East African Business Notifier

  Across many African contexts, healthcare is still largely sought only when illness becomes unavoidable, a pattern that is often interpreted as negligence or lack of awareness. This reflects the realities of access and resources: According to Health Policy Watch,   only about 48 % of Africans have access to basic primary healthcare services ,  leaving millions without convenient entry points for early care Moreover, according to the African Mission Healthcare, sub-Saharan   Africa has just ~1.3 health workers per 1,000 people , far below the WHO-recommended minimum density for routine and preventive services.     Even for conditions like childhood illness, data show that up to 15 % of caregivers do not seek formal care at all , and many of those who do typically wait until symptoms are pronounced Delayed care is not a behavioural problem. It is a design problem. In many settings, healthcare systems unintentionally condition people to treat medical car...

The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) has announced the appointment of James Mutonyi as its Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s evolution and long-term strategy. Mutonyi succeeds Joseph Mwangangi, who has served as Interim CEO since late 2024 following the departure of the previous CEO. Mr. Mwangangi will continue to serve AFAP in an executive role, ensuring leadership continuity and sustained strategic direction. James Mutonyi is a foundational figure in Africa’s agricultural market development ecosystem, with a professional journey closely intertwined with the origins of AFAP and its parallel market-systems work alongside the Agricultural Market Development Trust (AGMARK). His appointment reflects both continuity of AFAP’s mission and a renewed ambition to scale its impact as a leading African social enterprise. A rural development expert and agricultural specialist with over 20 years of experience, Mr. Mutonyi has worke...

In business, not every company has the tools, skillset and capacity to meet their customers' expectations, there for to ensure that the gaps are filled, many organizations turn to outsourcing these services which is technically called Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The term BPO is a driving force in transforming Uganda’s digital economy, offering significant opportunities for its youthful population.  In an episode of the Ugandan podcast brought by the Ministry of IT and National Guidance in collaboration with MultiChoice Uganda, Dr Amina Zawedde, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Hassan Saleh, Chief Executive Officer at MultiChoice Uganda shed light on the immense potential of BPO. Dr. Zawedde defined BPO as a business which involves an entity performing a service or task for an organization or company, typically on a contract or part-time basis, without being a full-time employee .  These include, a production team for a show or podcas...

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has launched the United Nations flagship World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 (WESP 2026) report at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, highlighting a modest improvement in Africa’s growth outlook. According to the report, economic growth in Africa is projected to rise to 4.0 per cent in 2026 and 4.1 per cent in 2027, up from 3.5 per cent in 2024 and 3.9 per cent in 2025. The acceleration reflects greater macroeconomic stability in several large economies, supporting investment and consumer spending. Speaking at the launch, Stephen Karingi, Director, Macroeconomics, Finance and Governance Division at ECA, said that Africa’s improving outlook remains fragile in the face of global uncertainty.  “Despite the positive outlook, high debt-servicing costs, limited fiscal space and volatile commodity prices continue to weigh on Africa’s prospects for inclusive and sustainable growth,” Karingi said. Global output is forecast to grow by 2.7 per ce...

UN Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary, Claver Gatete and Morocco Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah Alaoui have signed the Host Country Agreement for the organization of ECA’s 58th session and Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2026).  The agreement sets out the areas of cooperation between the Morocco and the United Nations secretariat in planning and organizing the session, which serves as ECA’s principal policy-making organ.  COM 2026 will be taking place later this year in Tangiers, northern Morocco, from 28 March to 3 April under the theme: “Growth through innovation: harnessing data and frontier technologies for the economic transformation of Africa”.  “We thank Morocco for its leadership and trust. By hosting COM 2026 in Tangier, Morocco is helping elevate Africa’s collective economic voice and demonstrating how national leadership can drive regional solutions with global impact.  "Hostin...

Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija on behalf of the Government of Uganda and Sanjay Rughani the CEO and Head of Coverage, Uganda at Standard Chartered Bank have signed three Financing Agreements to fund key government infrastructure projects aligned with the Government's Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, aimed at expanding the economy to USD 500 billion by 2040. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, Hon. Sam Cheptoris – Minister of Water & Environment, Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ms. Maria Håkansson- Swedish Ambassador to Uganda, the Permanent Secretaries from Implementing Ministries, Dalu Ajene the CEO & Head of Coverage, Standard Chartered Africa, Sujithav Sarangi - Executive Director, Development & Agency Finance at Standard Chartered , Ms. Maria Kiwanuka - Board Chair Standard Chartered Uganda, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu and the three ...