Harnessing Africa’s Creative Economy: A New Horizon for Impact Investing
In the ever-evolving landscape of impact investing, one sector is emerging with compelling potential—Africa’s Creative Economy. The Creative Economy is defined by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as being those sectors at the nexus of creativity, knowledge, and technology. It is comprised of diverse sectors including audio-visual media (like film and […]
Hope in adversity: A case for refugee financial inclusion (Last round of review)
No one dreams of displacement, yet unforeseen events can quickly upend lives. Whether it’s the armed conflict in Sudan, the devastating Russia-Ukraine standoff, or the growing incidents of flooding and drought driven by climate change, such crises compel countless people to leave their homes. By 2050, projections suggest that East Africa alone could see as […]
Impact Investment in Healthcare: The Case for Africa and the Underlying Gains
Big transitions, bold solutions, collective power, systematic change. These themes set the stage for the upcoming Impact Forum, a global impact investing event by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). Within the African context, however, one must question if we have truly experienced the transformative power of impact investment, especially in crucial sectors like healthcare. […]
The Case for Gender-Smart Investing in Accelerating Africa’s Economic Transformation
Africa’s growth story cannot be told without women. Women make up more than 50% of the continent’s population and contribute significantly to its economies, from running farms and businesses to driving innovation at the grassroots level. Despite this, women-owned businesses continue to be excluded from mainstream finance by structural barriers such as: Access to finance: […]
Mobilizing Domestic Capital: From Dormant Assets to Scalable Impact
As a continent, Africa’s development story is often told through the lens of aid and external investment. Yet beneath the surface lies a powerful but underutilized resource: domestic capital. Pension funds, insurance reserves, sovereign wealth funds, and diaspora remittances together represent hundreds of billions of dollars. But much of this capital remains locked in low-yield, […]
Africa’s Workforce for Tomorrow: Investing in Jobs, Skills and Innovation
Africa’s young population is growing faster than formal employment opportunities. This mismatch threatens social stability, but also signals the urgency of rethinking how skills are developed and jobs are created. Reports show that every year, nearly 12 million young Africans enter the labor force, but only about 3 million formal jobs are created. And that […]
From Risk to Resilience: How Africa Can Lead on Catalytic Capital Models
Despite decades of effort and billions in development financing, Africa continues to face a deep and persistent investment gap. Public budgets and traditional donor financing are stretched thin. And while the continent’s entrepreneurial and policy innovation ecosystem is growing, private capital remains hesitant, especially when it comes to high-impact sectors like healthcare, climate resilience, education, […]
AI for Impact: How Technology is Powering Inclusive Solutions in Africa
Africa is embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is shaping how communities tackle health, education, climate resilience, and economic inclusion. While global conversations on AI often focus on automation and efficiency, the story in Africa is different. AI is emerging as a tool for impact; from bridging access gaps to scaling local innovations, it is unlocking […]
Private Sector at the Forefront: The Role of Business in Achieving the SDGs
When the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, they set an ambitious vision of a world without poverty, hunger, and inequality, built on fairness and care for the environment. The Business & Sustainable Development Commission estimates that achieving the SDGs by 2030 could unlock $12 trillion in new market opportunities globally, […]
Unlocking Africa’s Sustainable Growth
By Tochukwu Ezeukwu, Regional Director, West Africa Experts agree Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a growth frontier crucial to global economic growth into the future while maintaining resilience in the face of strong headwinds. Despite its potential, including abundant natural resources and a youthful population; the region has not delivered levels of economic growth enough to […]