Egyptian non-oil sector continues contraction, at slower pace - PMI
CAIRO - Egypt's non-oil private sector activity shrank again in July, but at a slower pace than June's two-year low, as demand remains weakened by inflation and shortages continue to put pressure on supply, a survey showed on Wednesday. The S&P Global Egypt Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) strengthened slightly to 46.4 from June's 45.2, remaining below the 50.0 line that denotes growth. "The rate of contraction eased since June but was still sharp as several panelists found that rising prices led to a drop in client spending," S&P Global said. The manufacturing, construction, wholesale, and retail and services sectors have all seen a contraction, S&P said. The subindex for overall input prices fell back to 64.1 from 72.0 in June, while that for purchase costs fell to 64.2 from 70.9.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 16:44 UTC
South Africa national anthem: what are the lyrics and why are there two separate...
South Africa’s national anthem: what are the lyrics and why are there two separate songs? South Africa’s national anthem: what are the lyrics and why are there two separate songs? Picture: AlamyBy Classic FMSouth Africa’s national anthem is a musical diamond, being the only neo-modal national anthem in the world. South Africa’s national anthem combines new English lyrics with extracts from the 19th-century hymn ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’ and the Afrikaans song ‘Die Stem van Suid-Afrika’,‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (Lord, Bless Africa)’ is the official anthem of the African National Congress, while ‘Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (The Call of South Africa)’ was the country’s national anthem during Apartheid. Read more: The greatest national anthems in the worldWhat are the lyrics to South Africa’s national anthem?
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 15:33 UTC
Phising Scams Surge 234% in Africa, Especially in Tech Powerhouses
The company’s security solutions detected 10,722,886 phishing attacks in Africa in Q2, showing a 234% increase from the previous quarter. Tech powerhouses across Africa have seen the highest amount of growth in scams. Kaspersky researchers have observed intensified scamming activities, with numerous phishing pages distributed under the guise of airline and booking services. By sending massive waves of emails under the name of legitimate institutions or promoting fake pages, malicious users increase their chances of success in their hunt for innocent people’s credentials. HTML files allow attackers to use scripts, and obfuscate malicious content to make it harder to detect and send phishing pages as attachments instead of links.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 11:12 UTC
Nigeria’s Xend Finance adds to product suite of its global crypto bank
The Nigeria-based Xend Finance, a global crypto bank, has announced the launch of XendBridge, a crypto payment API, and SwitchWallet, a free public wallet infrastructure. Both XendBridge and SwitchWallet can easily be plugged into any existing web application to access the Web3 business solutions. “Previously, blockchain startups that wanted to support fiat in Africa found it very difficult because of the Central Bank restrictions on crypto,” said Ugochukwu Aronu, CEO of Xend Finance. As for SwitchWallet, startups before have been using foreign wallet services that require difficult KYBs and harsh regulations. Now, startups have their first free wallet infrastructure and one that is built to scale in Africa and meet international KYB standards.”
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 10:43 UTC
Applications open for $50k MEST Africa Challenge 2022
MEST Africa has announced the opening of applications for the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge, the winner of which will secure US$50,000 in equity funding. Founded in Ghana in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Jorn Lyseggen, MEST is a pan-African software and entrepreneurship training programme, seed fund, and incubator helping to launch technology startups across the continent. The MEST Africa Challenge is open to pre-seed to seed-stage technology startups in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya and South Africa, where regional competitions will be held in October. “We are excited to bring back this competition to give more African startups a platform to showcase and build on their unique value in an era where African startups and innovations are taking centre stage and gaining global recognition and investments. We look forward to an invigorating season that will increase the drive towards building better business in Africa,” said MEST Africa’s director of portfolio Melissa Nsiah.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 08:19 UTC
What are the Special Economic Zones in Africa?
Kenya has 61 special economic zones, the most of any country in the world. In addition, both Nigeria and Ethiopia are home to many special economic zones. African special economic zones are among the best in the world. The countries of Africa need to incorporate special economic zones (SEZs) into their plans for proper economic growth. Africa needs a comprehensive plan that looks far into the future to build special economic zones and realize the economic potential of those zones.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 06:59 UTC
The Hundred: When are the games? Which players are involved? All you need to know ahead of 2022 season
Southern Brave's men's side will begin their title defence on the opening evening, with Oval Invincibles' women's team launching theirs a week later on Thursday, August 11. Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers will play each other twice, with the other double-header derbies London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles, Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire. Due to women's cricket's involvement in the Commonwealth Games, there will be six group games in the women's competition, meaning some sides will not meet at this stage. The Eliminators will be held at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday, September 2, a day before the finals. A reserve day is available on Sunday, September 4 should Saturday's finals be adversely affected by the weather.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 06:34 UTC
Radio News Release (Soundbite): In collaboration with Canon and NRG Radio, Pro Series Gaming launches its Mortal Kombat tournament
Listen to the soundbiteDownload the soundbiteCanon (www.Canon-CNA.com) a pioneer of innovative imaging products, Pro Series Gaming, and NRG Radio, have collaborated on the PSG Fatalis Mortal Kombat tournament. The qualifying round of Pro Series Gaming’s (PSG) Africa Mortal Kombat Tournament took place on July 9th, 2022, at NRG Studios in Nairobi, Kenya. This year’s tournament, which is sponsored by Canon brings the best pro-gamers in Africa together to determine who the best Fighting Game eSports athlete is, in a one-on-one tournament. The grand finale event, including LAN Party, the Fatalis Finals, and a Cosplay competition, occurred on 30th July where the victor claimed the title of PSG Fatalis Champion, and took home an attractive pool of prizes, courtesy of Canon. Access the script and audio: https://we.tl/t-D58ywwalV0Read the full press release for more details: https://bit.ly/3vAPhlfFor further information on Canon North Africa, please visit: https://www.Canon-CNA.com/Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 03:22 UTC
Cameroon: Crisis grinds on due to anglophone divisions, Yaoundé’s unwillingness to negotiate
After five years of repeated exactions by both sides, official counts put at least 4,000 dead since late 2016, 712,000 internally displaced people and close to four million people in need of humanitarian aid. The problems and their historical rootsCameroon was colonised by France, Germany and Great Britain, with each leaving a lasting impact in the areas under their control. The current conflict started with protests about anglophone marginalisation, including the state of the education and legal systems. The government’s repression sparked further unrest.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 03:21 UTC
Libya’s parliament Speaker in Turkey for rapprochement – The North Africa Post
Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh travelled to Turkey Monday to seek rapprochement with Ankara to break the political deadlock in the oil-rich country which currently has two rival governments. The head of the Turkish-Libyan Friendship Group, Ambassador Ahmed Yildiz received Saleh, Al Wasat news website reports. Saleh will meet a number of senior Turkish officials during his stay in Ankara to seek agreement with Turkish authorities on the way forward in Libya. The North African country currently has two rival administrations, namely a Government of National Stability led by former Ankara protégé and former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, and the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Ankara currently backs Dbeibeh who was removed in February by the parliament at the expense of Bashagha.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 00:34 UTC
Bipartisan senators urge UN to help women under Taliban rule
A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter last week to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urging him to use the organization’s tools to liberate women and girls in Afghanistan. “We urge you to ensure the UN response in Afghanistan protects and advances the human rights of women and girls now under attack,” wrote Sens. The Foreign Relations Committee members petitioned the United Nations Security Council to bar members of the Taliban from traveling internationally, reimposing a 1988 ban. “The United Nations is uniquely positioned to influence the Taliban, without harming ordinary Afghans, and we urge you to use the tools already available to do so,” the senators wrote. “We strongly urge the United Nations to prioritize and advance the human rights of women and girls through all aspects of its work in Afghanistan,” they added.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 03, 2022 00:04 UTC
South Africa: Two International Awards for UCT's Katherine Antel
Implications of researchClose Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Science AIDS By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. It is highly curable when diagnosed early, but unfortunately is frequently diagnosed at a late stage in South Africa and is commonly misdiagnosed as TB (which can also cause enlarged lymph nodes). On the implications of her research locally, Antel said: "Cancer genomics is a nascent field in South Africa and our patients are very under-represented ethnic groups in genomic databases. I hope to use the skills I develop during my projects to expand science and translational research in cancer genomics in South Africa. I look forward to strengthening UCT's collaborations with these leading international cancer genomic institutions in the coming years."
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 02, 2022 22:18 UTC
Why didn’t you care about Africa’s hunger crisis?
Why does the world only care about food insecurity when it affects countries outside Africa, asks researcher Nkululeko Majozi. The food crises across the world triggered by the Ukraine war have suddenly put the issue of food security at the top of the global agenda. But in Africa, hunger is not an emerging issue – it has always been a part of our lives. And since the beginning of the Ukraine war, food insecurity started being an issue not only for Africa but also for parts of the Global North. Researcher Nkululeko Majozi says it is high time that the world realises food insecurity has always been and still is a global threat.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 02, 2022 21:54 UTC
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In northern Kenya, drought may keep some herders from voting
Samburu pastoralist slaughter livestock in the de-stocking of emaciated animals in a program by the government and the Kenya Red Cross to buy livestock, slaughter and distribute the meat as relief food to the most affected families following a prolonged drought near Lengusaka in Wamba, Samburu county, Kenya July 27, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaLENGUSAKA, Kenya, Aug 2 (Reuters) - In Kenya's northern Samburu County, severe drought has forced herders to migrate hundreds of kilometres in search of pasture and water, meaning some may have to skip voting in elections set for Aug. 9. They will not get a chance of coming back to vote," said Paul Paradisi, administrator of Koiting Location in Samburu County with about 6,800 residents. read moreTo cushion the impact, the government and Kenya Red Cross will spend some 24 million shillings ($202,190) to buy livestock for slaughter in Samburu County. The meat from the animals will be given back to the herders after they have been killed.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 02, 2022 21:16 UTC
Some Relief: This is How Much SA Petrol Prices Will Drop Tomorrow
Fuel prices in South Africa are expected to see a big drop on Wednesday as international oil prices have declined over the past month, with Brent crude currently at around $110 a barrel. This drop will bring some relief to South African motorists who have been dealing with a 10% fuel price hike since the beginning of July. Watch: Petrol Price Plunges at MidnightIn Johannesburg, the price of 95 unleaded petrol will be sitting at R25.42 per litre from Wednesday. The other major influence on South Africa’s petrol prices has been the weakening Rand against the US Dollar, as the country has to buy oil in the American currency. The reduction was set as a means to cushion the economic impact of the skyrocketing fuel prices of the last few months.
Source:The North Africa Journal
August 02, 2022 21:14 UTC