So without further ado, here are the five (5) issues that will define political Africa in 2019. There has been a lot of good news around Africa recently, and many countries are achieving high economic growth rates – Senegal, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Ethiopia come to mind. The series of conflicts in Africa has left over 9 million persons to become refugees and internally displaced people. According to the AfDB’s 2019 African Economic Output report, 2018 growth rate was 3.5% and the projected growth rate for 2019 is 4.0%. In a very short period of time. … Concerns about an impending debt crisis in Africa are rising alongside the region’s growing debt levels. Each of these poles will have 2 billion people. However, despite the considerable progress Africa has made, the reality is that we are not growing fast enough. The reason we continue to struggle to reduce unemployment despite the progress in approach to the continent’s economy and the bright spots across the continent in the last decade is because the giants on Africa ; Nigeria and South Africa continue to slow down the continent’s economy. This optimism proved to be short-lived. 1 (Part 2): Changes to the Lobbying Disclosure Act and Foreign Agents Registration Act, LDA’s Registration Threshold Increases By $1,000. The Scramble for African startups: Is the Motherland happy about the Jumia IPO? We need to build a resilient economy that will allow Africa to increasingly proposer, independently of what happens in the rest of the world. The implication for Africa, however, is that Africa cannot rely on the rest of the world to drive our economic development. Public Debt in Nigeria Rose to N32.9tn in Dec 2020 – DMO, Post-Wits Protests: South African Universities Agree to Keep Fees “Reasonable”. Yemen. Hunger. Perhaps the most exciting leader on the continent, 42-year old Dr. Abiy Ahmed has raised … High and opaque levels of indebtedness in China. We believe that Africans should applaud themselves with the remarkable progress AfCFTA has made in a very short period of time. Corporations contracting foreign aid make hundreds of millions of dollars, dodge taxes, and expatriate the money abroad. Rwanda in particular needs to be cited for its outstanding performance, jumping from 41stin the world to 29th, ahead of countries like France, Netherlands, and Switzerland– remarkable (Mauritius remains the top African country at 20th). DR Congo + 26 more. This is still below the growth rate required to keep unemployment stable on the continent. This is still below the growth rate required to keep unemployment stable on the continent. 13 March 2021. In the case of both Nigeria and South Africa, 2018 growth was only 1.9%, dragging down the continent’s performance. Priorities of 2021. defeat the COVID-19 pandemic; accelerate economic recovery; implement economic reforms to create sustainable jobs and drive inclusive growth; and Slowing growth is a particular problem when combined with high indebtedness, which is a problem in the Eurozone, most acutely in Italy. If you have questions about Covington’s Africa Practice, please contact Witney Schneidman at wschneidman@cov.com. We will have ample time during the year to examine the country specific issues holding back Nigeria, South Africa, and others. This brings us to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). View the latest Africa news and videos from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Libya, Liberia and other African countries on CNN.com. WHO AFRO Outbreaks and Other Emergencies, Week 30: 22 - 28 July 2019; Data as reported by 17:00; 28 July 2019 … Government priorities. AERC: There are two priority policy issues facing the continent in 2020, and as we look forward to a new decade: public debt management and youth employment.We argue that both are directly tied together and if remedied through long-term, sustainable policies, we believe the decade before us will be Africa’s decade. Who is the Next Unified World Heavyweight Champion? Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, largest economy, and leading oil producer. AFRICA’S GROWTH PROSPECTS. What are the critical issues facing Africa in 2019? Wars (1,000–9,999 combat-related deaths in current or past year) The 13 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 1,000 and fewer than 10,000 direct, violent deaths in a current or past calendar year. The African Regional Health Report: The Health of the People. This is remarkable progress and all those who are driving this new pan-Africanism should be applauded. Nigeria: Current Issues and U.S. Policy Overview. Recent economic data show this construct is coming to an end, and China’s mal-investment (particularly in real estate) may finally be catching up. CURRENT CONFLICTS IN AFRICA AND EXAMPLES. Copyright © 2021, Covington & Burling LLP. South Africa: Current Issues, Economy, and U.S. Relations South Africa, a majority black, multiracial country of nearly 60 million people, has cordial relations with the United States, notwithstanding periodic strains, and is the largest U.S. trade partner in Africa. Water governance, “Day Zero” and the future of Cape Town, Will Nigeria’s economy gather momentum during the second half of 2019?, Responsible business – crafting South Africa’s responsibility journey through social innovation, a country can only be prosperous with a strong private sector – that is, a model of state-led growth cannot succeed, countries need to compete globally to build their private sectors, including creating a conducive business environment, The global economic headwinds, their impact and implications for Africa, The incredible achievement-in-making that is the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). And this is not happening by accident – over the last decade there has been an incredible paradigm shift in most countries, with a recognition that: This evolution in thinking has been supported with progress on many key measures, including the World Bank Ease of Doing Business rankings of African countries. The market that is most critical for our prosperity is in fact Africa. The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 failed and Africa has the most to lose. But we must use our cohesion and drive the progress of AfCFTA to ensure our future prosperity. The population in the rest of the world will be shrinking (and shrinking in East Asia as well). It has permeated all life facets from simple things like access to medical care, schools and jobs, to the grand scale of it all like award of contracts and use of public resources. There was an optimism that after 9 years of anemic growth following the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2018, global growth was going to take off. Perhaps some things but not enough. Successive U.S. In a world where divisions and fractures between people are becoming greater and greater, and politicians exploit these divisions to sow hatred and discontent, Africa has chosen a different path. In June, the United Nations General Assembly, for the third time, elected South Africa to serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2019-2020. Over 200 families whose livelihoods were disrupted when the by Cyclone Idai, struck on March 15, 2019 are set for relocation by Abdulateef Ahmed February 23, 2021 About 62% of South Africa's population lives in urban areas in major cities and towns such as Pretoria the administrative capital (Pretoria contains about 2.3 million people with urban growth rate of 2.97%), Johannesburg the economic powerhouse of South Africa (Johannesburg is also the largest city by population size in South Africa today. Hundreds and thousands of people have lost their lives due to conflicts and civil wars. Top Ten Issues to Watch in Africa in 2019, The Week Ahead in the European Parliament – Friday, March 12, 2021. According to the AfDB’s 2019 African Economic Output report, 2018 growth rate was 3.5% and the projected growth rate for 2019 is 4.0%. Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu, King of the Zulu Nation, Dies at 72. 4 Aug 2019 Originally published 4 Aug 2019. The effect has been great inequalities both in access of services from government offices as well as opportunities for investment with many local and foreign firms discouraged and forced to close business. Foreign aid on Africa impact on Africa is mostly negative. They have strong strings attached in favor of the donors. Although 67.4% is far better than in most other African countries, quality education is very hard to come by in Angola today. Africa is the world’s last frontier in the fight against extreme poverty. The Africa Union and Afrexim Bank have stepped up to drive this new pan-Africanism, based on economic prosperity and the private sector. Long considered domestic issues, the continent’s battles are really international contests for influence and power. As we enter 2019, we face a barrage of global negative economic news that has been building for some time. Corruption is endemic to the way of life in much of Africa. Administrations have described the U.S.-Nigeria relationship as among the most important in sub-Saharan Africa… He led South Africa’s largest ethnic group through decades of change and political turmoil. Covington: a unique capability to advise clients on public policy and governmental regulatory matters around the world. Will oil prices help or harm Nigeria’s economy in Q3? Fiscal challenges in the US, where the structural deficit at the Federal level has been exacerbated by recent tax cuts, cuts which are unlikely to lead to higher growth, basically because wealthier people don’t spend much more as they earn more. But difficulties remain. Some of the issues include: Of course, we all know 3 economists have 10 opinions about the future and it is not our purpose here to predict economic developments in 2019-2020. Current Issues in Comparative Education, v21 n1 p20-34 2019. It is unlikely we will sell into Europe and North America because with aging and shrinking populations, it is challenging to sell into these markets (which would require displacing existing suppliers in a shrinking market). Slowing growth in Europe; this was inevitable given Europe’s rapidlyageing population which seems to have taken leaders by surprise. India? Ethiopia. As of 2017, 19 African countries have exceeded the … By Kieron Monks, CNN Published 4:48 AM EST, Mon December 17, 2018 PHOTO: SIA KAMBOU/AFP/AFP/Getty Images. The Health of the People is the first report to focus on the health of the 738 million people living in the African Region of the World Health Organization. There is no other path. The October 2020 accord between rebels and Sudan’s transitional government is a big step forward. Today, one in three Africans—422 million people—live below the global poverty line. External powers should help Khartoum broaden the deal to include holdouts, reform the security sector and keep promises to invest in the country’s long-neglected peripheries. Of the 20 countries in the world with the worst food and nutrition security, 19 are in Africa. Conflicts ... 2019 Metekel conflict: Africa If one place has borne the brunt of international lawlessness over the past year it is Yemen. current edition: US edition News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Show More News US news ... Africa Inequality Global development More Middle East and North Africa . Foreign aid facilitate corruption, entrench “strong men” and create dependency. RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The highest ranking U.S. diplomat for North Africa and the Middle East traveled Saturday to the city of Laayoune, which Morocco considers the capital of the Western Sahara,... AP PHOTOS: Pandemic empties blue-hued Moroccan tourist town. Members of Covington & Burling’s Africa practice group pick out the key financial, legal and political issues to watch in Africa this year. According to the WFP 2020 Global Hotspots Report, millions of people in Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central Sahel region will require life-saving food assistance in the coming months – the sheer scale and complexity of which will stretch the UN food relief agency’s capacity to the limit and require generous donor support for a ramped-up humanitarian response. Power of partnerships: harnessing the strengths of other businesses to grow. However, despite the considerable progress Africa has made, the reality is that we are not growing fast enough. Below are some examples of current Conflicts In Nigeria. Although this literacy rate falls below average in Africa today, it is far better than in countries such as Burkina Faso and Burundi. ... October 22, 2019, 2:14 PM. For now, let’s examine the overall economic issues for Africa. The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect News Central’s editorial stance. In this world, how can Africa prosper? So as we look forward to 2019, Africa faces an uncertain economic environment in the rest of the world. AfCFTA was signed in Kigali, Rwanda on March 21, 2018, 49 member- countries of the African Union have signed the AfCFTA (SEE MAP), 18 countries have ratified the agreement (The proposal will come into force after ratification by 22 of the signatory states), UNECA predicts a 52% increase in intra-African trade by 2022 if AfCFTA is implemented. Nigeria’s PMI in focus; Dollar soars to fresh 2019 high. President Cyril Ramaphosa took office in 2018, after a series of corruption Algeria Issues Evacuation Orders to Figuig Farmers on its Borders. Brexit and The UK: A New, Independent Foreign Policy? President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address for 2021 on 11 February 2021.. Africa cannot rely on the rest of the world to drive our economic development. Would we be able to sell to China? A version of this blog was first published by African Law & Business. So we need to sell higher value goods and services. The business trends shaping Africa in 2019 – and beyond. Their executive roles were filled almost immediately with foreign faces – Nicolas Martin and Jeremy Doutte took over the reins. Get all latest news stories delivered to your phone or mail. This analysis examines South Africa's "Policy and Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS for Higher Education." Unlikely. This post can also be found on CovAfrica, the firm’s blog on legal, regulatory, political and economic developments in Africa. Understanding H.R. Growth for 2019 is now projected at 0.8%, half a percentage point lower than April’s forecast and unchanged from 2018, according to the bank’s October Africa’s Pulse report. All Rights Reserved. Well, if we sell raw materials to others – with little or no value added – we will continue to be poor. Home > Africa > Top Ten Issues to Watch in Africa in 2019. Here are the 2 biggest issues: In 2017, there was the concept of globally synchronized growth – that is, strong economic growth occurring in all the major markets – USA, EU, and China – lifting economies around the world. In fact, if we look a little further in the future, by 2050 there will be 3 major poles of population in the world – Indian sub-continent, East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam primarily), and Africa. Who will we sell these to? Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at 3.8% in 2019, which is a significant improvement over last year’s 2.6%. China’s economic miracle for the last decade has relied on ever increasing amounts of debt, often concealed in opaque structures. Though Africa accounts for less than 4 percent of carbon … Three Stellenbosch University academics designed an approach to eliminate water waste from their lab’s various systems, Nigeria sees fastest first-quarter growth since 2015, driven mainly by the non-oil sector, The new decade has in so many ways forced us to reconsider the way we live, work, produce,…. Africa can only become richer if Africans sell to Africans.