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The Case for a New Index: Africa Sustainable Futures Index

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Digital Dreams, Economic Realities and the Limits of Shortcuts

The concept of leapfrogging, which promotes bypassing traditional economic development stages through technology, often neglects the importance of job creation and industrial growth. This piece critiques the myth of leapfrogging as a shortcut to prosperity, emphasizing the need for diversified economic bases, employment elasticity, and sustainable development strategies that prioritize inclusive growth over digital illusions. India's jobless growth and Nigeria's low-quality employment issues exemplify the risks of relying solely on technology without addressing structural economic foundations. For true progress, investment in infrastructure, education, and productive capacity is crucial, not just technological innovation.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Bridging the ‘Gulf’ Towards Scaled Impact: How to Unlock CSR Potential

The Gulf is known for its generous philanthropic traditions, yet corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the region often falls short of its potential due to a lack of strategic frameworks. While regulatory compliance drives CSR initiatives, many are reactive and narrow in scope, limiting their long-term impact. This article explores how businesses can move beyond ad-hoc efforts and government-backed initiatives to adopt a strategic approach to CSR. By aligning CSR with business objectives, as seen in Careem’s model, companies can create both social and commercial value. Discover the barriers and opportunities for CSR in the Middle East and how firms can harness it as a tool for growth and innovation.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

The Geopolitical Cost of Connectivity: Africa's Reliance on Foreign Data Infrastructure

Africa's growing digital divide with the West is rooted in imbalanced data infrastructure and outdated communication systems. With 50% of data centers in the US and less than 2% in Africa, Western tech giants exploit African user data. To bridge the gap, Africa needs robust data protection and investment in local digital infrastructure.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

The Gilded Cage: How Government Debt Appetite Stifles Economic Growth

Across Africa, a concerning financial trend is unfolding that threatens long-term economic development. Government bonds offering remarkably high yields have become the dominant investment choice, drawing capital away from other critical sectors of the economy. This piece explores the “gilded cage”phenomenon of exorbitant government debt appetite stifling economic diversification and growth. 

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Resilience Amidst Adversity: Localization in Nigeria's Ailing Economy

Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, is set to become the world's fourth-most populous country by 2050. However, it is currently facing significant economic challenges, including rampant inflation and a weakening currency due to President Tinubu's recent reforms. These issues have led to an exodus of Western multinationals, highlighting the tough economic environment. Citing the lessons from those riding the tide, Martin Nkonge, Botho's Analyst, argues that businesses must localize production, add value, and strategize to adapt to Nigeria's unique market conditions for long-term resilience amid ongoing volatility.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Is Education in Kenya Market-Aligned?

Kenya's education curriculum has been criticized for not aligning with market demands, favoring theoretical over practical and vocational education. This results in a mismatch between taught skills and job opportunities. Independent Education Consultant, Margaret Muhoro, and Botho's Analyst, Gerald Kilimo, argue that robust private sector engagement can bridge this gap, allowing companies to meet their talent needs locally while ensuring students gain employable skills.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Architecting Africa’s AI Future: Strategic Imperatives For Success

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the current hot topic driving conversations about the future of employment, innovation, and human potential. In Africa, this discourse is marked by both curiosity of its potential and caution over its responsible use. 

In this latest Brief, Botho Emerging Markets Group explores both the opportunities and obstacles that lie ahead with the development, deployment and use of AI in Africa. We discuss the current state of AI readiness across Africa, highlighting pioneering efforts that showcase the continent's potential to develop local solutions. 

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

What Does Stability in a Post-ATMIS Somalia Look Like?

Since the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)’s inception In April 2022, ATMIS has focused on protecting key government installations, reducing Al Shabaab's influence, reclaiming occupied territories, and improving humanitarian aid to Somalis. Two years later, as ATMIS withdraws from Somalia, Somalia’s stability is in question.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

Evolution or Obsolescence? Redefining the Responsibilities of Consultants

The world has shifted markedly over the last few years, making the business environment fast-evolving and unpredictable. Whether it’s political instability, technological innovation, or lingering effects of the pandemic, change is happening at a breakneck pace. To capitalize on this change, Botho’s Gulf Lead Naam Chakravarty and Konsalidon’s Chethan Reddy, argue that consultants must act as the bridge and connect the dots between seemingly disparate issues and leverage their cross-industry insights to scale their impact beyond siloed problem sets as well as adopt a risk “embracement” mindset.

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Featured Brief Bathsheba Asati Featured Brief Bathsheba Asati

Mapping the Refugee Journey Towards Employment and Entrepreneurship: Obstacles and Opportunities for Private Sector Engagement in Refugee Hosting Areas

This report presents the results of a study investigating the current pathways to employment and entrepreneurship for refugees in Kenya, and the actual and potential role of the private sector in creating economic opportunities in Kenya’s refugee-hosting areas. 

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

The Mirage of Monetary Unity: A Hypothetical Examination of an African Currency Union

In a continent marked by vast economic diversity and uneven development, the pursuit of a common currency for Africa — while well-intentioned — may not be the panacea for regional economic challenges. Botho’s Associate, Tito Mbathi, interrogates this dynamic by exploring what the outcomes of a hypothetical monetary union may look like in Africa. Read more to understand the nuanced implications of a common currency and some of the alternative paths available for Africa, as it strives toward effective economic integration.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

The King's Gambit: Saudi Arabia's energy diplomacy to advance their global interests 

Saudi Arabia has traditionally had a substantial influence on global energy dynamics. Historically, its massive oil riches have propelled this diplomacy, providing it with significant economic and political leverage on the global arena. Today, Saudi Arabia is attempting to strike a delicate diplomatic balance between the East and West. Botho's Principal, Isaac Fokuo, and Advisor, Tilda Mwai, investigate this shift in Saudi energy diplomacy, as the globe strives to adapt to sustainable energy.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

How the Houthi’s Bab Al Mandab Strait Blockade is Affecting Africa’s Marine Geoeconomics

One of the most significant international trade ramifications of the Houthi blockade through the Bab El Mandeb Strait has been the choking of the Suez Canal affecting the Red Sea economy, while also causing shifts in Africa's maritime landscape. We delve into how the Cape of Good Hope is beckoning a relook at the Cape’s ports’ untapped potential while the Red Sea ports in Somaliland and Egypt are experiencing a paradoxical rise in their geostrategic stakes, potentially reshaping the landscape of global trade.

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Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba Featured Brief Jacqueline Ekumba

China’s Strategic Recalibration of Its African Investment Policy

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched with ambitious global economic goals in 2013, now stands at a crossroads. Since 2013, China has poured over $1 trillion into the BRI, positioning it as a central pillar of engagement with emerging markets like Africa, Asia, and Latin America. However, concerns surrounding the initiative’s impact, especially in Africa, have prompted China to reassess its engagement on the continent. Reports of non-performing loans and financial distress among recipient countries have prompted Chinese policymakers to adopt a more cautious investment strategy, shifting away from solely state-backed loans. Subsequently, China is transitioning from infrastructure loans to fostering Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), a strategy that could potentially alleviate Africa's debt burden while diversifying China's regional involvement. This shift towards PPPs could redefine China-Africa economic relations, moving beyond the "debt-trap diplomacy" narrative.

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