The biggest news for the world’s Africa watchers this September has ironically been the UN’s General Assembly and 70th Anniversary festival held with great fanfare in New York this past week. Global powers attempted to shake hands and agreed to keep our planet sustainable for a little while longer. We’re holding our breath. Many aren’t – William Easterly makes his point clearly.
Addis Abeba inaugurated an urban mass transit system – the Chinese constructed light rail, a first on the continent. The Addis Fortune has covered numerous elements of introducing modern transportation, suddenly. Meanwhile, China has announced her intentions regarding the future of African rail, road and aviation infrastructure.
Dairy and the entire cow and milk ecosystem is rapidly emerging as an extremely attractive investment sector for businessmen and investors, big and small. Newcomer Cowsoko’s emergence has created ripples of interest as this young Kenyan agricultural engineer demonstrates the business viability of a concept that many richly funded pilot programs were unable to scale. Shoutout to Nigeria’s Techpoint.ng to bring him to our notice, thank you!
African women in technology have collaborated on a database of professionals and their skills available across the continent. Notable names in the news this month include Nigerian pathbreaker Funke Opeke of MainOne, Dr. Nasra Ali of Kaldi Coffee, Jeanne D’Arc Girubuntu of Rwanda, and the South Africa Ranger group, the Black Mambas. Pictured are the 118 recent college graduates of the University of East Africa in Puntland.
Dangote Cement of Nigeria has been single handedly attempting to provide employment to the entire continent, it seems, expanding their footprint with groundbreaking new factories as far south as Zimbabwe and east to Tanzania. Cement, paint, even masonry training – Africa’s infrastructure construction boom is boosting the entire formal and informal ecosystem supporting the industry. Pictured is Dangote’s plant in Mtwara, Tanzania, snapped by Michael Gardias.
