Davos Discusses Investment in Africa
Ed Cropley and Ben Hirschler of Reuters filed a special report on Africa from Davos last week. I've included a brief excerpt below. Note that the long-term "buy" recommendation, that analysts gave before the financial crisis, persists.
Three Lessons From Nairobi and Kigali
When I returned week before last from a trip to Nairobi and Kigali, my brain felt like it had eaten a huge meal and needed to digest. I've had a chance over the past two weeks to review the many conversations I had with business owners and public and private sector leaders. (I think I doubled the weekly revenues of a few coffee shops in Nairobi and Kigali.) After some reflection, three themes have bubbled to the surface:
U.S. Investors Offer Something Different to Africa
“The U.S. wants to invest in Africa? [pause] Really?” Looking slowly over his shoulder, he leans in and whispers…”It’s about time. Where have you been?” These are not the words of one of the hundreds of small- to medium-size business owners RENEW has been meeting with. These are the words of a well-established business man who has worked relentlessly for years, and long since transcended the upper echelons of the Ugandan society. I have seen and heard variations of this same astonished reaction from many meetings with business men and women here in Uganda.