The lithium and battery storage sector is dominated by a handful of markets, but surging global demand coupled with increased traction of the element are now generating exciting new partnership opportunities across emerging markets. As countries scramble to diversify the existing China-dominated lithium battery value chain, Zimbabwe, the UAE, and Estonia are three key players we believe should partner to capitalize on the growing lithium market.

As Expo 2020 focuses on urban development and planning as one of its key thematic areas, it is critical to recognize the efforts made by country pavilions as well as private companies to boost the environmental efficiency and sustainability of urban planning and development solutions.

A growing number of organizations are shifting their giving strategies to African-founded organizations. We highlight three philanthropic organizations making dedicated efforts to integrate racial equity, particularly by funding Black-founded organizations, into their grantmaking approaches.

As Middle East-based investors expand their African footprint, Middle Eastern and African countries should collaborate to create Sharia-compliant structures like Sukuk bonds to facilitate investments into the continent.

The AfCFTA’s promising future hinges on African businesses’ ability to leverage it to boost cross-border trade. At a macro-level, the agreement will deliver massive benefits to the continent, but the impact of the agreement on firms will be uneven and unequal.

This brief is part of a series examining the evolution of insolvency law in fast-growing markets across the Middle East and Africa. The first installment of this series focused on reforms to Kenya’s insolvency law. In this brief, we analyze key recent changes to Ghanaian insolvency law and the implications for private companies and investors.

COVID-19 has strained on African governments’ resources, and efforts to ease the pressure are a step in the right direction. But the opportunity cost of each solution must be taken into account to avoid compounding the existing debt burden.

African’s contributions are missing in efforts to solve the continent’s most pressing issues

In this wide-ranging joint interview with two women driving the future of agriculture and technology in Africa, Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr. probes the question of what a post-crisis vision for regional collaboration in Africa looks like and what partnerships are required to get there. Amrote and Aggie address everything from how they’re coping in the new work-from-home world to the role of technology in future-proofing development strategy and accelerating private sector development.

Despite the steady growth of investments by the Middle East in Africa, trade between Saudi Arabia and the region remains low. However, the current economic and regulatory environment in African countries and the KSA are favorable to amplifying linkages between the two regions.

Almost three decades after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia is making concerted attempts to revitalize former strategic connections in Africa that have since languished. Botho’s analysis shows that the answer lies in three key approaches: improved knowledge sharing between Russia and Africa, an increase in government to government efforts to lay the foundation for private sector collaboration, and creating avenues for the exchange of Russian and African cultures.

Expo 2020 will host the largest number of African countries to ever participate in a World Expo.

In this 3-part series on technology regulation in Kenya, Botho examines how regulation can promote the use of technology by companies operating in the healthcare, education, and financial services industries.

AfCFTA’s strong political backing and the excitement surrounding its rapid progress has led to some claims of its potential benefits going unchallenged, particularly surrounding intra-African trade gains. Most commentators appear reluctant to interrogate publicly a popular pan-African project, even when this analysis might be constructive.

This brief seeks to address the evident need for sensitisation on the most fundamental AfCFTA and TFTA issues, giving clarity on what each agreement might entail.

Given Kenya's current budget deficit, it is critical that efforts to attract FDI do not cannibalize local efforts to improve tax revenue.

Botho is proud to have supported on Mercy Corps and Moringa School’s latest study, “Competing in the Digital Age: The Development of IT Skills and Jobs in Kenya and Uganda,” which was recently debuted as a part of Nairobi Tech Week.

A successful restructuring is not only one that restores the company back to solvency, but also ensures high returns to creditors.This brief examines the emerging practices in resolving insolvency in Kenya.