June 4, 2024 /Economy/ — The BRICS bloc has been in the news recently due to a significant development: it doubled its membership in January 2024. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were all invited to join Atlantic Council. This expansion has the potential to reshape the bloc’s influence, but it also comes with challenges. Continue reading
The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index — a leading indicator tracking demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories and backlogs based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses — rose in April to -0.18, from -0.32 in March, which signals that global supply chains are operating at close to full capacity. Continue reading
New academic research released today from the West African country of Ghana shows that waste in the second hand clothes sector (SHC) is dramatically lower than has been previously claimed. Continue reading
Spring Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Continue reading
– Nigerians born in the UK, often referred to as British Nigerians, have achieved notable success in various fields across Africa, particularly in business and sports. There are several factors that might contribute to this phenomenon: Continue reading
Sept. 15, 2023 /Economy/ — While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia are indeed known for their mineral wealth, particularly copper and cobalt, their identities extend far beyond these resources. Let’s dive deeper into the rich tapestry of these fascinating African nations: Continue reading
Nov. 29, 2023 /IEconomy/ — Zambia is a country in southern Africa that has been struggling with a heavy debt burden for many years. In 2020, the country became the first African nation to default on its sovereign debt during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to get its finances back on track, Zambia has been seeking to restructure its debt with its creditors. Continue reading
Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria
Three years after defaulting on its foreign debt, Zambia is still trying to reach agreement with all its creditors on how to manage this situation. This has left the southern African country in a state of development finance limbo. It is handicapped in raising the funds needed to generate jobs, build infrastructure, provide health, education and social services and deal with climate change. Its president, Hakainde Hichilema, has warned that the situation threatens to undermine its democracy.
The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index — a leading indicator tracking demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories and backlogs based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses — fell from -0.18 in August to -0.35 in September, with a sharper increase in excess capacity across the world’s supply chains. Continue reading