With only three of the ten undersea cables that connect South Africa to the world still in operation, it is quite remarkable that the region remains as well connected as it is.  This is the view of Workonline Communications (www.Workonline.Africa/), one of the leading providers of wholesale IP transit services in Africa, commenting on recent disruptions to internet connectivity across the continent due to multiple undersea cable faults.

“The cable breaks on both sides of the continent have highlighted the issue of the lack of capacity to support Africa’s burgeoning internet requirements,” says Edward Lawrence of the Workonline Group. “There are 574 active and planned submarine cables across the globe, yet South Africa only has 10 that connect it to the rest of the world, and seven of these are currently out of action.”

In February 2024, three vital cables—AAE-1, EIG, and SEACOM—connecting the east coast of Africa to Europe were disrupted, allegedly due to vandalism by the Houthis. Then, on March 14, 2024, four out of the five west coast cables—SAT3, WACS, ACE, and MainOne—were affected, reportedly by an undersea rock fall near Ivory Coast. These incidents have significantly impacted internet connectivity, not only in South Africa but across the entire continent.

The capacity constraints are further complicated by the time it takes to not only repair submarine cables, but also to lay new infrastructure. Lawrence explains that it can take 18 months or longer to plan for new cables, and a further two years or more to actually build and commission them.

“We’re fortunate that due to our investment in Africa and abroad we are able to be more nimble than most and can increase our undersea capacity at speed. We’ve designed our network to be as resilient as possible, acquiring capacity on the most stable routes we can find. Incremental capacity, or augments as they are referred to, require us to acquire hundreds of Gbps of capacity at a time, so we rely on our deep relationships which we’ve developed across the industry.”

Through strategic partnerships and investments in mega Points of Presence (PoPs) across Africa, Workonline remains at the forefront of delivering high-quality IP transit services to meet the evolving needs of ISPs and CDNs in Africa.

“We understand the critical importance of internet connectivity in today’s digital age,” added Lawrence. “As such, we are committed to proactively managing network disruptions and minimizing downtime to provide our customers with the continuity they need to thrive in a competitive landscape.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Workonline Communications.

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About Workonline Communications Group:
Workonline (AS 37271), founded in 2006, is one of the largest IP transit networks in Africa. The company operates mega PoPs across South, East and West Africa, Europe, and Asia, and is continually expanding its infrastructure across the African continent.

Workonline (AS 37271) is one of the largest and the fastest growing IP transit networks in Africa. The company is focused on providing highly scalable, high quality, and flexible service options to meet the needs of carriers, Internet Service Providers, content providers, and mobile operators.

Website: www.Workonline.Africa/news
Email: bizdev@workonline.africa

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Mozambique reinforced their partnership during a visit by Mr. Solomon Quaynor, the Bank’s Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization.

This visit, held from March 12th to 15th, 2024, underscores the Bank’s commitment to supporting Mozambique’s economic growth trajectory, particularly following the third review of the country’s Extended Credit Facility with the International Monetary Fund and the Bank’s recent Economic Acceleration Package and Budget Support Mission.

Accompanied by the Bank’s Country Manager Cesar Mba Abogo, Vice President Quaynor held meetings with key government officials, including Minister of Economy and Finance and African Development Bank Governor Ernesto Max Elias Tonela; Minister of Transport and Communications Mateus Magala; and Minister of Industry and Commerce, Silvino Augusto Moreno.

Discussions revolved around the Bank’s support for private sector development and industrialization through strategic infrastructure projects along vital regional economic corridors linked to Maputo, Beira, and Nacala. These corridors hold immense potential to unlock Mozambique’s economic opportunities and foster regional trade with several other countries.

Quaynor also held consultation meetings with other stakeholders involved in the Mozambican economy, including the Mozambican Association of Banks, Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric, Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Mozambique, Maputo Port Development Company, Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique, Mozambique’s premier industrial park company called Moz Parks, Export Trading Group and the Canadian Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen. 

The Mozambican government expressed gratitude for the Bank’s continued support for regional integration and green industrialization in Southern Africa.

Minister Tonela said, “We are encouraged by Mozambique’s economic prospects. The resilience our nation has demonstrated in the face of acute shocks is a testament to the strength and determination of our people. However, we acknowledge that fragility drivers, such as climate change and security threats, remain a concern. This is why partnerships with development institutions like the AfDB are so crucial. We are determined to foster inclusive and green growth for our people, the region and the world.”

The partnership between the Bank and Mozambique aligns with the country’s national development plans and the institution’s long-term strategies, prioritizing economic governance, private sector investment, and sustainable agricultural transformation – a critical sector for Mozambique’s economic diversification.

Quaynor stated, “Mozambique’s resilience is a strong indication of the leadership role that it is poised to play in ensuring green energy supply to the South African Power Pool, as well as building climate resilient economic corridors to benefit internal markets in Mozambique as well as regional trade with and from land-linked countries in the Southern Africa Development Community. We appreciate the government’s steadfast trust in the Bank’s capacity to deliver on its mandate in Mozambique.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contact:
Elisângela Cristo
e.pintocristo@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

The UNESCO biosphere reserve of Príncipe island was the site of the first international conference dedicated to biodiversity financing hosted by the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Regional Government of Príncipe, in partnership with the United Nations and the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org).

Raising awareness of the challenges in mobilizing sustainable financing, the event held 14-15 March 2024, identified concrete mechanisms to generate additional financial flows anchored in biodiversity. It also  showcased solutions that Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles and Cape Verde have found to attract innovative environmental finance and blended finance investments to support terrestrial (green) and marine (blue) conservation activities.

Participants included high-level government representatives, the diplomatic corps representatives from Cap-Verde, Equatorial Guinee, Portugal and Brazil, civil society, financial institutions, private investors, international experts, and senior representatives of the African Development Bank and the United Nations.

The island country, home to many endemic flora and fauna, counts nearly 900 registered plant species, of which around 400 are endemic.

Hosting the event on the island provided an opportunity to learn about the efforts of the Regional Government of Príncipe to protect its biodiversity.  Field visits included the Abade Mangrove and the natural park of Príncipe, where biodiversity restoration and conservation are ongoing. The conference was a roadmap for sustainable blue and green financing for São Tomé and Príncipe and other small island developing states.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada praised the African Development Bank and the United Nations for their support to its organization. “From a global point of view, without adequate financing, and restructuration and coordination of multilateral and innovative financing mechanisms, we will continue jeopardizing the biodiversity and all essential ecosystems required for our collective well-being,” Trovoada said.

Speaking on behalf of African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, Pietro Toigo, Country Manager for São Tomé and Príncipe said, “Turning natural capital into financial flows that can be deployed for development is a key plank of a just climate settlement; the African Development Bank is committed to avail its financial expertise and capital to provide innovative solutions for nature-rich African countries like São Tomé and Príncipe.”

Minister of Finance, responsible for entrepreneurial development and the digital economy of Cabo Verde, Olavo Correia said, “It is fundamental to address climate change as an emergency, bringing scale and speed, and creating impact for people, in particular youth and women”.

Several African countries have experience with innovative financing vehicles — the Seychelles debt for nature swap and blue bond issuance, the impact investment and conservation funds of Mozambique and Rwanda, and the soon-to-be established São Tomé and Príncipe Fund for Biodiversity. The overarching message for mobilizing biodiversity financing from donors and private sector: African countries must have a coherent policy framework and governance environment to establish clearly dedicated and independent resource mobilization vehicles and to insist on good governance, accountability, commitment and transparency to ensure sustainable conservation activities.

The African Development Bank has set and achieved ambitious targets for climate finance with its 2018 commitment to invest at least 40% of its total lending program in climate-related activities, and at least half in adaptation. In 2023, 55% of its lending program was in climate finance of which 56% was invested in mitigation and 44% in adaptation. In 2023, the Bank lent $10.6 billion overall, of which $5.8 billion was climate finance.

During panel presentations, African Development Bank staff highlighted its increasing support in addressing climate action through the launch and operationalization of the Climate Action Window under the 16th replenishment of the African Development Fund, its various fiduciary funds, risk mitigation structures such as partial credit guarantees to de-risk capital market transactions against Sustainable Financing Frameworks, among other initiatives. Gareth Philips, Manager of the Climate and Finance Division at the Bank, announced financing for the first phase of the UN’s  Adaptation Benefits Mechanism (https://apo-opa.co/3v97No0), an innovative mechanism for mobilizing new and additional public and private sector finance for enhanced climate change adaptation action being piloted in selected African countries. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: media@afdb.org

As night falls over Marrakech’s medina, wrought-iron lanterns illuminate the narrow streets of the souk. The air is filled with scents of saffron and mint, and the metallic clang of the water carriers’ cymbals punctuates the buzz from the maze of alleyways.

It is to this UNESCO World Heritage site that Zineb Iraqi, a social entrepreneur and co-founder of the cooperative Maison Malake, comes to seek inspiration for her products.

Located at the centuries-old crossroads of civilisations and trade routes, Marrakech fascinates her. “I often go there with my partners to try new flavours and develop new recipes,” she says.

Since last year, Maison Malake has been producing spreads using ground cashew nuts from Guinea Conakry. All of the company’s ingredients are 100 percent natural, organic, and high in protein, antioxidants, copper and magnesium. Cashew nuts are an excellent food with enormous potential, that are still relatively underused.

The idea of promoting and processing cashew nuts came to Zineb and to her partners, Ali Akdim, Aïcha Bammoun and Said Abdelkader El Figuigui while they were visiting a cashew nut plantation in Guinea Conakry.

Convinced of the nut’s potential, the friends decided to create a social cooperative, calling it “Malake”, or “angel” in classical Arabic. Proud of Africa’s richness and diversity, the four friends were keen to pay tribute to it. “We love Africa, and we wanted our actions to be meaningful,” explains Zineb.

Maison Malake is committed to developing sustainable partnerships throughout its value chain, from its network of producers and suppliers to its distributors and customers. The cooperative aims to protect and develop ecosystems, while striving for innovation. Maison Malake products align with a “quality for all” strategy and are now available throughout Morocco.

The cooperative was able to establish itself in Morocco rapidly thanks largely to Eden Souk, the country’s leading marketplace for organic and natural products. The platform is supported by the African Development Bank through the Azur Innovation Fund investment fund. 

Eden Souk ensures that its producers are better paid, since fair trade guarantees them better margins. For consumers looking for controlled, authentic products that support their well-being the provenance and quality of items sold through a short distribution circuit with a limited carbon footprint is reassuring.

Zineb Iraqi exudes the energy of the continent’s young entrepreneurs who are promoting African knowledge and know-how from a South-South perspective. Her ambition is to export the Made in Africa concept worldwide. Smiling, she envisages “a future in which Africa promotes its youth and its women and prospers”. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).