Good Day Members: What are your New Year New Resolutions?
Here One that we can Share Together if you Are in the Mood of Expanding your Outreach and Contribute to Reduction of Madness while Adding Values to Human Relationship Beyond Borders and other Natural, Artificial and Intelligent Hinderances.
Are you Ready?
First, we share with you our Best wishes for your success.
Second, if there is a possibility of collaboration on a specific topic that is related to the development of Africa and Morocco as well as other emergent economies and developing countries, just let us know and we will explore with you the best avenues to make it happen.
Third, to give a synopsis of our daily work, at TRI Consulting Kyoto [English – Version – Française], our Consulting Boutique, we privilege the research and assessment of client environment and operations.
At Morocco Digitall [English – Version – Française], we develop analyses and publish case studies and articles on the development of the Kingdom of Morocco. We conduct such work with professionalism and with a neutral approach and concern about the success of the corresponding policies.
At GLOCENTRA [English – Version – Française], we offer training and counseling to enable workforce development and more specifically, social and business entrepreneurship to blossom in Africa, we focus on providing support, mentoring, and guidance to entrepreneurs, micro-business, women-operated clusters or trade cooperatives starting or enterprising in urban regions of Africa and have potential to export.
Within LinkedIn, all our groups here are conducted by Said El Mansour Cherkaoui Ph.D. and Said Cherkaoui Ph.D. have the same common denominator and are rooted and their seeds planted and cultivated in the same fields of exchange, share, and enhancement that facilitate communication of our work with the members of our groups and those who are following and accessing our work here at LinkedIn.
By other means, based on our extensive and proven track records of several decades working in the various fields of development economics, we are able not just to provide analytical essays but we raise the bar higher by creating models of development with a critical approach that identify gaps, predict outcomes and conveys adaptable solutions.
For business and speaking engagements, please contact: info@triconsultingkyoto.com
Through the analysis of the export readiness of 83 businesses in Cameroon, their time in business, their sector of activity, and their product certifications, the findings reveals that two-thirds of them are in agro-processing, and 48% do not have certifications for their products.
😮 The corresponding publication highlights the challenges faced by businesses seeking to fully benefit from the AfCFTA, such as: 🚚✈️🚢
🚚✈️🚢- High cost of transportation by road, air, and maritime
🕵️♂️- Complex export procedures and limited knowledge of export requirements
📄- High rate of tariffs currently applicable on intra-ECCAS trade
💸 – Limited trade support infrastructure, such as cold storage facilities
❄️🏭 – Lack of access to finance to increase productive capacity for large-scale demands
💰📈 – High cost of product compliance with standards
🏷️💵 – Lack of Finance
💸 – Complex border procedures
🛂👮 – Lack of market knowledge of products
👩🌾 – Low production capacity
📉🏭 – Lack of knowledge of distribution channels
🗺️🚛 These challenges hinder the potential of businesses to access the 1.3 billion consumer market under the AfCFTA. The publication emphasizes the importance of policy reforms in export procedures, business registration, SME support, and other related areas to boost the capacity of businesses to prepare for this market. Additionally, the development of Special Economic Zones has proven to be successful in boosting domestic production for export, and should be prioritized within the AfCFTA national strategy. 👏 The publication concludes that lessons learned from the initiative will be important to facilitate trade under the full AfCFTA.
The corresponding publication can reviewed in the following document:
TRI Executive Leadership Development Program for Success Entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, and new technologies are powering startups and creating business opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and investors.
Economic integration in Africa is a strategy to increase the continent’s economic integration by creating a single market for goods and services. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a strategic framework that started trading in January 2021. African countries are working together to address common challenges and harness their shared strengths to realize the continent’s potential market of 1.2 billion people. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a strategic framework that creates a single market of goods and services for deeper economic integration on the African continent. To make this ambitious project a success, coordination will be needed at the local, national, regional and continental levels.
Supporting African multilateralism: Gradual implementation of the AfCFTA
🌍 Bringing Africa to the forefront of the International scene with consideration on the authentic development of the African communities in Africa and around the world. Bringing together 54 signatory states among the continent’s 55, the AfCFTA aims to create the world’s largest free trade zone, representing a market of 1.3 billion consumers. More in the following article:
A bilateral investment treaty (BIT) is an agreement concluded between two States which defines the broad terms and conditions under which private and companies invest in each others territories. The United States has concluded a number of BITs with various countries, including African countries. The stated basic aims of this BIT program includes the following key objectives:
to protect investment abroad especially in countries where investor rights are not already protected through existing agreements
to encourage the adoption of market-oriented domestic policies which treat private investments in an open, transparent and non-discriminatory way
to support the development of international law standars that are consisten with these objectives
The United States has concluded BITs with various African countries, inter alia with Rwanda, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Congo DRC and Cameroon.
Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFA)
Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFA) provide strategic frameworks and principles for dialogue on trade and investment issues between the United States and the other parties to the TIFA. These agreements generally go beyond the BIT model. TIFAs have been concluded with a number of African partner countries, inter alia with Angola, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, as well as various regional country groups, such as COMESA, EAC and WAEMU. Discussions and negotiations with the SACU group are ongoing.
When the Past Divisions are the Path to the Present Vision of Unity in Africa
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a preferential trade regime aiming to progressively dismantling tariffs on goods and services produced on the continent, or with raw materials from Africa. The intention behind this large-scale project is to promote the free circulation of goods and thus stimulate intra-continental trade.
African leaders on Wednesday, March 23, 2018, signed three major economic agreements during the extraordinary session of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Kigali, creating a Continental Free Trade Area (Zlec), perceived as essential to Africa’s economic development, through increased intra-African trade.
Some 44 countries signed the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, while 43 heads of state signed the Kigali declaration for the launch of Zlec, and 27 signed protocols relating to the free movement of people, right to residence, and right of establishment.
Zlec gave birth to the largest free trade area in the world since the World Trade Organization which was established in 1995. Nineteen presidents attended as a number of prime ministers and government officials also signed for their respective countries.
Heavyweights, such as Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, and yet very protectionist Algeria, have signed the agreement, which will enter into force within 180 days after being ratified by the signatory countries.
“Some countries have reservations and have not yet finalized their national consultations. But we will have another summit in Mauritania in July and we hope these countries will sign then,” said AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Albert Muchanga.
Eleven countries out of the fifty-four countries of the AU are still missing, including Nigeria, whose President Muhammadu Buhari had decided not to make the trip to Kigali, after one of the largest unions in the country, Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), had expressed its fears on the negative effects of the Zlec for the national economy. This union had also asked to be more involved in the negotiations and Mr. Buhari had agreed to “give more time to consultations”. Nigeria was one of the first economies on the continent, which had nevertheless coordinated the negotiations with Egypt. Other countries that have not signed the agreement include South Africa, and Benin, countries seeking taxes, especially on products transiting through their ports or roads, including Eritrea, Burundi,
Zlec must allow the gradual elimination of customs duties between member countries, thus promoting trade within the continent and allowing African countries to emancipate themselves from an economic system that is too focused on the exploitation of raw materials. The AU estimates that the implementation of Zlec will increase the level of intra-African trade by nearly 60% by 2022. Currently, only 16% of African countries’ trade is with other countries on the continent.
If the 55 member countries of the AU sign the document, the Zlec will open access to a market of 1.2 billion people, for a cumulative GDP of more than 2,500 billion dollars. Its advocates believe it will help diversify African economies and industrialize the continent while providing a unique platform to negotiate better trade deals with the outside world. Zlec is one of the key projects highlighted by the AU in its Agenda 2063, a long-term development program that aims to facilitate the flow of goods and people on the continent. At its last summit, in January in Addis Ababa, the AU had thus announced the creation of a single and liberalized market for air transport, including 23 countries of the continent.
Under the theme: “Creating an African Market”, the initiative falls under the AU Agenda 2063 It is estimated that if all 55 AU Member States ratify it, the agreement will bring together 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$2 billion.
Cameroon is one of the countries committed to drive the development of a liberalized African market. On July 2, 2023, the Port Autonome de Kribi, Cameroon’s second largest port, welcomed its first cargo under the AfCFTA regime, from Tunisia. Cameroon had already launched a first wave of goods exports under this regime at the end of 2022.
The process of dismantling customs tariffs has begun in the country, in line with the outline adopted by the AfCFTA authorities: to ensure a smooth transition to market liberalization, customs tariffs will be gradually reduced to zero over 13 years. The first 10 years will concern 90% of the products identified by the authorities, and 7% of products over the remaining years. Certain “sensitive” products (3%) will be excluded from liberalization, in order to protect local industries from increased competition.
The picture displayed here above with the Africa Clock is the time and period of professional endeavors dating some years ago.
During that time, I organized in Oakland, California, the First International Conference on Africa and AGOA in the mid-1990s during the Clinton Presidential Administration.
The East Bay Center for International Trade Development was the Host of such an African Event attended by the top brass of African and African-American Communities.
I invited Dr. Babacar Ndiaye [Rahma wa Ghofrane fi Firdousse Naim Ameen], who is holding my right and left hands is Dr. Babacar Ndiaye, 5th president of the AfDB from 1985 to 1995, who is known for having transformed the Bank into a “Triple A” institution, a rating it still holds today. He supported the creation of many African institutions such as the African Export-Import Bank, Shelter Afrique, and the African Business Roundtable.
The picture with Dr. Babacar Ndiaye was taken at the Conference Room of the Claremont Hotel, Oakland, where the International Conference on Africa and AGOA took place. On my right hand is Dr. Faheem Executive Director of East Bay Small Business Development and East Bay Center for International Trade Development (EBSBC and EBCITD), Oakland and San Francisco Bay.
At the EBSBC and the EBCITD, I worked as a Senior Consultant and Business Consultant from 1993 to 2001 and from 2003 to 2007, respectively with the following Executive Director Selma Taylor, Fazale Sharif, and Dr. James Garrett.
Needs additional information or have inquiries on Africa and AGOA, please send an email to:
★ International Conference on African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum ★ By Said El Mansour Cherkaoui ★
In my presentation on AGOA in Africa, I emphasized the relation of North Saharan Countries which I analyzed as a regional bloc that extend from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Senegal given the common historical ties and our common cultural background which Mauretania has been the direct link and the bridge between these Saharan Countries. My selection and choice of this region of North Sahara Africa also was my desire to celebrate the presence of Dr. Babacar Ndiaye who is of Senegalese Descent.
When I met with Dr. Babacar Ndiaye, I explained him the inclusion of Senegal in my presentation and he was eluded that I have understood such commonality between Senegal, Morocco and the rest of the countries of Northern Sahara.
I have also added that my acquaintances in France during my studies were all from Senegal and the Sahel region given our means and ways of living and eating that are common, including the preparation of the Couscous and the Rice. We could not agree more when it comes to our cultural tastes and our appetites for African flavored goodies and delicacies.
The AfDB pays tribute to late President Babacar Ndiaye
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will pay tribute to honor its former President, late Dr. Babacar Ndiaye, on Thursday 21 September 2017, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm at the Bank’s Headquarters.
Under the aegis of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB, the tribute ceremony will gather high level guests including former Heads of State, former AfDB Presidents and Ambassadors among others.
Dr. Babacar Ndiaye, 5th president of the AfDB from 1985 to 1995, is known for having transformed the Bank into a “Triple A” institution, a rating it still holds today. He supported the creation of many African institutions such as the African Export-Import Bank, Shelter Afrique, the African Business Roundtable. He also played a prominent role in opening up the Bank to the private sector.
The tribute aims at celebrating the life and achievements of former AfDB President, Dr. Babacar Ndiaye who passed away on 13 July 2017.
Les Start-ups Africaines Assiste-t-elles à un Dégel des Investissements ?
Email: saidcherkaoui@triconsultingkyoto.com
Au cours des trois derniers mois, les start-ups africaines ont levé près de 600 millions de dollars (environ 537 millions d’euros) et ce troisième trimestre de 2024 marque un record pour l’année en cours.
Un signe et un montant qui s’apparentent à un début de reprise des levées de fonds dans le monde de la tech du continent. Supérieurs de 100 millions de dollars à ceux de la même période l’an dernier, ces chiffres confirment la correction du marché, après les envolées de 2021 et 2022. En tout, ce sont 44 start-ups qui ont levé des sommes égales ou supérieures à 1 million de dollars entre juillet et septembre.
2024, pas une année record. Si ces chiffres sont encourageants, car il montre un début de tendance haussière, ils ne permettront cependant pas de réaliser de progrès notables par rapport à l’année dernière :
Les levées de fonds de 2024 ne vont pas dépasser les 2,9 milliards de dollars de 2023.
Et, donc, de dépasser les très bons chiffres de 2022, qui avait vu les start-ups africaines parvenir à lever 4,6 milliards de dollars. « Pour la première fois depuis la mi-2022, les start-ups ont levé plus de fonds au cours des quatre derniers trimestres qu’au cours de la période précédente. Si la croissance est modeste, on peut espérer qu’elle constitue un premier signe avant-coureur de la croissance future de l’écosystème », précise à JA Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, co-fondateur de la plateforme Africa.
The Big Deal, qui suit les opérations de levées de fonds de potentielles futures licornes africaines.
For the last 3 years, we have written about reports stating fraud from the time when it was listed as an entity on the New Times Stock Exchange (NYSE). These among other things were considered false claims and presentations as well as manipulations of the amounts of deliveries, the amount of returns, and the amount of sales even encompassing, Jumia’s daily operations in the streets of the African cities crossed by the motorcycles of independent delivery staff that Jumia called “Consultants.” Jumia has not been able to quell this mismanagement at every level of its own internal and external organizational structure.
Jumia has also presented its identity as an African company which in reality turned out to be a German Baby Trying to look and behave as African. The departure of the top African Leaders and their replacement by European-based leaders had increased the dichotomy existing between the claims and the reality of the leadership as well as the role of Jumia within African communities.
Apparent efforts were made by the Jumia communication Department to bridge the gap by developing actions that were promoted as contributions to the local communities, including the distribution of masks during the Covid-19 and the recent agreement with Star Link to expand the outreach of the internet in rural areas [Jumia: Rural areas a critical segment within our addressable market (CNBC Africa – December 5, 2023)].
Such coverage is not philanthropic given that the next alternative strategy pursued by the new CEO is that one of the targets for the expansion of sales by Jumia. The unserviced rural areas are the next move, the next “El Dorado” and the substitute for the crowded competition existing in the African cities and urban areas. This is the new plan in Nigeria which is considered actually as the prime market for Jumia.
“According to the company, the goal of the cities’ activation is to expand the brand beyond Lagos and ensure it is perceived as a true Nigerian company. […] Read more in this corresponding article:
Case Study of “African” Startup: Jumia is Feedup with Africa Goat Soup Fou Fou Food Said El Mansour Cherkaoui Ph.D. December 30, 2023
Said Cherkaoui 24 – Jumia the Tree with No African Roots that Hides the Jungle of Startups in Africa For the last 3 years, we have written about reports stating fraud from the time when it was listed as an entity on the New Times Stock Exchange (NYSE). These among other things were considered false claims and presentations as … Continue reading
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Enonchong says African e-commerce is a very difficult and expensive market to get into. While Western e-commerce rests on the assumption that the post office will deliver to all points, that is often not the case in Africa. “You have to build your distribution network.”
Other e-commerce operations have crashed and burned, including:
Jumia’s Nigerian rival Konga, which was taken over by Zinox Technologies in 2018 after firing 60% of its staff in 2017;
CFAO, the francophone Africa distributor, which suspended its online “Africashop”;
Naspers, which has twice withdrawn from the Kenyan market.
Related Vectors of African Startup
Continuously updated with new inputs and trends
For Better or Worse Emergent Technologies Changing Africa!
COVID-19 induced a global e-commerce boom, but Africa accounted for less than 3% of e-commerce activity.
