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Zimbabwe News

  • UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010

    AFGHANISTAN, 2017/09/09 Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.
  • Why governments need to support the financial sector to meet the unserved needs of smallholder farmers

    BOTSWANA, 2017/09/09 This year, under the leadership of H.E. President Alassane Ouattara and the theme of “Accelerating Africa’s Path to Prosperity: Growing Inclusive Economies and Jobs through Agriculture”, the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2017 is shaping up as a premier platform to showcase ongoing evolution in Africa’s agricultural transformation schedule and to scale up the political, policy, and financial commitments needed to achieve the Malabo Declaration and the world development schedule around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following the launch of the landmark annual Africa Agriculture Status Statement (ASSR) at the AGRF taking place in Cote d’Ivoire from 4-8 September 2017, the major conclusion centres around the power of entrepreneurs and the free market in driving Africa’s economic increase from food production. This is owing to the fact that a lot of businesses are waking up to opportunities of a rapidly growing food market in Africa that may be worth additional than $1 trillion each year by 2030 to substitute imports with high price food made in Africa.
  • International Arrivals To Africa Reach More Than 18 Million In 2017

    BOTSWANA, 2017/09/09 Market Research Company Euromonitor International revealed before this week the key trends shaping travel and tourism in Africa at the 41st Annual World Tourism Conference in Kigali, Rwanda. According to Euromonitor International’s new data, international arrivals to Africa grew by 6.5 % in 2017, to reach 18,550 million, up from 16,351 million in 2012. Key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Cameroon, Mauritius and Tanzania accounted for 70 % of international trips to the Sub-Saharan African region.
  • Zimbabwe economy recovering thanks to agric and mining

    ZIMBABWE, 2017/09/09 President Robert Mugabe said on Friday that Zimbabwe’s economy, hobbled by foreign currency shortages and a widening budget deficit, was slowly rebounding and would be driven by mining and agriculture. Without giving details, Mugabe told a conference of the ruling ZANU-PF’s central committee that the former British colony was on the way to regaining its status as a regional breadbasket and was expecting a bumper harvest of the staple maize in 2017.
  • Behind the scenes, Zimbabwe politicians plot post-Mugabe reforms

    ZIMBABWE, 2017/09/06 In January, a photograph appeared in Zimbabwe’s media showing Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa enjoying drinks with a friend. In his hand was a large novelty mug emblazoned with the words: “I‘M THE BOSS.” To supporters of President Robert Mugabe, the inscription bordered on treason. They suspected that Mnangagwa, nicknamed The Crocodile, by presently saw himself in the shoes of Mugabe, 93 years old, increasingly frail and the only leader the southern African country has known since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. Those Mugabe supporters are not alone. According to politicians, diplomats and a trove of hundreds of documents from inside Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) reviewed by Reuters, Mnangagwa and other political players have been positioning themselves for the day Mugabe either steps down or dies.
  • Zimbabwe: U.S.$300 Million for Kondo Dam

    ZIMBABWE, 2017/09/03 The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has met three South African potential suitors to fund the massive $300 million Kondo Dam in the Middle Sabi region. The project involves the construction of a concrete faced rock fill dam, an earth fill saddle dam and hydro-power generating plant. Upon completion, Kondo Dam will store 3, 5 billion cubic metres of water for power generation and irrigation development in the Chisumbanje area, which lies in the south eastern part of the country.
  • Africa: USA-Africa - No Policy? Bad Policy? or Both?

    BOTSWANA, 2017/08/30 "Africa is terra incognita for the Trump Government: a continent it cares little - and understands even less - about. With no dyed-in-the-wool Trumpian Africa hands available, the government appears ready to cede Africa policy making to career civil servants and a few mainstream Republican appointees." - Matthew T. Page The headline to Page's article in Quartz Africa states that "Donald Trump could be getting his US-Africa policy right by simply not having one." His view is actually additional nuanced, in judging that no policy would likely be only "less bad" than explicitly "bad policy" that may result from better White Home interest in Africa.
  • Africa: U.S. State Department To Get Experienced Diplomat in Key Africa Post

    BOTSWANA, 2017/08/30 Donald Yamamoto, who has extensive diplomatic experience in Africa inclunding two tours as a U.S. ambassador, will take office as Acting Assistant Secretary of National for Africa on 5 September. He is the second career official tapped for a senior policy position on Africa in the Trump government.Donald Yamamoto, who has extensive diplomatic experience in Africa including two tours as a U.S. ambassador, will take office as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Africa on 5 September. He is the second career official tapped for a senior policy position on Africa in the Trump administration. Senior CIA analyst Cyril Sartor was hired as senior director for Africa at the National Security Council earier this month Key Africa jobs at the Defense Department (DOD) and the U.S. Agency for International Development remain vacant. "Having someone with Don Yamamoto's experience in that post is very significant," Mel Foote, Constituency for Africa president, told AllAfrica. "As Africa confronts a lot of challenges, we want to see responsible U.S. engagement in partnership with African governments and civil society organizations."
  • Africa’s economic growth in 2016 was driven by East Africa

    BOTSWANA, 2017/08/20 While the continent’s major economies were hit by the fall in commodity prices in 2016, Africa retained its position as the second-fastest growing continent globally recording an average of 2.2% GDP increase, behind only South Asia, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Much of Africa’s increase in 2016, AfDB says, was driven by East Africa where several nations recorded “strong performances.” In general, of the continent’s sub-regions, East Africa posted the highest increase rate with 5.3%, led by Ethiopia.
  • African real estate market still standing after tough 2016

    CASABLANCA, 2017/08/20 African real estate has had a tough year navigating diffcult economic conditions. Most investors on the continent remain private equity groups as opposed to long term investors or Real Estate Investment Trust ( Reit) investors. There have as well been currency problems in the likes of Nigeria and Zimbabwe. But 2017 could be better if commodity prices rise globally. "The continent gained traction last year, notably in the Hotel, Retail and Residential sectors. One hopes that, in 2017, there will be fewer economic and structural difficulties for African real estate," said Ortneil Kutama, Africa Property News Media Director.