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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
'We are on our own'- Africa looks within to weather growing global tariff turmoil
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the 3.2 Kilometre Kigongo–Busisi Bridge, named John Pombe Magufuli Bridge that crosses the southern end of Lake Victoria at a cost of approximately $300 million, in Mwanza, Tanzania June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman/File Photo JOHANNESBURG - African leaders are pushing to speed up implementation of a continent-wide deal to boost trade as growing concerns over U.S. tariffs, including rates as high as 50% for Lesotho, threaten to decimate industries and hit economic growth. The African Continental Free Trade Area pact designed to unify all 1.4 billion people under Africa's more than 50 nations into a single market, has been legally ratified by 49 countries and officially launched trading in 2021. But translation into action has been sluggish, with less than half of member states actively trading under the framework. The World Bank estimates AfCFTA could increase Africa's intra-continental exports by 81% and proponents point to last year's 12.4% boost in intra-African trade, to $208 billion, according to Afreximbank figures, as early signs of success. "We've got to accelerate the establishment of our own value chain systems. What we are observing now — the weaponisation of trade policy, investment policy, nationalism — is unprecedented and it has a very negative impact on the multilateral trading system," AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene told Reuters. "The lesson to observe is that we are on our own as a continent." U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January put trade relations centre-stage for policymakers worldwide, with his breathless cycle of punitive tariff policies poised to upend decades of globalisation and reshape flows of money and goods. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore Who is UNC3886, the group that attacked S'pore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student accused of using AI in essay; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Former NUH male nurse faces charges after he allegedly molested man at hospital G20 finance chiefs meeting in Durban this week, under South Africa's presidency, have trade high on the agenda. But despite the urgent need to boost African continental trade, accelerating it is beset with challenges. African Union countries have a combined GDP of some $3 trillion - not far off the size of France's economy, a G7 nation. So far, 24 countries are officially trading under AfCFTA, Mene said, including South Africa and Nigeria. Implementation has been inconsistent, said Raheema Parker of Oxford Economics, with weak governance undermining overall effectiveness and informal trade adding complexities. "These barriers are especially pronounced in smaller sub-Saharan economies, which are more vulnerable to external shocks and often lack the administrative and financial capacity," Parker said. INFRASTRUCTURE GAP The biggest constraint to intra-Africa trade is an infrastructure deficit, Mene said. The African Development Bank and Afreximbank collectively invested $65 billion in infrastructure projects since 2020 - barely making a dent in the $100 billion plus estimated annual infrastructure investment shortfall. Johannesburg-based Standard Bank CEO Bill Blackie warned that "without hardened bridges and faster rail links, AfCFTA will remain a paper promise." Other barriers include border delays and complex paperwork requirements. "We need to diminish all the commercial barriers," said Chad's ex-finance minister Abbas Mahamat Tolli. DOWN WITH THE DOLLAR? Currency is also contentious; nearly two-thirds of payments across more than 40 African currencies are clearing through dollar corridors. Afreximbank has called for a shift away from the dollar, citing volatility and high fees. "Local-currency corridors must become the norm to slash costs and tame volatility," said Afreximbank group chief economist Yemi Kale. The recently launched Pan-African Payments and Settlement System links 16 central banks and aims to reduce costs. Leaders say AfCFTA's transformative potential is worth tackling the challenges. "We have a generational chance to build value chains that keep wealth on the continent, develop competitive industries, and create millions of jobs while shaping global supply chains from a position of strength," Kenyan President William Ruto said earlier this month. REUTERS
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Tanzanian opposition leader appears in court for treason trial
Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu talks to former Chief Justice of Kenya, Justice David Maraga, inside the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu talks to his legal team inside the Kisutu Residents Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu waves to his supporters as he arrives at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu gestures to his supporters, at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate of CHADEMA party Tundu Lissu holds up constitutional documents at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Emmanuel Herman NAIROBI - Tanzania's main opposition leader Tundu Lissu told his supporters to have no fear as he appeared in court on Monday for the first time since his arrest on charges that include treason. Lissu refused to participate in a hearing on April 24 because authorities conducted a virtual, rather than an in-person trial, with him appearing via video link from prison. On Monday he entered the court with his fist raised in the air as supporters chanted "No Reforms, No Election", according to a video of the courtroom shared by his CHADEMA party on X. "We will be fine. You should not fear," Lissu said as he took his place in the dock, waving victory signs. Lissu, who was shot 16 times in a 2017 attack and came second in the last presidential poll, was charged with treason last month over what prosecutors said was a speech calling upon the public to rebel and disrupt elections due in October. A series of high-profile arrests has highlighted the rights record of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who plans to seek re-election. Hassan says the government is committed to respecting human rights. Lissu's CHADEMA party has demanded changes to an electoral process they say favours the ruling party before they participate in the ballot. Several Kenyan rights activists, including a former justice minister, said they were denied entry to Tanzania as they travelled to attend the trial. Kenya's former Justice Minister Martha Karua, a prominent lawyer and opposition politician, and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were among those detained when they landed at Tanzania's Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, they said on X. Tanzania's immigration spokesperson Paul Mselle did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Today was going to be a big day and we went out there in solidarity," Karua told Kenyan broadcaster NTV on Monday after she was denied entry and sent back to Nairobi. "The state cannot be used as a personal tool. You cannot deport people whom you don't like, who are not aligned to your views." Mutunga and rights activist Hussein Khalid were being held in an interrogation room at Julius Nyerere airport on Monday and expected to be deported, Khalid said on X. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Borneo Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Tanzanian students embrace Chinese language as tourism boom drives demand
Asha Fum Khamis (right), a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute, teaches Chinese language at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) DAR ES SALAAM (April 23): Seated in a modest classroom, Tanzanian tourism student Noel Ivon Isack intently traces Chinese characters in his notebook. The 19-year-old aspires to leverage his new language skills to build a career to guide visitors through Tanzania's renowned wildlife reserves and scenic beaches. 'I want to make Chinese visitors feel at home,' said Isack, a third-year student at the National College of Tourism (NCT) in Dar es Salaam. 'Most of them only speak Chinese, so if we want them to enjoy Tanzania, we must speak their language.' With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. 'It is a game changer,' said Farida Sebastian Masalu, the campus manager. 'We want to give our students a competitive edge as Tanzania strengthens ties with China.' Since 2023, Tanzania has ramped up efforts to attract Chinese visitors. One major step was launching the promotional film Amazing Tanzania in Beijing in May 2024, featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, and Chinese actor Jin Dong. 'These initiatives promote Tanzania's tourism and deepen the friendship between our countries,' Masalu said. Tanzania is already seeing results. According to Ephraim Mafuru, director general of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), arrivals from China jumped from 44,000 to 62,000 in the past nine months. 'Our goal is to attract at least 1 percent of China's international travelers,' said Ephraim. 'That is 1.3 million tourists, and we are just getting started.' Tanzanian students attend a Chinese language class at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) To support this ambition, the TTB has partnered with local institutions like NCT to provide Chinese language training for tour guides and workers in the broader tourism value chain. 'The language barrier remains one of our biggest challenges,' Mafuru said. 'But we are working on it. Chinese visitors will feel much more comfortable being welcomed in their language.' According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania received over 5.36 million tourists in 2024, including 2.14 million international visitors. The country earned about 4 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue that year, a significant increase from 2023, Minister Pindi Chana announced in February 2025. Pan Lei from 'Fashion Tourism,' the first Chinese tourist company in Tanzania, told Xinhua that Tanzania boasts some of the world's richest wildlife resources, including the Great Migration in the Serengeti plains. It is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Zanzibar, the pearl of the Indian Ocean. 'This is just the beginning,' said Mafuru. 'China is an essential part of our strategy to grow tourism in the years ahead.' Back in the classroom, 28-year-old student Rajabu Almasi sees the Chinese language as more than just a skill. He sees it as an investment. 'You cannot ignore China,' he said. 'If we want to succeed in tourism, we need to understand our guests, their language, their culture, and their needs.' Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute to teach at NCT, echoed this sentiment. 'I am not just teaching a language,' she said. I am preparing these students for real opportunities, including jobs, partnerships, and cultural bridges.' Khamis said Chinese-speaking Tanzanians will soon be in high demand across the tourism sector, from tour guiding to hospitality and beyond. 'The wave is coming,' she said with a smile. 'Our students will be ready to ride it.' – Xinhua Chinese language students Tanzania tourism
