East African Business Notifier

  Fissures within US President-elect Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” coalition have appeared sooner than expected. By the end of December, the tech-billionaire wing was in  open warfare  with MAGA’s nativist wing over America’s H-1B visa program, which enables US businesses to employ some  600,000 skilled foreigners  per year on a temporary basis. Speaking for the billionaires, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla (a  top H-1B employer) ,  argues  that, “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.”  Likewise, Vivek Ramaswamy, another tech billionaire advising Trump,  claims  that US companies need H-1B workers because, “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer).”  In response, MAGA activists like Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon – but also democratic socialists like Bernie San...

Leveraging its expertise and extensive experience, Thales offers top-notch maintenance services, including frequent diagnostics for its STAR 2000 and RSM 970S radar solutions, as well as its TopSky-ATC system, ensuring that all solutions supplied to ZACL remain up-to-date and high-performing. This maintenance contract offers comprehensive support from Thales, encompassing both preventive and corrective maintenance.  It includes electronic repairs services for STAR 2000 and RSM 970S radars and software corrections for TopSky-ATC systems, ensuring full visibility on the maintenance budget with fixed pricing. Thales will provide STAR 2000 and RSM 970S radars with annual health checks, vibration analysis and quarterly on site visits to anticipate issues and ensure optimal performance.  TopSky-ATC systems will benefit four preventive maintenance checks by year and three annual visits by technical and operational support teams to conduct deeper checks. Both these solutions will...

The world economy awaits with dread the arrival of Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. Trump clearly loves import duties and has promised to raise them for goods from China, Europe, Mexico, and even Canada.  How much havoc this will wreak depends not just on the tariffs’ scope and magnitude, but also on the purpose to which they are put. Economists dislike tariffs for a variety of reasons. Like all barriers to market exchanges, they create inefficiency: they prevent you from selling me something I value more than you do, leaving both of us worse off in principle.  Economic theory does recognize that this inefficiency can be offset by gains elsewhere. For example, tariffs can do some good in the presence of infant industries, knowledge spillovers, monopoly power, or national-security concerns. Even then, economists will argue, tariffs are a very blunt instrument. After all, an import tariff is a specific combination of two different policies: a tax on consumption of the imported good...

Assessments of US President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to impose high tariffs on Chinese imports tend to focus on their likely economic consequences. But the tariffs’ impact on China’s politics might prove to be far more profound. Western leaders long believed that China’s integration into the global economy would naturally lead to the rise of a strong  middle class  that would push for democratization.  In Taiwan, for example, the rise of the middle class preceded the democratic transition, which began in 1987. At the time,  per capita GDP  ($5,325) was already approaching the high-income threshold of  $6,000  – a level it surpassed the following year ($6,338) – and household disposable income accounted for  67%  of GDP. But the robust and pro-democratic middle class US leaders anticipated never materialized in China, not least because of the country’s one-child policy. Because the share of people in the workforce relative to children and th...

November’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, dubbed the “Finance COP,” left many deeply disappointed – for good reason.  While the pledge to mobilize  $300 billion  in climate finance by 2035 is a good start, it falls far short of what is needed to accelerate the development of low-carbon energy systems in low- and middle-income countries. Improving access to renewable energy is particularly urgent in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where 60 million people live without reliable power and  16 million  lack even basic access to electricity. This energy gap underscores the need for sustainable and inclusive solutions. Accelerating the global energy transition depends on advancing economic and social development. One way to achieve this is to integrate modern, sustainable energy into every industry, community, and household across the region, ensuring that the benefits of long-term development are widely shared. To be sure, LAC countri...

The Nasser International Forum announced that the Nasser Fellowship for International Leadership, in its fifth edition, has received the esteemed patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for the fourth consecutive year.  The event, which is scheduled to take place in the coming period, will witness the participation of 150 young leaders from around the world.   Anthropologist and founder of the Nasser International Forum, Hassan Ghazaly, emphasized that the Nasser Fellowship for International Leadership is one of the Forum's key programs, which also includes: the Nasser International Youth Movement to support bilateral relations, a training and preparation program for student cadres in translation and international media, and the "Articles and Opinions" portal, which provides a platform for independent voices.  He further highlighted that the fellowship plays a significant role in supporting international development e...

The monthly Stanbic Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which provides a measure of prevailing private sector outlook, dropped to 53.1 during December compared to the 55.7 reading posted in November. Christopher Legilisho, Economist at Stanbic Bank said, “Stanbic Bank Uganda PMI data for December reveals sustained strong private sector growth, with businesses budding in optimism about present and future economic conditions.  "Private sector business conditions expanded for the ninth consecutive month due to strong sustained customer demand resulting in an expansion in output and new orders despite a dip in employment for a second month in a row.” He said, “The uptick in new order growth occurred across the board, reflecting the acquisition of new clients and an improvement in consumer purchasing power. Consequently, there was an increase in backlogs during the month. Firms ramped up their purchasing activity and inventories to accommodate for strong demand.” The Stanbic PMI is compi...

  The global spotlight will turn to Africa on  May 22-23, 2025 , as the  RegTech Africa Conference and Awards  convenes at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, to explore the transformative power of  Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)  in reshaping the continent’s economic future.  Under the theme  “Unlocking Africa’s Cross-Border Payments, Trade, and Investment Opportunities through Public-Private Partnerships,”  this year’s event promises to ignite actionable dialogue, foster groundbreaking partnerships, and showcase cutting-edge solutions for Africa’s growth. Organized by  RegTech Africa , the premium event will convene over  1,000 global participants , including  high-level policymakers ,  government leaders ,  global innovators ,  trade experts ,  investors ,  and industry leaders , to forge actionable solutions and build strategic partnerships. A Call to Action: Harnessing Partnerships for Africa...

Africa Magic, in partnership with MultiChoice, have announced the call to entry for the 11th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). Entries are now open and will close on Friday, 31 January 2025 . The AMVCAs celebrate exceptional talent, creativity, and innovation within the African film, television, and entertainment industry, showcasing the continent’s finest storytellers, performers, and production professionals. Consequently, filmmakers, producers, production companies, creators, are encouraged to submit films, made-for- television movies or television series that were broadcast or publicly screened, from 1 December 2023 to 31 December 2024, for a chance to be recognized at Africa’s most prestigious awards event. Speaking on the upcoming edition, Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “The AMVCAs have become a beacon of excellence, celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of African storytelling. We are excited to...

  M-Net's Pearl Magic Prime (DStv Ch. 148 & GOtv Ch. 303) is expected to launch Tamara My Wife, an enthralling Ugandan drama series set to premiere on 6 th  January 2025, at 10:00 PM.  This captivating show will take over the prime-time Monday slot, delivering a blend of suspense, passion, and heartache. Set against the backdrop of Uganda's central region, Tamara My Wife delves into the trials of Tamara Kyeyune, a woman whose life is defined by her unshakable bond with her father, Mr. Kyeyune, and the sacrifices she makes for her family.  Having endured five failed marriages, Tamara now faces new challenges in her latest marriage to Jerome Semwanga portrayed by Ismah Mayengo —the one man she chose for herself. As love, betrayal, and societal expectations intertwine, Tamara must navigate an emotional journey to achieve her dream of becoming a mother and reuniting with her one true love. Margaret Mathore, Head of Channel for M-Net East Africa, shared her enthu...