Content

Issue Brief

Apr 20, 2018

Fintech: Powering inclusive growth in Africa

By Aleksandra Gadzala

From cryptocurrencies to blockchain to mobile money, financial technology (“fintech”) is revolutionizing the basic structures of the global economy. Financial services delivered through fintech are becoming more accessible, efficient, and personal. In sub-Saharan Africa, where only 34 percent of adults have bank accounts, fintech companies are already providing financial products and services to millions of […]

Africa Economy & Business

Issue Brief

Apr 20, 2018

3D Printing: Shaping Africa’s Future

By Aleksandra Gadzala

Disruptive technologies—such as the Internet of Things, robotics, and three-dimensional (3D) printing—have been heralded as the future of the global manufacturing sector. However, in Africa, they could hinder industrialization and result in fewer entry points into global supply chains. While it may be possible for African nations to “leapfrog” directly to newer technologies, it is […]

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Apr 18, 2018

Reserve Bank governor discusses South Africa’s economic resilience

By Africa Center

On Wednesday, April 18, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in partnership with the Global Business & Economics Program, hosted a discussion with Mr. Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Apr 18, 2018

Zimbabwe’s Reserve Bank governor discusses new economic order

By Africa Center

On Wednesday, April 18, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a roundtable with Dr. John Panonetsa Mangudya, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). Dr. Mangudya presented a summary of Zimbabwe’s macroeconomic environment, highlighting a declining inflation rate, more diversified exports, and excellent human capital within the context of recent political and economic change. […]

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Apr 13, 2018

Gécamines chairman discusses the DRC’s new mining code

By Africa Center

On Friday, April 13, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a roundtable with Mr. Albert Yuma Mulimbi, chairman of Gécamines and president of the Congolese Business Federation (Fédération des Entreprises du Congo). In his prepared remarks (official document attached), Mr. Yuma emphasized the importance of the mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo […]

Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo

AfricaSource

Apr 3, 2018

Who are the winners and losers of Africa’s new free trade agreement?

By Abdoul Salam Bello and Jonathan Gass

Last month, the leaders of forty-four African nations signed a framework agreement to form a continental free-trade zone that will encompass a billion people and up to $3 trillion of cumulative GDP. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would be the largest free trade agreement since the founding of the World Trade Organization over […]

Africa East Africa

AfricaSource

Apr 3, 2018

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam marks milestone, approaches completion

By J. Peter Pham

The April 2 anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011 passed largely unremarked amid the cascade of momentous news coming recently from Ethiopia, including several years of unrest, the sudden release of thousands of detainees in mid-February, the resignation of the prime minister one day […]

Africa East Africa

Article

Mar 27, 2018

#TrollTracker: Stale Narratives In Response to Expelled Diplomats

By Donara Barojan

After expulsion of diplomats, pro-Kremlin trolls intensified their social media campaign to vilify the Skripal investigation and deny Russian involvement.

Disinformation English

Issue Brief

Mar 8, 2018

Sudan: Soft power, cultural engagement, and national security

By Tim Carney and Mary Carlin Yates

The third paper in the new Atlantic Council Sudan Task Force series, “Sudan: Soft Power, Cultural Engagement, and National Security” examines the importance of people-to-people engagement and its relevance to broader US strategic aims in Sudan. More than two decades of isolation have succeeded in funneling Sudan’s best and brightest to seek higher education and […]

Africa Democratic Transitions

Issue Brief

Mar 8, 2018

Sudan: Prospects for economic re-engagement

By Jeffrey Herbst

The second paper in the new Atlantic Council Sudan Task Force series, “Sudan: Prospects for Economic Re-engagement” examines the possibility of a new era of US economic cooperation with Sudan, including an opportunity for the United States to push for desperately needed economic reforms as part of wider US bilateral engagements efforts. Authored by Dr. […]

Africa East Africa

Experts