title:

Content: Is Africa a good place to start a business?

Africa is experiencing a technology boom: the rapid penetration of Internet and mobile technologies make this region more and more interesting for IT entrepreneurs, despite the specificity and heterogeneity of the market.

IT in Africa

The African continent is a large market, as well as a source of direct access to a large audience with smartphones and a wide range of resources. The region is rich in coal, oil, ferrous metal ores, graphite, aluminum, and phosphate and consists of 54 countries, extremely diverse in terms of population, digitalization, economy, and purchasing power. Since January 2021, the continent has had a free trade zone between the countries of the African Union.

The market entry threshold is low, there is no fierce competition, and the potential for growth and demand for technology projects is enormous: the region has many problems that can be solved through innovation.

The continent has a crazy rate of Internet development and a native love of smartphones. You can buy bananas on the street and pay with your mobile account.

Students are often interested in starting their businesses. More often than not, students choose completely new locations and new startup ideas. We recommend that you consider Africa for your business because in a few years it will bring you success. But first, we recommend visiting Africa as a tourist to get a feel for the atmosphere. If you got carried away with preparing for a trip to Africa and forgot to write a research paper on time do not panic. After all, it’s no trouble, because a student service will always come to your aid. So if you’re wondering if you can pay someone to write my paper, always go to the WritingAPaper service. Its experts will help with any academic paper, and you will have time for exciting trips.

By 2025, experts predict Africa’s Internet economy should reach 5.1% of GDP – about $185 billion. FinTech, AgroTech, eCommerce, InsureTech, HealthTech, and CleanTech are considered the most in-demand areas.

According to research firm Briter Bridges, venture capital investment in African startups totaled $1.31 billion in 2021, most of which came from fintech projects. Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt are considered to be the drivers of the region’s venture capital ecosystem: projects from these countries have received the most investment over the past few years compared with their neighbors on the continent. More than 30% of the continent’s technology hubs are concentrated here.

“The GDP of the entire region is $6.8 trillion. If Africa were a single country, it would be fourth in the world after China, the U.S., and India. Undoubtedly, the economic power of the region is still small, but in the next 30-50 years, it is predicted a stable growth in the range of 6-12% per year, and this process will be accompanied by the creation of new industries and businesses.

GDP per capita in terms of purchasing power parity in Africa is $5.2 thousand, for comparison, in the Russian Federation – $29.4 thousand, in the USA – $68.3 thousand, in Europe – about $41 thousand. However, in the top 20 fast-growing economies of the world, six lines are African countries: Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Cote d’Ivoire. The main technological hubs on the continent are concentrated in South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt.

The level of development of the IT market in Africa is 5-10 years behind other countries. Until now, only 28% of the continent’s population has access to the Internet, but in the last few years, the situation is gradually changing. Now the digital industry in Africa is actively developing, and the international market is noticing this trend.

African Accelerators & Incubators

There are more than 600 technology centers in Africa, among them incubators, gas pedals, and co-working spaces for companies. One of the most famous technology centers is the CcHUB. It is located in Yaba, Nigeria’s Silicon Valley. CcHUB boasts a rich network of 650 startups across Africa.

CcHUB partners with Amazon, and Google for Startups, Visa, and other international companies. The incubator focuses on projects in health, smart transportation infrastructure, fintech, education, and cybersecurity.

Another major center actively developing a technology and innovation startup environment is the MEST incubator in Ghana. Assistance from the Meltwater Foundation allows MEST to target startups from all over Africa at the earliest stages of development, train entrepreneurs for free, and help with product prototyping and hypothesis testing.

MEST is an educational program for IT entrepreneurs, an internal seed fund, and a network of incubators for technology startups in Africa. The hubs are located in Accra, Lagos, Cape Town, and Nairobi. The organization has been active since 2008, actively supporting programmers and engineers. One of the programs lasts a year, is designed for 60 start-ups, and is completely free. MEST has many famous partners, such as the acceleration program for fintech startups supported by the French bank Societe Generale.

In Ethiopia today, three private business incubators are systematically working with technology startups: BlueMoon, iceAddis, and iCog/Solve. The first has more AgriTech, the second has eCommerce startups, and the third has programming, including AI projects.

The iCog/Solve gas pedal hosts Ethiopia Hacks, a series of 12 hackathons in which 600 people have already participated. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, with Google Developers Group (GDG) and the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) as partners.

Here, with the support of Kenya’s Ministries of Health and Transport, the famous MSafari service was created to monitor the passenger flow of public transport.

The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) is the oldest technology business incubator on the continent. Located in Cape Town and founded in 1999, it focuses on the development of IT projects. During its existence, it has helped three thousand entrepreneurs to create more than two thousand companies and continues to be actively involved in the Cape Town technology community.

iHub – each year the gas pedal supports 450 startups. The gas pedal has a wide range of programs for business startups. One of them is aimed at the development of IT projects run by women.

Startupbootcamp Afritech – runs several accelerator programs, including ASIP Accelerator Program and iNovo. Project recruitment happens all the time, and there is a virtual and offline passing format. The program is supported by Amazon, Nedbank, PwC, and other large companies. Participants have a chance to receive an investment of 15 thousand euros.

The most specialized technoparks are presented in South Africa – Technopark Stellenbosch, Highveld Techno Park, and The Innovation Hub. Notable technoparks exist in Senegal (Dakar Technopolis), Rwanda (Kigali ICT Park), Madagascar, and Zimbabwe at NUST University.

Africa, with a population of 1.35 billion, could overtake China and India in the next decade. McKinsey estimates that by 2025, the region will have 360 million smartphones and 240 million computers and laptops, and digitalization will increase GDP by $140-320 billion. Not surprisingly, such a large – and still technologically untapped – market is beginning to play an increasingly prominent role in the economic arena.

Thanks to the serious penetration of smartphones and the large percentage of the young population, the African market is becoming a convenient environment for launching and developing technological projects. A large number of fragmented states at different stages of economic development makes it difficult to create a unified startup industry in the region but does not prevent the effective functioning of individual technology hubs with which large international companies are willing to cooperate.

Localization of foreign projects in Africa is complicated by a large language group, corruption, and the specific mentality of the population, but the potential growth opportunities and lack of serious competition more than offset the possible risks.

We are committed to Africa

Unlike many global publications, for nearly a decade we have been committed to showing a complete picture of Africa – not just a single story.  Offended by one-sided coverage of wars, disasters and disease, the founders of Africa.com created a website that provides a balanced view of Africa – current events, business, arts & culture, travel, fashion, sports, information, development, and more.

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What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

Venture capital into African startups was US$1.31 billion in 2021, led largely by fintech.

Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt are major tech hubs and together host over 30% of the continent's technology hubs.

Innovation hubs partner with multinationals: CcHUB works with Amazon, Google for Startups and Visa; MEST has partnered with Societe Generale; Startupbootcamp lists Amazon, Nedbank and PwC among partners.

China is a dominant external actor: China–Africa trade reached US$282 billion in 2022 and Chinese firms in Africa rose to about 3,500.

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Content: Countdown to the day of issuance
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As competition in the workplace intensifies, young Chinese are moving into Africa to pay for gold, escape and rebel.
Photo Credit: Getty Images / BBC News
What we want you to know is
In the past, in addition to French majors, working in Africa was basically not a consideration for Chinese fresh graduates. Language barriers, safety issues, cultural differences and other factors deterred them.
But slowly, with increasing competition in the workplace, Africa has entered the vision of more and more young Chinese.
Chen Zhuo, 20, was born into a rural family in central China with a younger brother.
In order to reduce the burden on his family, he chose to work immediately after graduation, instead of continuing his studies.
He began looking for a job when he was recruited on the campus in the autumn of 2022, and over 1,000 resumes were sent to domestic enterprises in the past six months, but he did not realize a suitable job when he graduated.
Despite his family ’ s concerns, after weighing up, he eventually accepted a job as far away as Africa.
In the face of China's economic downturn and high youth unemployment, there is fierce competition in the workplace, especially for young people like Chen Zhuo who graduated from ordinary colleges and universities.
He studied international trade at an ordinary university in Chongqing, and by the time he graduated, only a dozen of the more than 50 students in his class had landed their jobs.
With the increasing frequency of China-Africa economic and trade exchanges, a large number of Chinese enterprises have entered many African countries, and more and more young people who have graduated from universities have turned their eyes to Africa and tried to find a way out there.
In June, Mr. Chen arrived in the western African country of Ghana with trepidation, but later found out that it wasn ’ t as bad as he thought.
“Before I came to Africa, I was worried about eating badly, getting sick often, and having a lot of mosquitoes, but then I realized that these things didn ’ t exist, ” Chen told the BBC.
In the past, in addition to French majors, working in Africa was basically not a consideration for Chinese fresh graduates. Language barriers, safety issues, cultural differences and other factors deterred them.
But slowly, with increasing competition in the workplace, Africa has entered the vision of more and more young Chinese. Some people value the opportunities brought by China ’ s growing investment in Africa, and the local thriving Chinese community, thinking about the future of entrepreneurship; and some young people want to experience multi-culture and improve their foreign language skills in Africa.
Growing interest and demand
There are no reliable statistics on the number and geographical distribution of young Chinese working in Africa.
But on Chinese social media, interest in sending jobs to Africa is growing.
On Weibo, the topic “Will you consider sending to Africa with an annual salary of 200,000? ” soared to the top of the hot search list at the end of July this year, with a reading of 200 million articles and nearly 300,000 people participating in the interaction.
On the social platforms where young people gather, Little Red Book and BiLi BiLi, some of the writers filmed work experiences in Africa that attracted millions of people. In the comments section, many people asked how to go to Africa, how to choose a company, whether it is safe there, and so on.
“More and more young Chinese are working in Africa, not only in large state-owned enterprises, but also in smaller groups and even individuals looking for entrepreneurial opportunities in Africa, ” said Maria Repnikova, an associate professor of international communication at Georgia State University in the United States.
She studied Chinese in the African context.
“This demand comes in large part from large projects in China, especially in the infrastructure and technology sectors. ”
“This trend is not balanced development, but depends on the security and economic conditions of specific African countries, ” Professor Repnikova noted.
Based on her research experience in Ethiopia in northeastern Africa, the Chinese community there has shrunk over the past four years due to the COVID-19 (Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia, COVID-19, Wuhan Pneumonia) pandemic and war.
Interestingly, some Chinese did not choose to return home after leaving, but moved to other countries in Africa.
China has been Africa ’ s largest trading partner for the past decade.
According to official statistics, China-Africa trade reached US $282 billion in 2022, an increase of about 11% year-on-year; at the same time, the number of Chinese enterprises in Africa has almost doubled to about 3,500.
After arriving in Accra, the capital of Ghana, Chen said, it was a constant surprise.
In a downtown shopping mall, there are quite a lot of Chinese retail brands in the vicinity, and there are also Chinese-owned hot pot shops, KTV, milk tea shops, hotels and so on.
He even ate northern Chinese pork with green onion buns and Henan snacks with horseradish soup.
“If I hadn ’ t seen the black-skinned locals, I would have thought I was in China, ” he says.
In the past, Chinese companies in Africa mostly recruited contract workers in the form of labor exports and tended to hire experienced people for management positions, but now some Chinese companies in Africa seem to be starting to favor young people with technical and managerial potential.
A recent graduate, Chen is already a sales manager for a Chinese-owned heavy construction equipment company in Ghana.
High salary attraction
Many young Chinese say that one of the main reasons for attracting them to work in Africa is the high salaries.
First of all, most young people have a small studio of their own. The company will provide meals suitable for Chinese tastes, and pay for round-trip air tickets, visa fees and so on.
Second, in addition to the basic salary, many companies will also pay employees high distribution subsidies and hardship subsidies, as well as bonuses, commissions and so on.
At Chen Zhuo ’ s company, as a freshman at his university, all expenses add up to earn at least 200,000 RMB a year.
The general assignment contract is signed every year or three years, then three years down, deduct the expenditure, "at least can save 500,000".
Chen Zhuo comes from a rural family, and this level of wages has greatly reduced the burden on the family.
He took out his first month's wages and bought a necklace for his mother to send back to his hometown, bringing much comfort to her mother who was afraid.
By contrast, with his qualifications as a freshman at an ordinary university, he earns at most about NT $10,000 a month from working in a big city, and almost nothing is left after deducting expenses such as rent and transportation.
However, there is endless solitude behind the high salary.
Even though there are many entertainment venues open by Chinese people, the comfort and technical content cannot match the domestic level.
In the past few months, Chen Zhuo has not yet figured out how to use his spare time to fight loneliness.
Occasionally, when he is criticized by his boss at work, he will write a diary at night to express his inner loneliness.
But beyond that, he is generally satisfied with his life and work here.
For him, a good income is more important, after the end of the contract period, he will still consider staying to continue working.
“Young after all, ” he said.
Joshua Eisenman, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, said it was “surprising ” that China, which for years had hoped for an economic rise to attract overseas youth back to China, was willing to work so far away, or that it had to go so far to find opportunities.

Education and institutional partnerships are expanding via programs like the China‑Africa 20+20 university cooperation, the China‑Africa University Alliance, and links such as Nanjing Agricultural University with Egerton University.

Title:

Content: People 's Network > > Education
Enhancing the Connectedness of the People: An Effective Way to Deepen Cooperation between Chinese and African Universities
October 31, 2023 08: 33 | Source: Guangming Daily
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Original title: Enhancing people-to-people communication: an effective way to deepen cooperation between Chinese and African universities
The recently held third "Belt and Road" international cooperation summit forum people-to-people thematic forum released the "Silk Road" common initiative, and stressed that further exchanges and cooperation in education and other fields will be carried out to enhance people-to-people communication.
The Belt and Road Initiative is one of the main contents of the Belt and Road Initiative and an important guarantee for the smooth implementation of the Initiative. After the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013, the Chinese government set up a special scholarship for the Silk Road, which opened a new era of Belt and Road higher education exchanges.
Africa is an important part of the Belt and Road international cooperation. Fifty-two of the 54 African countries have signed the Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. China ’ s education cooperation with Africa began in 1956, and large-scale university cooperation began in 2009 with the “China-Africa Cooperation Forum – Sharm el-Sheikh Action Plan ”.
In the plan, China "proposes the implementation of the '20 + 20 Cooperation Plan for Chinese and African Universities', selecting 20 Chinese universities (or vocational education colleges) and 20 African universities (or vocational education colleges) to establish a new model of 'one-to-one' inter-university cooperation."
This plan was further emphasized in the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Plan of Action and the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Plan of Action. In July 2023, the Chinese Society of Higher Education and the Association of African Universities (AAU) jointly established the China-Africa University Alliance Exchange Mechanism, and its secretariat and research institute were also established in Beijing Foreign Studies University and Zhejiang Normal University respectively.
Based on interviews with most of the participating institutions and Confucius Institutes in Africa in the “20 + 20 Cooperation Program between Chinese and African Universities ” and the sorting of relevant documents, this paper puts forward some suggestions for further deepening cooperation between Chinese and African universities from the perspective of ensuring project effectiveness and sustainable development.
The program needs to be aligned with the university ’ s own development mission.
University cooperation is a bilateral international activity, and cooperation with non-universities cannot be regarded as a unilateral aid, but needs to be considered in the light of the unique attributes of the university itself and the mission of the university itself.
From the perspective of the existing project implementation, the significance of the implementation effect is closely related to the position of discipline in the discipline system of the university.
If the content of cooperation happens to be a key subject of the university, then cooperation will be highly valued and implemented more smoothly.
For example, the cooperation between Nanjing Agricultural University and Egerton University in Kenya has not only promoted the development of the two sides, but also strengthened the social impact of Egerton University, which enjoys a high reputation in the agricultural field in East Africa.
If the university itself already has a teaching and research strategy for Africa, it will also help the development of the China-Africa university partnership.
For example, Zhejiang Normal University has set up an African Studies Center since 2003, and its comparative education discipline also focuses on African education research, which plays an important role in the overall development of the school.
For example, the Middle East Institute of Peking University has long established the Arabic Department, and has a long history of cooperation with Cairo University, and many teachers and students have gone to Cairo University to study, which has played a positive role in its growth and development.
Setting up collaborative projects that can “grow in African soil ”
“Studying Africa and understanding Africa ” is the key to the success of China-Africa university cooperation.
On the one hand, it is necessary to understand the development stage and development needs of different countries on the continent at a macro level, so that cooperation projects can be adapted to the country's development strategy.
Africa is a diverse continent, encompassing different economic, social and political patterns, and therefore has different development needs and priorities.
Some countries already have relatively developed economies and high levels of per capita income, such as Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius.
Other countries are becoming centres of information technology and innovation, such as the S & T ecosystem in Kenya, e-government in Rwanda and the S & T Innovation Centre in Egypt, but others face serious challenges in poverty reduction, food crisis, disease treatment and peace maintenance.
On the other hand, there is a need for an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of higher education and the development needs of different African countries in order to embed cooperation projects in their development plans and become priorities.
Higher education on the African continent shows diversity and diversity, and its stages of development are also very different.
Some countries have world-renowned universities or disciplines, such as archaeology at Cairo University in Egypt, medicine, engineering, computer science at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, economics and law at the University of Ghana, and medicine and engineering at the University of Nairobi.
Many universities are actively developing and implementing development plans to meet the development needs of the country and society, such as Cape Coast University in Ghana, Lagos University in Nigeria and Dar es Salaam University in Tanzania.
Countries in conflict and turmoil, such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Somalia, South Sudan and Libya, have struggled to develop higher education.
As a result, in the Union of Central African Universities, some universities have remained largely in aid relations, others in cooperation that can benefit from each other, and some disciplines are learning from Africa.
In short, only on the basis of understanding Africa and African higher education, can scientific cooperation projects be set up to "grow in the soil of Africa".
Strengthening cooperation in agriculture, forestry, water, medicine and humanities and social sciences
African countries, confined to their own stage of development, have given priority to agricultural modernization and industrialization.
In terms of cooperation in higher education, Confucius Institutes, the "20 + 20 Cooperation Plan for China-Africa Universities", the Luban Workshop, and the "Future Africa-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan" have contributed to the cultivation of talents for improving people's livelihood and modernizing governance in Africa.
The main areas that have taken root and achieved remarkable results are agriculture, forestry, water science and engineering, medicine, language and teacher education.
Future cooperation should encourage more agricultural and forestry universities, high-level comprehensive universities with water science and engineering, normal universities, and higher vocational colleges to participate in the current scale of cooperation.
In the field of medicine, the Chinese government has made remarkable contributions in providing medical supplies, building medical facilities, providing vaccine assistance, and sending medical experts and medical teams to Africa to provide medical services and technical training.
Cooperation between universities in the future can explore new ways, such as establishing medical education centers in Africa, or making full use of modern distance learning resources and artificial intelligence to create new types of joint medical education programs. Livestock is also an important industry in Africa, while animal medicine is a discipline lacking in Africa, and relevant fields can be incorporated into university cooperation.
He said that Sino-African cooperation in the fields of humanities and social sciences has a long history and has made great contributions to the people-to-people
From the successful experience of existing projects, language education, teacher education and modern governance are still key areas of cooperation.
In addition, Chinese universities can jointly set up research centers on local history, languages, cultural heritage and social dynamics in African universities on the basis of full research, thus jumping out of the one-way aid mindset and training Chinese talents who understand Africa and understand Africa.
Optimize project operation mechanism
A good working mechanism is the key to the success of the project.
Operational mechanisms include project rules and procedures, resource allocation and management, communication and collaboration, feedback and adjustment, monitoring and evaluation.
Only when both parties participate in the development and implementation of the operational mechanism can the project be successful.
The Confucius Institute has become a successful model of cooperation between Chinese and foreign universities after 20 years of development.
However, there are also some cooperation projects that need more financial and resource support from Chinese and African universities, so as to enhance the importance of cooperation, participation and support of the management and staff of the two sides.
Another important factor affecting the success of the cooperation is the cultural and linguistic background, and in the course of the cooperation, both sides have had difficulties in continuing the project due to poor communication.
Therefore, the establishment of clear and efficient communication and cooperation mechanisms is the key to the success of cooperation.
At the same time, it should also be noted that barriers to communication and difficulties of understanding caused by different cultural and linguistic backgrounds require both sides to actively strengthen cultural exchanges and promote mutual understanding and adaptation.
In addition, supervision and feedback are the key to project optimization and entering the virtuous circle, which is a relatively weak link in the mechanism construction.
In the future, in the process of policy entering a new cycle, the actual participants, stakeholders, researchers, etc. of the project should participate in policy formulation, actively listen to the existing problems and suggestions for improvement, so that the project setting is more in line with the logic of scientific development, which is the key to the project not being a formality.
(Author: Tian Xiaohong, Associate Research Fellow, School of Education, Zhejiang Normal University)
(Editor: Li Fang, Hao Mengjia)
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North Africa attracts investment in services including logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and tourism.

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Content: Report of the American Chambers: Investment interest in the services sector in North Africa
Tuesday ، 28 February 2023 01: 00 AM
American Chamber
Books by Abdul Halim Salem
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The report of the Council of American Chambers of Commerce in North Africa and the Middle East revealed that the hallmark of the group of North African countries, the abundant workforce, supported by a large number of young people, and the range of jobs requiring high and low skills, pointing out that the service sector in North Africa is diverse and promising, attracting the attention of international and regional investors in sectors such as logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and most importantly, tourism.
As a result, national governments across North Africa aim to increase their exports regionally and internationally.
The report added that the Middle East and North Africa region has significant natural petroleum resources, which have attracted global capital in oil-related industries, revealing that since November 2022, the region ’ s average oil production has reached about 34.1 million barrels per day, dominated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
After decades of focusing on oil products, many Gulf countries are now adopting new export diversification strategies, led by high-tech components, and attracting new investments for unconventional sector projects.
He noted that the Levant countries are a regional home for authentic folklore arts and crafts, and professional talent.
Despite the ongoing political instability in this area, these countries are also involved in agriculture and across different regions.
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Which sectors received the most foreign investment?


African bond markets, particularly Eurobonds, have become an important channel for foreign investors, with outstanding major Eurobond debt of 20 African countries exceeding US$110 billion as of March 2021.

Most African Eurobonds are denominated in US dollars, while some issuances from Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia are denominated in euros.

Egypt and Ghana are candidates for inclusion in the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, which is expected to boost foreign participation in their sovereign bond markets.

The COVID‑19 crisis caused spreads on African Eurobonds to surge in March, and subsequent policy responses and support from institutions such as the IMF and World Bank helped stabilize markets.

The G20 unveiled the Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the DSSI in November 2020, and to date only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied to the scheme.

The IMF approved a Special Drawing Rights allocation of about US$650 billion in August (in the referenced document), which could be used to raise countries' international reserves.

Venture capital investment in African startups totaled US$1.31 billion in 2021, with fintech projects receiving most of that investment.

By 2025 Africa’s internet economy is projected to reach about 5.1% of GDP, equivalent to roughly US$185 billion.

McKinsey projects that by 2025 Africa will have about 360 million smartphones and 240 million computers and laptops, and that digitalization could raise GDP by US$140–320 billion.

Key technology and startup hubs driving foreign and venture investment are concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, which together account for more than 30% of the continent’s tech hubs.

There are over 600 technology centers, incubators and accelerators across Africa, with notable examples such as CcHUB in Nigeria and MEST in Ghana partnering with global firms like Amazon, Google for Startups, Visa and Societe Generale.

China has been Africa’s largest trading partner in the past decade, with China–Africa trade reaching US$282 billion in 2022, about an 11% year‑on‑year increase.

The number of Chinese enterprises operating in Africa almost doubled to roughly 3,500, supporting large-scale infrastructure and technology projects on the continent.

In North Africa the services sector is attracting foreign investment in areas such as logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and tourism.

Regional oil production was reported at about 34.1 million barrels per day since November 2022, underpinning investment in oil‑related industries in the region.

Russia has engaged in Africa through trade and financial measures, with reported debt write‑offs of more than US$20 billion and a trade turnover of almost US$18 billion in 2022.

Russia supports African education cooperation, funding about 4,000 African students and with an estimated 35,000 African students studying in Russia overall.

China–Africa higher education cooperation has expanded, with 52 of 54 African countries signing Belt and Road cooperation documents and a '20+20' plan linking 20 Chinese and 20 African universities.

A China–Africa University Alliance exchange mechanism was established in July 2023 with a secretariat and a research institute based in Beijing and Zhejiang respectively.

University partnerships have emphasized agriculture, water science and engineering, medicine, teacher education and humanities and social sciences to match African development priorities.

Overall, recent foreign investment trends in Africa show growing capital flows via bond markets and Eurobonds, rising venture capital and technology investment concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, large-scale Chinese and Russian trade and project involvement, and expanding education and service‑sector partnerships across the continent.

African bond markets, particularly Eurobonds, have become an important channel for foreign investors, with outstanding major Eurobond debt of 20 African countries exceeding US$110 billion as of March 2021.

Title:

Content: African bond markets are an attractive way for global investors to participate in Africa ’ s economic transformation.
The relatively high growth rate is supported by favorable demographic trends, rapid urbanization, technological breakthroughs, abundant natural resources, and deepening financial markets.
Second, the ultra-low interest rate environment that has continued over the past decade has accelerated the long-term pursuit of yield and portfolio diversification by global investors, in part because of ample liquidity provided by central banks; these conditions have created a favorable environment for low- and middle-income countries to borrow foreign currencies from international financial markets and promote market consolidation.
Eurobond makes it easier for investors to expand their investment footprint to Africa without incurring additional currency risk or administrative costs.
There is considerable diversity in the African European bond market.
As of March 2021, the outstanding major debt of 20 African countries in European bonds exceeded US $110 billion.
Most European bonds are denominated in US dollars, but there are also some denominated in euros, especially from countries with close ties to the Eurozone, such as Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.
Both Egypt and Ghana are candidates for the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, so this should be a boost to increased foreign participation in the future.
Due to the lack of development in African countries, governments need foreign sources of financing to reduce infrastructure gaps and realize their full growth potential.
We believe that European bonds can be one of the sources of funding if they are part of a sustainable and responsible public financial management programme.
European debt remains an important tool for investors to reach Africa.
The coronavirus crisis has worsened balance sheet and affordability weaknesses in many countries, including border markets. Spreads on European bonds issued by African governments surged in March, helped by a slide in investment risk appetite and a lack of liquidity.
But immediate policy responses from mature and emerging countries, as well as unprecedented support from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, have helped stabilize markets.
While debt restructuring processes are often opaque, China, as one of the continent ’ s most important lenders, is critical to addressing liquidity pressures. In November 2020, the G20 unveiled its “Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond DSSI (the World Bank ’ s Debt Relief Initiative) ” to coordinate debt treatment among creditors in low-income countries.
Overall, this set of policies represents a suspension or maturity extension of debt repayment, not a cancellation of debt.
To date, only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied for the scheme, and progress to date has been limited.
The framework calls for private sector participation, but it is unclear how it will work.
We believe that it is best to involve the private sector on a case-by-case basis in order to find the best outcome from the perspective of issuers and creditors.
The latest potential form of policy is the new SDR, which could be used to increase countries ’ international reserves by $650 billion.
The IMF Board approved the funds in August this year. Special Drawing Rights are not subject to any specific conditions, and countries can decide how to use them.
As mature countries continue to discuss the redistribution of special drawing rights in the form of donations, more room for survival is in the pipeline.
Overall, African bond markets remain an attractive investment opportunity for active emerging market investors in the medium to long term.
(Times Information)
# African Bonds # European Bonds

Most African Eurobonds are denominated in US dollars, while some issuances from Morocco, Benin, Ivory Coast and Tunisia are denominated in euros.

Egypt and Ghana are candidates for inclusion in the JPMorgan Emerging Market Government Bond Index, which is expected to boost foreign participation in their sovereign bond markets.

The COVID‑19 crisis caused spreads on African Eurobonds to surge in March, and subsequent policy responses and support from institutions such as the IMF and World Bank helped stabilize markets.

The G20 unveiled the Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the DSSI in November 2020, and to date only Zambia and Ethiopia have applied to the scheme.

The IMF approved a Special Drawing Rights allocation of about US$650 billion in August (in the referenced document), which could be used to raise countries' international reserves.

Venture capital investment in African startups totaled US$1.31 billion in 2021, with fintech projects receiving most of that investment.

Title:

Content: Is Africa a good place to start a business?

Africa is experiencing a technology boom: the rapid penetration of Internet and mobile technologies make this region more and more interesting for IT entrepreneurs, despite the specificity and heterogeneity of the market.

IT in Africa

The African continent is a large market, as well as a source of direct access to a large audience with smartphones and a wide range of resources. The region is rich in coal, oil, ferrous metal ores, graphite, aluminum, and phosphate and consists of 54 countries, extremely diverse in terms of population, digitalization, economy, and purchasing power. Since January 2021, the continent has had a free trade zone between the countries of the African Union.

The market entry threshold is low, there is no fierce competition, and the potential for growth and demand for technology projects is enormous: the region has many problems that can be solved through innovation.

The continent has a crazy rate of Internet development and a native love of smartphones. You can buy bananas on the street and pay with your mobile account.

Students are often interested in starting their businesses. More often than not, students choose completely new locations and new startup ideas. We recommend that you consider Africa for your business because in a few years it will bring you success. But first, we recommend visiting Africa as a tourist to get a feel for the atmosphere. If you got carried away with preparing for a trip to Africa and forgot to write a research paper on time do not panic. After all, it’s no trouble, because a student service will always come to your aid. So if you’re wondering if you can pay someone to write my paper, always go to the WritingAPaper service. Its experts will help with any academic paper, and you will have time for exciting trips.

By 2025, experts predict Africa’s Internet economy should reach 5.1% of GDP – about $185 billion. FinTech, AgroTech, eCommerce, InsureTech, HealthTech, and CleanTech are considered the most in-demand areas.

According to research firm Briter Bridges, venture capital investment in African startups totaled $1.31 billion in 2021, most of which came from fintech projects. Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt are considered to be the drivers of the region’s venture capital ecosystem: projects from these countries have received the most investment over the past few years compared with their neighbors on the continent. More than 30% of the continent’s technology hubs are concentrated here.

“The GDP of the entire region is $6.8 trillion. If Africa were a single country, it would be fourth in the world after China, the U.S., and India. Undoubtedly, the economic power of the region is still small, but in the next 30-50 years, it is predicted a stable growth in the range of 6-12% per year, and this process will be accompanied by the creation of new industries and businesses.

GDP per capita in terms of purchasing power parity in Africa is $5.2 thousand, for comparison, in the Russian Federation – $29.4 thousand, in the USA – $68.3 thousand, in Europe – about $41 thousand. However, in the top 20 fast-growing economies of the world, six lines are African countries: Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Cote d’Ivoire. The main technological hubs on the continent are concentrated in South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt.

The level of development of the IT market in Africa is 5-10 years behind other countries. Until now, only 28% of the continent’s population has access to the Internet, but in the last few years, the situation is gradually changing. Now the digital industry in Africa is actively developing, and the international market is noticing this trend.

African Accelerators & Incubators

There are more than 600 technology centers in Africa, among them incubators, gas pedals, and co-working spaces for companies. One of the most famous technology centers is the CcHUB. It is located in Yaba, Nigeria’s Silicon Valley. CcHUB boasts a rich network of 650 startups across Africa.

CcHUB partners with Amazon, and Google for Startups, Visa, and other international companies. The incubator focuses on projects in health, smart transportation infrastructure, fintech, education, and cybersecurity.

Another major center actively developing a technology and innovation startup environment is the MEST incubator in Ghana. Assistance from the Meltwater Foundation allows MEST to target startups from all over Africa at the earliest stages of development, train entrepreneurs for free, and help with product prototyping and hypothesis testing.

MEST is an educational program for IT entrepreneurs, an internal seed fund, and a network of incubators for technology startups in Africa. The hubs are located in Accra, Lagos, Cape Town, and Nairobi. The organization has been active since 2008, actively supporting programmers and engineers. One of the programs lasts a year, is designed for 60 start-ups, and is completely free. MEST has many famous partners, such as the acceleration program for fintech startups supported by the French bank Societe Generale.

In Ethiopia today, three private business incubators are systematically working with technology startups: BlueMoon, iceAddis, and iCog/Solve. The first has more AgriTech, the second has eCommerce startups, and the third has programming, including AI projects.

The iCog/Solve gas pedal hosts Ethiopia Hacks, a series of 12 hackathons in which 600 people have already participated. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, with Google Developers Group (GDG) and the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) as partners.

Here, with the support of Kenya’s Ministries of Health and Transport, the famous MSafari service was created to monitor the passenger flow of public transport.

The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) is the oldest technology business incubator on the continent. Located in Cape Town and founded in 1999, it focuses on the development of IT projects. During its existence, it has helped three thousand entrepreneurs to create more than two thousand companies and continues to be actively involved in the Cape Town technology community.

iHub – each year the gas pedal supports 450 startups. The gas pedal has a wide range of programs for business startups. One of them is aimed at the development of IT projects run by women.

Startupbootcamp Afritech – runs several accelerator programs, including ASIP Accelerator Program and iNovo. Project recruitment happens all the time, and there is a virtual and offline passing format. The program is supported by Amazon, Nedbank, PwC, and other large companies. Participants have a chance to receive an investment of 15 thousand euros.

The most specialized technoparks are presented in South Africa – Technopark Stellenbosch, Highveld Techno Park, and The Innovation Hub. Notable technoparks exist in Senegal (Dakar Technopolis), Rwanda (Kigali ICT Park), Madagascar, and Zimbabwe at NUST University.

Africa, with a population of 1.35 billion, could overtake China and India in the next decade. McKinsey estimates that by 2025, the region will have 360 million smartphones and 240 million computers and laptops, and digitalization will increase GDP by $140-320 billion. Not surprisingly, such a large – and still technologically untapped – market is beginning to play an increasingly prominent role in the economic arena.

Thanks to the serious penetration of smartphones and the large percentage of the young population, the African market is becoming a convenient environment for launching and developing technological projects. A large number of fragmented states at different stages of economic development makes it difficult to create a unified startup industry in the region but does not prevent the effective functioning of individual technology hubs with which large international companies are willing to cooperate.

Localization of foreign projects in Africa is complicated by a large language group, corruption, and the specific mentality of the population, but the potential growth opportunities and lack of serious competition more than offset the possible risks.

We are committed to Africa

Unlike many global publications, for nearly a decade we have been committed to showing a complete picture of Africa – not just a single story.  Offended by one-sided coverage of wars, disasters and disease, the founders of Africa.com created a website that provides a balanced view of Africa – current events, business, arts & culture, travel, fashion, sports, information, development, and more.

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By 2025 Africa’s internet economy is projected to reach about 5.1% of GDP, equivalent to roughly US$185 billion.

McKinsey projects that by 2025 Africa will have about 360 million smartphones and 240 million computers and laptops, and that digitalization could raise GDP by US$140–320 billion.

Key technology and startup hubs driving foreign and venture investment are concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, which together account for more than 30% of the continent’s tech hubs.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

There are over 600 technology centers, incubators and accelerators across Africa, with notable examples such as CcHUB in Nigeria and MEST in Ghana partnering with global firms like Amazon, Google for Startups, Visa and Societe Generale.

Which African countries are driving the venture capital ecosystem?

China has been Africa’s largest trading partner in the past decade, with China–Africa trade reaching US$282 billion in 2022, about an 11% year‑on‑year increase.

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Content: Countdown to the day of issuance
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As competition in the workplace intensifies, young Chinese are moving into Africa to pay for gold, escape and rebel.
Photo Credit: Getty Images / BBC News
What we want you to know is
In the past, in addition to French majors, working in Africa was basically not a consideration for Chinese fresh graduates. Language barriers, safety issues, cultural differences and other factors deterred them.
But slowly, with increasing competition in the workplace, Africa has entered the vision of more and more young Chinese.
Chen Zhuo, 20, was born into a rural family in central China with a younger brother.
In order to reduce the burden on his family, he chose to work immediately after graduation, instead of continuing his studies.
He began looking for a job when he was recruited on the campus in the autumn of 2022, and over 1,000 resumes were sent to domestic enterprises in the past six months, but he did not realize a suitable job when he graduated.
Despite his family ’ s concerns, after weighing up, he eventually accepted a job as far away as Africa.
In the face of China's economic downturn and high youth unemployment, there is fierce competition in the workplace, especially for young people like Chen Zhuo who graduated from ordinary colleges and universities.
He studied international trade at an ordinary university in Chongqing, and by the time he graduated, only a dozen of the more than 50 students in his class had landed their jobs.
With the increasing frequency of China-Africa economic and trade exchanges, a large number of Chinese enterprises have entered many African countries, and more and more young people who have graduated from universities have turned their eyes to Africa and tried to find a way out there.
In June, Mr. Chen arrived in the western African country of Ghana with trepidation, but later found out that it wasn ’ t as bad as he thought.
“Before I came to Africa, I was worried about eating badly, getting sick often, and having a lot of mosquitoes, but then I realized that these things didn ’ t exist, ” Chen told the BBC.
In the past, in addition to French majors, working in Africa was basically not a consideration for Chinese fresh graduates. Language barriers, safety issues, cultural differences and other factors deterred them.
But slowly, with increasing competition in the workplace, Africa has entered the vision of more and more young Chinese. Some people value the opportunities brought by China ’ s growing investment in Africa, and the local thriving Chinese community, thinking about the future of entrepreneurship; and some young people want to experience multi-culture and improve their foreign language skills in Africa.
Growing interest and demand
There are no reliable statistics on the number and geographical distribution of young Chinese working in Africa.
But on Chinese social media, interest in sending jobs to Africa is growing.
On Weibo, the topic “Will you consider sending to Africa with an annual salary of 200,000? ” soared to the top of the hot search list at the end of July this year, with a reading of 200 million articles and nearly 300,000 people participating in the interaction.
On the social platforms where young people gather, Little Red Book and BiLi BiLi, some of the writers filmed work experiences in Africa that attracted millions of people. In the comments section, many people asked how to go to Africa, how to choose a company, whether it is safe there, and so on.
“More and more young Chinese are working in Africa, not only in large state-owned enterprises, but also in smaller groups and even individuals looking for entrepreneurial opportunities in Africa, ” said Maria Repnikova, an associate professor of international communication at Georgia State University in the United States.
She studied Chinese in the African context.
“This demand comes in large part from large projects in China, especially in the infrastructure and technology sectors. ”
“This trend is not balanced development, but depends on the security and economic conditions of specific African countries, ” Professor Repnikova noted.
Based on her research experience in Ethiopia in northeastern Africa, the Chinese community there has shrunk over the past four years due to the COVID-19 (Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia, COVID-19, Wuhan Pneumonia) pandemic and war.
Interestingly, some Chinese did not choose to return home after leaving, but moved to other countries in Africa.
China has been Africa ’ s largest trading partner for the past decade.
According to official statistics, China-Africa trade reached US $282 billion in 2022, an increase of about 11% year-on-year; at the same time, the number of Chinese enterprises in Africa has almost doubled to about 3,500.
After arriving in Accra, the capital of Ghana, Chen said, it was a constant surprise.
In a downtown shopping mall, there are quite a lot of Chinese retail brands in the vicinity, and there are also Chinese-owned hot pot shops, KTV, milk tea shops, hotels and so on.
He even ate northern Chinese pork with green onion buns and Henan snacks with horseradish soup.
“If I hadn ’ t seen the black-skinned locals, I would have thought I was in China, ” he says.
In the past, Chinese companies in Africa mostly recruited contract workers in the form of labor exports and tended to hire experienced people for management positions, but now some Chinese companies in Africa seem to be starting to favor young people with technical and managerial potential.
A recent graduate, Chen is already a sales manager for a Chinese-owned heavy construction equipment company in Ghana.
High salary attraction
Many young Chinese say that one of the main reasons for attracting them to work in Africa is the high salaries.
First of all, most young people have a small studio of their own. The company will provide meals suitable for Chinese tastes, and pay for round-trip air tickets, visa fees and so on.
Second, in addition to the basic salary, many companies will also pay employees high distribution subsidies and hardship subsidies, as well as bonuses, commissions and so on.
At Chen Zhuo ’ s company, as a freshman at his university, all expenses add up to earn at least 200,000 RMB a year.
The general assignment contract is signed every year or three years, then three years down, deduct the expenditure, "at least can save 500,000".
Chen Zhuo comes from a rural family, and this level of wages has greatly reduced the burden on the family.
He took out his first month's wages and bought a necklace for his mother to send back to his hometown, bringing much comfort to her mother who was afraid.
By contrast, with his qualifications as a freshman at an ordinary university, he earns at most about NT $10,000 a month from working in a big city, and almost nothing is left after deducting expenses such as rent and transportation.
However, there is endless solitude behind the high salary.
Even though there are many entertainment venues open by Chinese people, the comfort and technical content cannot match the domestic level.
In the past few months, Chen Zhuo has not yet figured out how to use his spare time to fight loneliness.
Occasionally, when he is criticized by his boss at work, he will write a diary at night to express his inner loneliness.
But beyond that, he is generally satisfied with his life and work here.
For him, a good income is more important, after the end of the contract period, he will still consider staying to continue working.
“Young after all, ” he said.
Joshua Eisenman, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, said it was “surprising ” that China, which for years had hoped for an economic rise to attract overseas youth back to China, was willing to work so far away, or that it had to go so far to find opportunities.

The number of Chinese enterprises operating in Africa almost doubled to roughly 3,500, supporting large-scale infrastructure and technology projects on the continent.

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

In North Africa the services sector is attracting foreign investment in areas such as logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and tourism.

Title:

Content: Report of the American Chambers: Investment interest in the services sector in North Africa
Tuesday ، 28 February 2023 01: 00 AM
American Chamber
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The report of the Council of American Chambers of Commerce in North Africa and the Middle East revealed that the hallmark of the group of North African countries, the abundant workforce, supported by a large number of young people, and the range of jobs requiring high and low skills, pointing out that the service sector in North Africa is diverse and promising, attracting the attention of international and regional investors in sectors such as logistics, maritime services, shipbuilding and most importantly, tourism.
As a result, national governments across North Africa aim to increase their exports regionally and internationally.
The report added that the Middle East and North Africa region has significant natural petroleum resources, which have attracted global capital in oil-related industries, revealing that since November 2022, the region ’ s average oil production has reached about 34.1 million barrels per day, dominated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
After decades of focusing on oil products, many Gulf countries are now adopting new export diversification strategies, led by high-tech components, and attracting new investments for unconventional sector projects.
He noted that the Levant countries are a regional home for authentic folklore arts and crafts, and professional talent.
Despite the ongoing political instability in this area, these countries are also involved in agriculture and across different regions.
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Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

Regional oil production was reported at about 34.1 million barrels per day since November 2022, underpinning investment in oil‑related industries in the region.

Russia has engaged in Africa through trade and financial measures, with reported debt write‑offs of more than US$20 billion and a trade turnover of almost US$18 billion in 2022.

Title:

Content: Russia-Africa: Dynamics Of Educational And Humanitarian Diplomacy – OpEd

By

For this discussion, it necessary to set the premise using the United Nations. In UN resolutions, codes and standards, the governments have agreed that humanitarian assistance should be allocated according to the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. This normative framework, however, must not lead to an incorrect assumption that humanitarian aid is divorced from political power.

But instead, the decision as to where, how and why to provide humanitarian assistance is part of more extensive foreign policy considerations which are guided by both norms and interests, such as geopolitical concerns or the aim of a donor to demonstrate benevolent behavior.

The good humanitarian donor-ship initiative was set up in 2003 as a forum for best practices and to discuss to agree on principles of giving humanitarian aid. Given the current geopolitical environment, these questions are still pursued with vigour in different countries around the world.

Based on this premise therefore, in discussing the potential for cooperation between Russia and African countries in the humanitarian sphere and what needs to be done to improve the effectiveness of contacts between people in Africa and Russia, it is essential to note that humanitarian principles are embedded in the Russian culture as people of humanity. The values and culture of Russia influence the country’s concept of humanitarian assistance. Russia believes in the oneness of all human beings and a gift without expectation, the willingness of the strong to help the weak.

At this point, I would like remind and emphasize that we are witnessing an emerging new world order distinctively different from the Soviet days, and the catchphrase is now such new initiatives, partnership and participation. Undoubtedly the new realities are pushing African countries to diversify their post-colonial relations with external players. Today, Africa is now the centre of attraction as significant powers are moving into Africa, and Russia’s potential for cooperation with African countries in the humanitarian sphere is enormous.

The decolonization of African countries in the 1950s and early 1960s created an opportunity for the Soviet Union after the second world War. As the process continued, the Kremlin planned its policy agenda for the newly liberated African countries.

That policy agenda could be categorized into four parts:

1. To gain a lasting presence in the African continent.

2. To have a voice in African affairs.

3. To undermine Western influence in the African continent by equating capitalism with imperialism.

4. To keep communist China out of the African continent.

These were the four pillars of the Soviet Union’s African policy from 1945 to 1991, when the Soviet Union suddenly collapsed.

As we know, the interest of a nation determines the form of relation it maintains with other states. This gives credence to the notion that there is neither a permanent friend nor a permanent enemy in international diplomacy. It is the interest of the country that is permanent.

For many African countries, the willingness to support Russia goes back to the cold war when the Soviet Union provided military and economic assistance to the liberation movements across the continent.

This reservoir of goodwill created by the Soviet Union today forms part of the foundation for modern Russia’s relationship with African countries.

Since Soviet’s collapse and combined with the global changes taking place around the world have obviously brought new challenges, threats and opportunities. Despite that the Russian Federation has successfully been implementing cultural and humanitarian cooperation programmes with various African countries, including contacts in education, science, culture, media, sports and music.

This type of cooperation with African countries, especially in education, science and technology, is essential in resolving African problems, particularly overcoming social inequalities and also involvement of women and youth in sustainable economic development. African graduates educated in Russia will contribute to their respective individual countries to enter a new scientific and technological development stage.

This factor of strength pertaining to the training of specialist and professionals has still remained fom Soviet days. It beholds on us to strengthen this component within the policy framework, to make cooperation truly beneficial for Africa. Many African students are presently in Russia, including about four thousand whose education is funded by the Russian Government. Of course, there many studying on private contracts in the regions of the Russian Federation.

For context, we understand that Russia and Africa have taken a unique plan to develop partnerships, in tandem, between pan-African universities and Russian universities. A closer look at this kind of cooperation shows a huge potential for exploring new ways to boost bilateral relationship. The educational programmes should not be limited to traditional or regular students, but must include wide-range of specialised short-term courses, as factual backup to acquiring new (upgrading) knowledge, for a multitude of specific target groups instrumental in bolstering bilateral cooperation.

We have to acknowledge the fact that there have been tremendous efforts in Africa to promote higher education, but these efforts are still behind the global trends. With the population of Africa growing to over 1.3 billion, it is surprising the continent produces fewer research publications than Canada a country with a population of 37.8 million. The United States has an estimated 380 million. Therefore, Russia-African cooperation in education will further provide multi-dimensional chances to undertake knowledge-based research and educational fellowships in Russia and Africa.

The next significant point is that – Russia also has indicated an interest in developing and organizing the practical training of African diplomats at the Diplomatic Academy of the Foreign Affairs Ministry. This could serve as an interesting place to learn and exchange the best diverse practices and valuable principles of contemporary diplomacy, particularly in the emerging multipolar world.

According to my research – Russia currently ranks 6th in the number of international students, with an estimated 35,000 coming from Africa. We know that there are foreign students from Asia and Latin America. As part of the expansion of humanitarian cooperation, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia has further announced doubling the number of budget places in Russian universities for African students.

Other programmes in the pipeline include the opening of Russian educational centres in Africa and the training of national teachers to staff African secondary schools. I would like to note here that Russkiy Mir has 10 offices in Africa. But there is still room for expansion. That compared to its counterpart, China’s Confucius Institute operates in 25 African countries, half the continent.

Speaking at an international parliamentary conference titled Russia-Africa in a Multipolar World on 20 March 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow has written off the debts of African states worth more than 20 billion dollars. He further said that the trade turnover between Russia and African countries is growing yearly, reaching almost 18 billion dollars in 2022.

Writing off $20 billion debts of the African counties is one the most extraordinary humanitarian art by Russian towards African countries, and African countries, through press releases and official statement, publicly acknowledged this wonderful gesture with tremendous appreciation and feelings of admiration and gratitude.

The humanitarian crisis in the African continent remains one of the world’s most severe, with record levels of displacement and suffering, and it is hopeful that Russia, in its long-standing humanitarian commitment, will design more programmes to assist categories of people such as:

–        Displaced people and those affected by conflict and disaster.

–        Programme to help reduce violence against girls, children, and women in Africa.

–        Help those who suffered rebuild their livelihood and support community resilience.

–        Help separated children, trauma survivors, and children with acute malnutrition.

At this point of our analysis, it very useful quoting Professor Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director at the Valdai Discussion Club and Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs journal. He is the powerful Chair of the State Commission on Defense and Foreign Policy.

In his words, notwithstanding all things, Africa has its own strengths and weaknesses based on history, but the balance is positive in this new multipolar world. Most potential success also depends largely on African countries themselves and their ability to build up relations with outside powers on rational and calculated basis in the changing global situation.

Professor Maurice Okoli

Professor Maurice Okoli is a fellow at the Institute for African Studies and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences. He is a fellow at the North-Eastern Federal University, Russia.

Russia supports African education cooperation, funding about 4,000 African students and with an estimated 35,000 African students studying in Russia overall.

China–Africa higher education cooperation has expanded, with 52 of 54 African countries signing Belt and Road cooperation documents and a '20+20' plan linking 20 Chinese and 20 African universities.

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Content: People 's Network > > Education
Enhancing the Connectedness of the People: An Effective Way to Deepen Cooperation between Chinese and African Universities
October 31, 2023 08: 33 | Source: Guangming Daily
Small number
Original title: Enhancing people-to-people communication: an effective way to deepen cooperation between Chinese and African universities
The recently held third "Belt and Road" international cooperation summit forum people-to-people thematic forum released the "Silk Road" common initiative, and stressed that further exchanges and cooperation in education and other fields will be carried out to enhance people-to-people communication.
The Belt and Road Initiative is one of the main contents of the Belt and Road Initiative and an important guarantee for the smooth implementation of the Initiative. After the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013, the Chinese government set up a special scholarship for the Silk Road, which opened a new era of Belt and Road higher education exchanges.
Africa is an important part of the Belt and Road international cooperation. Fifty-two of the 54 African countries have signed the Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. China ’ s education cooperation with Africa began in 1956, and large-scale university cooperation began in 2009 with the “China-Africa Cooperation Forum – Sharm el-Sheikh Action Plan ”.
In the plan, China "proposes the implementation of the '20 + 20 Cooperation Plan for Chinese and African Universities', selecting 20 Chinese universities (or vocational education colleges) and 20 African universities (or vocational education colleges) to establish a new model of 'one-to-one' inter-university cooperation."
This plan was further emphasized in the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Plan of Action and the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Plan of Action. In July 2023, the Chinese Society of Higher Education and the Association of African Universities (AAU) jointly established the China-Africa University Alliance Exchange Mechanism, and its secretariat and research institute were also established in Beijing Foreign Studies University and Zhejiang Normal University respectively.
Based on interviews with most of the participating institutions and Confucius Institutes in Africa in the “20 + 20 Cooperation Program between Chinese and African Universities ” and the sorting of relevant documents, this paper puts forward some suggestions for further deepening cooperation between Chinese and African universities from the perspective of ensuring project effectiveness and sustainable development.
The program needs to be aligned with the university ’ s own development mission.
University cooperation is a bilateral international activity, and cooperation with non-universities cannot be regarded as a unilateral aid, but needs to be considered in the light of the unique attributes of the university itself and the mission of the university itself.
From the perspective of the existing project implementation, the significance of the implementation effect is closely related to the position of discipline in the discipline system of the university.
If the content of cooperation happens to be a key subject of the university, then cooperation will be highly valued and implemented more smoothly.
For example, the cooperation between Nanjing Agricultural University and Egerton University in Kenya has not only promoted the development of the two sides, but also strengthened the social impact of Egerton University, which enjoys a high reputation in the agricultural field in East Africa.
If the university itself already has a teaching and research strategy for Africa, it will also help the development of the China-Africa university partnership.
For example, Zhejiang Normal University has set up an African Studies Center since 2003, and its comparative education discipline also focuses on African education research, which plays an important role in the overall development of the school.
For example, the Middle East Institute of Peking University has long established the Arabic Department, and has a long history of cooperation with Cairo University, and many teachers and students have gone to Cairo University to study, which has played a positive role in its growth and development.
Setting up collaborative projects that can “grow in African soil ”
“Studying Africa and understanding Africa ” is the key to the success of China-Africa university cooperation.
On the one hand, it is necessary to understand the development stage and development needs of different countries on the continent at a macro level, so that cooperation projects can be adapted to the country's development strategy.
Africa is a diverse continent, encompassing different economic, social and political patterns, and therefore has different development needs and priorities.
Some countries already have relatively developed economies and high levels of per capita income, such as Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius.
Other countries are becoming centres of information technology and innovation, such as the S & T ecosystem in Kenya, e-government in Rwanda and the S & T Innovation Centre in Egypt, but others face serious challenges in poverty reduction, food crisis, disease treatment and peace maintenance.
On the other hand, there is a need for an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of higher education and the development needs of different African countries in order to embed cooperation projects in their development plans and become priorities.
Higher education on the African continent shows diversity and diversity, and its stages of development are also very different.
Some countries have world-renowned universities or disciplines, such as archaeology at Cairo University in Egypt, medicine, engineering, computer science at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, economics and law at the University of Ghana, and medicine and engineering at the University of Nairobi.
Many universities are actively developing and implementing development plans to meet the development needs of the country and society, such as Cape Coast University in Ghana, Lagos University in Nigeria and Dar es Salaam University in Tanzania.
Countries in conflict and turmoil, such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Somalia, South Sudan and Libya, have struggled to develop higher education.
As a result, in the Union of Central African Universities, some universities have remained largely in aid relations, others in cooperation that can benefit from each other, and some disciplines are learning from Africa.
In short, only on the basis of understanding Africa and African higher education, can scientific cooperation projects be set up to "grow in the soil of Africa".
Strengthening cooperation in agriculture, forestry, water, medicine and humanities and social sciences
African countries, confined to their own stage of development, have given priority to agricultural modernization and industrialization.
In terms of cooperation in higher education, Confucius Institutes, the "20 + 20 Cooperation Plan for China-Africa Universities", the Luban Workshop, and the "Future Africa-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan" have contributed to the cultivation of talents for improving people's livelihood and modernizing governance in Africa.
The main areas that have taken root and achieved remarkable results are agriculture, forestry, water science and engineering, medicine, language and teacher education.
Future cooperation should encourage more agricultural and forestry universities, high-level comprehensive universities with water science and engineering, normal universities, and higher vocational colleges to participate in the current scale of cooperation.
In the field of medicine, the Chinese government has made remarkable contributions in providing medical supplies, building medical facilities, providing vaccine assistance, and sending medical experts and medical teams to Africa to provide medical services and technical training.
Cooperation between universities in the future can explore new ways, such as establishing medical education centers in Africa, or making full use of modern distance learning resources and artificial intelligence to create new types of joint medical education programs. Livestock is also an important industry in Africa, while animal medicine is a discipline lacking in Africa, and relevant fields can be incorporated into university cooperation.
He said that Sino-African cooperation in the fields of humanities and social sciences has a long history and has made great contributions to the people-to-people
From the successful experience of existing projects, language education, teacher education and modern governance are still key areas of cooperation.
In addition, Chinese universities can jointly set up research centers on local history, languages, cultural heritage and social dynamics in African universities on the basis of full research, thus jumping out of the one-way aid mindset and training Chinese talents who understand Africa and understand Africa.
Optimize project operation mechanism
A good working mechanism is the key to the success of the project.
Operational mechanisms include project rules and procedures, resource allocation and management, communication and collaboration, feedback and adjustment, monitoring and evaluation.
Only when both parties participate in the development and implementation of the operational mechanism can the project be successful.
The Confucius Institute has become a successful model of cooperation between Chinese and foreign universities after 20 years of development.
However, there are also some cooperation projects that need more financial and resource support from Chinese and African universities, so as to enhance the importance of cooperation, participation and support of the management and staff of the two sides.
Another important factor affecting the success of the cooperation is the cultural and linguistic background, and in the course of the cooperation, both sides have had difficulties in continuing the project due to poor communication.
Therefore, the establishment of clear and efficient communication and cooperation mechanisms is the key to the success of cooperation.
At the same time, it should also be noted that barriers to communication and difficulties of understanding caused by different cultural and linguistic backgrounds require both sides to actively strengthen cultural exchanges and promote mutual understanding and adaptation.
In addition, supervision and feedback are the key to project optimization and entering the virtuous circle, which is a relatively weak link in the mechanism construction.
In the future, in the process of policy entering a new cycle, the actual participants, stakeholders, researchers, etc. of the project should participate in policy formulation, actively listen to the existing problems and suggestions for improvement, so that the project setting is more in line with the logic of scientific development, which is the key to the project not being a formality.
(Author: Tian Xiaohong, Associate Research Fellow, School of Education, Zhejiang Normal University)
(Editor: Li Fang, Hao Mengjia)
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A China–Africa University Alliance exchange mechanism was established in July 2023 with a secretariat and a research institute based in Beijing and Zhejiang respectively.

University partnerships have emphasized agriculture, water science and engineering, medicine, teacher education and humanities and social sciences to match African development priorities.

Overall, recent foreign investment trends in Africa show growing capital flows via bond markets and Eurobonds, rising venture capital and technology investment concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, large-scale Chinese and Russian trade and project involvement, and expanding education and service‑sector partnerships across the continent.