In 2023, solar PV module prices declined by almost 50%. The IEA posits that renewable energy will surpass coal-fired power as the world’s largest source of electricity generation in 2025. Renewable energy capacity surging globally, but not enough yetPower Pools to aggregate demand for African electricityDlamini sees regional power pools as the offtakers of potential energy, rather than individual countries. “The South African Power Pool is the most advanced and connected power pool on the continent. To support local manufacturing of solar and battery energy storage, Africa must add gigawatts of renewable energy and batteries, year after year.

Home News ALBIS ALBISALBIS Distributor signs deal to market Röhm's Plexiglas, Pleximid compounds Röhm (Darmstadt; Albis (Hamburg;German chemicals producer(Darmstadt; www.roehm.com ) said it has appointed compatriot distributor(Hamburg; www.albis.com ) to market its Plexiglas and Pleximid moulding compounds in Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Röhm Plexiglas: now available in Turkey and North Africa through Albis (Photo: Röhm)The distribution arrangement started on 1 February 2024, Röhm said. 07.02.2024 Plasteurope.com [254595-0] Published on 07.02.2024© 2001-2024 by Plasteurope.com, Bad HomburgDate of print: 07.02.2024 22:06:19 (Ref: 461179097)Text and images are subject to copyright and other laws for protection of intellectual property. Any duplication or distribution in any media as a whole or in parts requires prior written approval by Plasteurope. URL: http://www.plasteurope.com/news/detail.asp

Moreover, the largest age-standardised incidence rates were observed in Iran and Turkey, with only Egypt displaying a decline in the age-standardised point prevalence. Previous research by Xue and colleagues found that atopic dermatitis accounted for a larger burden than contact dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis [16]. Females exhibited higher incidence rates across most age categories, while men displayed much higher incidence rates in the 1 to 24 age groups. In line with previous research, atopic dermatitis constituted the primary contributor to the dermatitis burden. There was a peak in the age-standardised point prevalence of dermatitis in the 10–14 age group for seborrheic dermatitis.

South Africa's chances of fighting back in the second ODI have been boosted with the inclusion of Marizanne Kapp as the Proteas make two changesMarizanne Kapp has been cleared to play in South Africa's must-win second ODI against Australia, while Australia are bowling first after winning the toss at North Sydney Oval. But the Proteas did make two changes to their XI, handing an ODI debut to 19-year-old quick Ayanda Hlubi, with 21-year-old speedster Eliz Mari Marx, who debuted against Bangladesh in December, the other inclusion. Marizanne Kapp proves her fitness ahead of the second ODI // cricket.com.auThe Proteas trail 6-2 in the points-based, multi-format series and need to claim their first ever win over the Aussies in an ODI to keep their hopes of bouncing back to claim an outright win alive. Australia named an unchanged XI from that one that romped to an eight-wicket win at Adelaide Oval in the first 50-over game on Saturday. South Africa have never beaten Australia in an ODI, with their closest result a tied match in Coffs Harbour in 2016.

VFS GlobalNews SummaryVFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, significantly added to its business footprint in 2023. Building on its trusted partnership, the company won seven global contracts from the governments of the UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Iceland, and Austria. Among the most significant wins of 2023 was being awarded a global contract for UK visas and citizenship services.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) Regional Consultative Group for the Middle East and North Africa (RCG MENA) met today in Riyadh. The group discussed global and regional financial stability vulnerabilities, including financial risks arising from the higher interest-rate environment and vulnerabilities in non-bank financial intermediation. A key focus for the FSB is the effective implementation of its global regulatory and supervisory framework for crypto-asset activities and markets. Members discussed the joint IMF-FSB roadmap to ensure effective, flexible, and coordinated implementation of the comprehensive policy response for crypto-assets, including of the FSB framework. A key focus for the FSB is the effective implementation of its global regulatory and supervisory framework for crypto-asset activities and markets.

A third consecutive year of drought conditions could push Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia to increase their wheat imports again in 2024/25 to meet demand and bolster wheat stocks. Wheat imports to the area rose in 2023/24 to the highest level in seven years amid record-setting drought. View this Gro display showing wheat production and imports for Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. With soil moisture in Algeria’s wheat-growing regions currently at the lowest level for this time of year since at least 2010, the country’s wheat imports will likely remain elevated in 2024/25. Tunisia also saw its 2023/24 wheat imports increase from the year before as production dropped and its wheat stocks fell to the lowest level in over 10 years.

Under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, fragmented regulatory systems will be harmonised and intra-African trade in medicines and pharmaceuticals is set to grow. According to the World Economic Forum’s AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa report, companies like Novartis are already taking notice of the growing opportunities African pharmaceuticals present. Any growth in the packaged medicines industry on the continent will not only be good for business — it will save lives. These go beyond packaged medicines to include building quality healthcare infrastructure and increasing capacity for vaccine manufacturing. Novartis is just one example of the immense investing potential in pharmaceuticals across Africa, and its strategy provides a blueprint for how to interpret and translate the AfCFTA’s impact on the sector into company-specific actions.

It is a significant move of Cosco Shipping Lines to provide services for Belt and Road initiatives and a step forward on expanding business in North and West Africa region, commented the commented. "With the opening of Cosco Shipping Lines (Morocco) in Casablanca, we are delighted to make a clear commitment to the importance of North Africa in trade with Europe and the world, as we continue to pursue our mission to serving the global trade and local societies together,” said Wang Mingfeng, President of Cosco Shipping (Europe). Related: Cosco Shipping acquires Italian logistics player TrasgoThere is a huge potential for Morocco and our customers to grow together in the next couple of years, as North Africa, and Morocco in particular, will be a key focus for our global coverage by our liner services,"Headquartered in Shanghai, Cosco Shipping Lines runs nine overseas branches in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, West Asia, South America, Australia, Japan, Korea and Africa respectively. By the end of December 2023, Cosco Shipping Lines owned and operated 381 container vessels with a total capacity of approximately 2.1 million teu. Related: China Cosco’s Chen takes over helm at OOIL

Meanwhile, Taiwan saw a decrease of 8.9% from 20.8 million metric tons to 18.9 million metric tons. Meanwhile, the country currently at war with Russia, Ukraine, produced just 6.23 million metric tons, off 0.6% year on year from 6.26 million metric tons. The reported figures were 35.4 million metric tons, down from 36.8 million metric tons in 2022. The United Kingdom, which officially left the European Union in 2020, recorded a 6.5% decrease to 5.57 million metric tons from 5.96 million metric tons. Worldsteel notes the continent produced a total of 41.5 million metric tons, down from over 44 million tons.

Nigerian startup Feegor is a B2B wholesale marketplace optimising product-sourcing end-to-end for SMEs across Africa, with Nigeria as its initial focus. Founded last year, Feegor enables retail businesses to discover, negotiate, and source goods directly from a vast network of manufacturers, wholesalers, and major suppliers nationwide. “Our focus is on the small to medium scale manufacturers and the major suppliers across local market regions,” Lucy Mbuthia, co-founder and COO of Feegor, told Disrupt Africa. Unlike businesses seeking manufacturers or suppliers in China, which commonly turn to Alibaba, Nigerian SMEs must navigate a fragmented landscape. “Last year was a challenging year for fundraising, and to build and scale Feegor we need to raise funds from VCs.

Morocco’s trade deficit shrank 7.5% in 2023 thanks to a record performance by the tourism and automotive sector and higher remittances from Moroccans abroad. The deficit stood at 286 billion dirhams following a drop in imports to 715 billion and an increase in exports to 429 billion dirhams. Morocco’s phosphates and derivatives exports fell 34% to 76 billion dirhams, a performance that was offset by strong sales by other sectors. The automotive sector in particular posted a record $14.1 billion exports, while tourism receipts jumped 11.7% to $10.4 billion. Remittances grew to a record $11.5 billion, up 4%, a growth that was also reflected in the inflow of foreign direct investments.

The latest attempt by South Africa to gain international prominence by trying to transform itself into a “stakeholder” in the Sahara conflict was described as strange and untimely. This came in comments by the International Committee for Dialogue and Peace on South Africa’s invitation to the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. It is therefore necessary to respect the process for settling conflicts and disputes, dealt with within the framework of the United Nations, as is the case for the Western Sahara conflict. The Committee made it clear that the United Nations has clearly defined the stakeholders directly involved in the conflict resolution process: Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Spain. Neither the African Union nor South Africa are actors in this conflict.

Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Wael Chouchane, inaugurated the inaugural photovoltaic solar power plant in Djerba, Tunisia’s southeast. This 1 MW plant, situated in the Ajim delegation, is expected to supply electricity to 500 households, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. With a 3 million dinar investment, the station spans 1.5 hectares and comprises around 2,000 solar panels, each with a capacity of 510 watts. The electricity sale price by STEG is set at 200 millimes, compared to the 300 millimes cost of producing electricity from natural gas. This project aligns with Tunisia’s national strategy to boost renewable energy production, aiming for 35% of electricity from renewables by 2035.

Nearly 62% of global logistics professionals say their companies are planning additional or first-time investments in Africa, according to a closely watched yearly industry survey. The survey of 830 logistics executives is part of the 15th annual Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index (https://apo-opa.co/4bD4lSW), a snapshot of industry sentiment and ranking of the world’s 50 leading emerging markets. Emerging markets – the largest percentage sees increased risk/decreased rewards in emerging markets. Businesses need to be alive to the opportunities and threats that exist in emerging markets and use data, such as that the Agility Emerging Market Logistics Index, to inform agile decision-making.”2024 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index: https://apo-opa.co/3SlOmzKDistributed by APO Group on behalf of Agility. Other Agility companies offer customs digitization services, remote-site infrastructure services, defense and government services, and ecommerce-enablement and digital logistics.