Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s fastest plastic bottle production line in its East Africa operations, with a capacity of 67,000 bottles per hour and equipped with state-of-the-art technology such as robotic arms and automated fillers, is driving efficiency and growth in the Ugandan beverages industry.

In 2022, Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU), a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, commissioned the construction of a new line at its head office in Namanve. The line was designed to increase efficiency and productivity.

CCBU’s new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production line started operating last year. The company invested $27 million to ensure CCBU’s range of soft drinks are widely and consistently available to consumers.

In a move to support Ethiopia amidst ongoing crises, the government of the Republic of Korea has announced a substantial humanitarian aid package totaling $7 million USD. This funding is set to bolster the efforts of several international organizations working to alleviate the severe impacts of conflict and instability in the East African nation.

The aid will be distributed across four key international agencies, each tasked with addressing different facets of the humanitarian crisis.

The Republic of Korea’s decision reflects a deep commitment to addressing urgent humanitarian needs and fostering international cooperation in the face of global challenges. The South Korean government has expressed its determination to work closely with the Ethiopian government and international partners to ensure that this aid reaches those in need efficiently and effectively.

Industrialization anchors economic growth, industrial development, and facilitates trade creation and special economic zones (SEZs) are a key policy tool in this endeavour.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 7th SADC Industrialization Week & Exhibition, which kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 28 2024, Eunice Kamwendo, Director of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), highlighted that SEZs are an important policy tool to support private sector development, including micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises.

“SEZs should align with a country’s comparative and competitive advantage and be supported by a conducive policy and regulatory environment, including the integration of these zones into broader national development plans and policy frameworks,” said Kamwendo, adding that “strong political will is necessary to secure bilateral investment commitments to the zones by providing confidence to investors.”

Kamwendo emphasized that stakeholders in the region should consider the specific needs, priorities, and comparative and competitive advantages of each country in the region in deciding on specific SEZs approaches. In addition, she underlined that it is crucial to introduce transparent and harmonised policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for transboundary SEZs to facilitate growth of regional value chains.

Security forces in Somalia’s southern city of Kismayo have seized hundreds of Islamic face veils from female residents, the city’s police chief says…The crackdown was sparked by concerns that jihadists could conceal their identity and carry out attacks, Mr Warsame said…On Friday dozens were killed in an attack at a popular beachfront location in Mogadishu, the capital. Officers in Kismayo have been confiscating the veils by stopping women in the streets and forcing them to remove the garment. The operation began last Wednesday, Mr Wasame said. Women caught wearing the niqab, which covers the whole face expect for the eyes, also face jail or a fine. Because al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia, Kismayo and its surrounding areas are the only places in the state of Jubaland where authorities can enforce the ban. The state initially introduced the niqab ban in 2013, citing security risks, but it was rarely enforced. (BBC)