Posts by Alastair Tempest
Data Quality Limiting AI’s Effectiveness in Africa
AI can help improve trade logistics by making delivery systems, customs processes, and tracking and tracing more efficient. It can find the best ways to move goods, predict delays, and…
Read MoreEFA Co-hosts a Session on Data Transfers in Africa at the UNCTAD e-Week
Tendi Hlatshwayo, EFSA Board member and Chair of the Legal Committee, participated in ‘the E-Commerce Legal and Regulatory Framework for Data Governance in Developing Countries’ session, which was co-hosted by…
Read MoreAfrican Development Bank Supports Investment in High-value Sectors and Regional Value Chains
The African Economic Conference organised by the AfDB has ended with a call to African nations to invest in high-added value sectors and develop regional value chains to stimulate industrialization.…
Read MoreThe Startup Genome Ecosystem 2023 Report
The African startup ecosystem has grown tremendously over the years, birthing multiple innovative startups that have evolved into global brands. Each year, several new companies emerge with ingenious technological solutions,…
Read MoreUS Senator Proposes Extension to the AGOA Trade Agreement
Following the AGOA Summit in Johannesburg last month (see the Newsletter), U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), who was one of the attendees at the Summit, has released a discussion draft…
Read MoreAfrica calls for a UN tax convention
In October 2023, the Africa Group at the United Nations tabled a proposal calling for a comprehensive UN tax convention. Now, over 200 organisations and trade unions have sent a…
Read MoreGSMA Points to the Importance of Social Commerce in Africa
Africa has several retail e-platforms which can handle logistics and simplify payment, but those are not very popular, finds a recent survey by the GSMA, the association of mobile-phone operators.…
Read MoreAfrican Sea-ports Flourish
Elsewhere the news is much more cheerful. The opening of Nigeria’s ‘game-changing’ billion-dollar deep-water seaport in Lekki, in early 2023, together with other ongoing and upcoming projects around the continent reflects…
Read MoreTrouble at SA’s State Enterprises Impacts Ecommerce.
During November, the news started to leak out that the SA Post Office was in dire straights with over R19bn ($1bn) in debts and over 1,100 creditors. The R2.5bn bail…
Read MoreCross-border Payments and update on the SA Situation
The Pan-African Payments and Settlements Service (PAPSS) and EFA organised a session at the UNCTAD eWeek. We pointed out that cross-border ecommerce requires payment mechanisms to ensure that purchases are…
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