Latest news with #SouthernAfrica
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Eswatini's Digital Transformation Crucial to Unlocking Growth, Jobs, and Economic Resilience
Eswatini needs to digitalize, strengthen public finances and address structural economic constraints to sustain growth, according to the latest edition of the Eswatini Economic Update (EEU) launched by the World Bank Group (WBG) today, titled: Harnessing the Potential of Digital Technologies for Eswatini's Growth and Job Creation. The report also provides analysis of the country's recent economic performance and prospects for the medium term. Eswatini's economy is projected to grow by about 5% in 2025 through a combination of policies and supportive conditions amid global economic uncertainty. An increase in public and private investment is projected to contribute to economic activity. The challenge will be to maintain this economic momentum and ensure growth is more inclusive over the medium term. The nation faces pressing needs to digitalize and address structural constraints, diversify its economy and strengthen public finances. The second edition of the EEU identifies digitalization as a key transformative strategy for the country, particularly as it addresses significant challenges such as a 35.4% unemployment rate and structural inefficiencies in vital sectors including agriculture, trade, and services. By accelerating digital transformation, Eswatini can boost productivity, create sustainable new jobs, and increase domestic revenue helping to reduce reliance on volatile revenues. 'This report aligns with the Kingdom of Eswatini's 2024-2028 digital strategy. We welcome the World Bank's insights on how digital transformation can contribute to accelerating our ongoing efforts to boost inclusive economic growth and domestic revenues and in so doing reduce reliance on SACU transfers,' said Honorable Thambo Gina, Minister for Economic Planning and Development for the Kingdom of Eswatini at the report's launch in Mbabane. Eswatini is making progress in expanding digital access, with nearly 95% of the population now covered by 4G networks. However, only about 58% of people are using the internet. One of the main reasons is the high cost of data, which takes up 3.47% of GNI per capita - above what is considered affordable in the region. To boost digital adoption and attract greater investment, the report recommends reforming the telecom market, including restructuring the telecom State-Owned Enterprise, adopting open access policies to ensure that all service providers can use the same network infrastructure on fair and equal terms, and update regulatory frameworks to promote competition and lower costs. In addition, with almost half of the country's Small and Medium Enterprises facing digital adoption barriers, targeted efforts in skills development and entrepreneurship support, including linkages to public procurement, are essential to drive job creation and innovation. 'Eswatini's digital transformation presents an opportunity to drive inclusive growth. Realizing this will require bold reforms to unlock the full potential of digital technologies, including the restructuring of Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC),' said Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Division Director for Eswatini. 'In addition, strengthening coordination across government initiatives, accelerating digital skills development, and fostering innovation will be key to unlocking this potential. Addressing these challenges will enable the country to capture the full benefits of a digital economy." To unlock Eswatini's digital potential for higher economic growth and job creation, the EEU recommends three core policy pillars: (i) Enhance resilience through effective macroeconomic management; (ii) Stimulate job creation through private sector development by improving the enabling environment; (iii) Provide better and more affordable services through efficient public spending. The policy options include strengthening digital governance through clearer institutional roles and a national change management program; accelerating Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) reforms to enhance operational efficiency and introduce open access; investing in digital public infrastructure, including a modern digital ID system; developing a National Digital Skills Action Plan aligned with labor market needs; and fostering a competitive innovation ecosystem through regulatory reforms, financing access, and support for startups via public procurement opportunities. Addressing these priorities will position Eswatini to harness digital transformation for broader economic inclusion and growth. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Why You Should Visit Botswana's Tsodilo Hills, A Timeless Outdoor Rock Art Museum
Tucked into the northwest corner of Botswana, far from the crowds of Chobe and the well-known waterways of the Okavango Delta, the Tsodilo Hills rise unexpectedly from the vast flatness of the Kalahari Desert. Four dramatic, copper-colored quartzite hills, streaked with shades of mauve, turquoise and lavender—they feel almost surreal in their setting, and it's little wonder they're called the 'Mountains of the Gods' by the local San people. As we circled overhead in a helicopter, the rest of Botswana melted away into flat, dusty browns. Then, like sentinels on the edge of time, Tsodilo appeared, tall, still and majestic, rising 1,312 feet out of the desert floor. It's not just the landscape that makes Tsodilo extraordinary, though; the hills are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of the oldest evidence of human life in Southern Africa, with traces of occupation dating back an estimated 100,000 years. Over 4,500 Rock Paintings—Some 20,000 Years Old Tsodilo is home to some of Africa's most impressive ancient rock art, with over 4,500 paintings scattered across more than 500 sites. There are paintings on all four of the hills, though the majority, to date, have been found on the Female hill, which is also the most accessible and boasts numerous walking trails. Unlike most San artworks elsewhere in Southern Africa, which are painted by brush and known for their fine detail, here the art is predominantly finger-painted, using pigment mixtures made from haematite, charcoal and calcrete, animal fat, blood, marrow, egg white, sap and even urine. With my guide, Shakes, we walk the Rhino Trail and then the Lion Trail, both at the base of the Female hill. In the Rhino Cave, named for the large white rhino painted on one wall, we pause. Beside the rhino is a painting of a red giraffe. Surrounding the giraffe and rhino are various geometric shapes, all painted in red. Opposite the paintings, on the other side of the cave, are a number of depressions and grooves. Archaeologists believe these were ground into the rock, using hammers made of stone, during the Later Stone Age. Paintings of rhino, zebra, gemsbok, stick-figure people and more parade before our eyes—image after image, some big, some small, some clear and others just faint outlines or shadows. The wildlife featured is a curious mix, with giraffe, eland, rhino and elephant being the most common species, but also cattle, whales and even penguins. The latter two hint at a long-forgotten cultural connection that once spanned all the way to the distant coast. Some of the representations of animals embody ritualistic powers, like that of the snake, painted because of its importance in rain-making rituals. The humans portrayed are, unusually for San paintings, depicted with no weapons, clothes or adornments, and several are likely connected to fertility rites, given the prominent appendages on many of the males. Nobody knows the exact age of Tsodilo's paintings. The majority are thought to be between 10,000 and 20,000 years old, while others are perhaps only a century old. Geography And Getting There Look at a map of the Okavango Delta and you'll see it's shaped somewhat like a frying pan. The Okavango River is channeled between two steep-sided banks, along a roughly 55-mile-long "handle," before meeting underlying fault lines and flooding out to form the alluvial plains of the Delta, the 'pan' part of this analogy. This is how the Okavango Panhandle got its name. Tsodilo is located near this Panhandle, with ancient sand dunes to the east and a dry fossil lake bed to the west, around 25 miles from the small settlement of Nxamasere and only reachable by 4x4 or helicopter. The surrounding land is dusty and flat, making the sight of the hills rising from the earth all the more dramatic. Despite being a UNESCO site since 2001, a report by Botswana's Ministry of Tourism shows that Tsodilo remains one of Botswana's least visited destinations. Fewer than 3,000 tourists currently make it here each year, and when I visited, we only saw one other visitor. A Sacred Landscape With Deep Human Roots The numerous Bushmen clans, collectively known as the San (Baswara), have inhabited the Kalahari Desert for around 60,000 years and are believed to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ethnic groups on earth, though very few continue to live as traditional hunter-gatherers. At Tsodilo, the Ju/'hoansi San are among the few that still practice traditional customs and spiritual ceremonies: performing rituals, collecting water from sacred pools and passing down stories of the spirits said to inhabit the rocks. For them, Tsodilo is a place of power, and even to me as a visitor, it certainly feels that way. The name Tsodilo means 'damp earth' in !Kung, the language of one of the local tribes. According to !Kung legend, long ago, when the hills were still soft and the animals could talk, the rocks were a family: a man (the 'Male hill'), his wife (the 'Female hill'), and their two children, ("the Child") and a smaller fourth hill. Although while some say this fourth hill is a child, others believe it to be an earlier wife. The top of the Male hill is the most sacred spot for the local San. They believe that the deep impressions in the rocks here are where the first spirit knelt to pray after creating the earth. The San also believe that spirits of the gods live and rule the world from within the Female hill. Tsodilo Hills, like the beliefs, myths and stories about them, are layered with meaning. It's not just mythology that draws people here, though. Archaeologists have uncovered ancient tools, pottery and various other relics of early human activity, making this one of the longest-known areas of continuous human habitation on Earth. And the best evidence of this long history? The rock art itself. Thousands of vivid, haunting images spread out across the stone surfaces, like an ancient gallery under an open sky. Walking Trails And What To See There are several walking trails around the hills, each with varying degrees of difficulty and rock art to explore. The most popular are: Rhino Trail—An easy loop around the base of the Female hill with access to Rhino Cave. Lion Trail—Slightly longer and more rugged, with more secluded art sites. Male Hill Ascent—A tougher climb, but it rewards hikers with sweeping views out over the desert. Local San guides, like my guide Shakes, offer not just direction but also storytelling, interpreting the symbols, sharing the legends and explaining how their ancestors lived with the land. One of the things that struck me the most, here at Tsodilo, was the sense of silence. Not an empty silence, but one filled with echoes of the past. Travel Tips For Visiting Tsodilo Hills Getting there: Access is by 4x4 from Shakawe or Nxamasere, or by helicopter. There are a handful of small lodges along the Okavango Panhandle, many of which offer excursions to the hills, some by helicopter charter. Best time to visit: May to September, during Botswana's dry season, when the temperatures are cooler and skies clearer. Guides: Be mindful of supporting community-based local tour operators and guides; they'll bring the stories to life and have a vested interest in protecting the site. Why Tsodilo Matters—And Why You Should Go Tsodilo isn't your typical tourist site. There are no restaurants, no souvenir shops and no manicured trails here. Instead, what you'll find is something much rarer, a window back in time—and yet so few people visit. For travelers to Africa looking beyond bucket-list safaris, Tsodilo offers something different. It's a place where you walk in the footsteps of people who lived 20,000 years ago and look up at the same stars they once would have seen.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Zimbabwe on track for 6% growth as economy recovers from drought
By Chris Takudzwa Muronzi HARARE, July 31 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe is on track to achieve a forecasted 6% economic growth in 2025 helped by good agricultural output and strong commodity prices, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday. The Southern African country's economy has shown signs of recovery in the first half of the year following a severe drought and currency turbulence in 2024 that pushed GDP growth down to 2%. "Given the positive economic developments during the period January to June, we are confident that the projected economic growth of 6% alluded to in the 2025 National Budget is achievable," Ncube told parliament in a mid-year budget review. "All sectors of the economy are expected to record positive growth in 2025, mainly on account of a favourable agriculture season, improved electricity generation, stable exchange rate and inflation rate," he said. He did not give an update on the budget deficit, which was seen at 0.4% of gross domestic product in 2025 during the budget forecast last November. Zimbabwe's fiscal position remains under strain from grain imports, drought relief spending and the public sector wage bill. While the government has collected more revenue than in the same period last year, analysts say containing the deficit may prove difficult without new fiscal measures. The local currency, the ZiG, launched in April 2024 to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, has largely remained stable against the U.S. dollar but is still overshadowed by widespread use of the dollar in everyday transactions. Ncube reiterated the government's commitment to the gold-backed unit and said the currency had benefited from tight monetary and fiscal policies.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Mozambique central bank cuts key rate by another 75 basis points
MAPUTO, July 31 (Reuters) - Mozambique's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points to 10.25% on Thursday, saying it expects inflation to remain in single digits over the medium term. The Bank of Mozambique has now lowered the MIMO lending rate (MZMIMO=ECI), opens new tab for 10 policy meetings in a row in an easing cycle stretching back to January 2024. Its latest statement highlighted debt pressures but said the inflation outlook was helped by favourable international commodity prices. The last rate cut, which came in May, was also of 75 basis points. Annual inflation in the resource-rich Southern African country edged up to 4.15% in June (MZCPIY=ECI), opens new tab from 4.00% in May. Local politics remains a potential risk following a disputed election last year. The opposition and Western observers say the long-ruling Frelimo party won the vote through rigging, which Frelimo denies. Mozambique is seeking to prosecute the country's main opposition leader, Venancio Mondlane, for allegedly inciting civil unrest following the election in which more than 300 people were killed, many of them in clashes with security forces.
Zawya
8 hours ago
- Science
- Zawya
Zimbabwe sets strategic course for capacity development on sustainable soil management
Zimbabwe has made significant strides towards strengthening its agricultural resilience and soil management capacity through the launch of a new project titled 'Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management in the Global South.' Following the successful high-level launch of the project this week, Zimbabwe has taken a decisive step forward with a two-day inception meeting that built momentum by defining the strategic direction and technical roadmap for project implementation. This initiative, supported by the People's Republic of China under the South-South Cooperation framework is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Zimbabwe. 'This meeting provided a critical platform to align our shared vision and technical priorities. It allowed us to present the strategic foundations of the project, define synergies among national institutions and key stakeholders, while collectively endorsing a clear roadmap for implementation,' said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe. 'This process marks a strategic, co-created and coordinated start to delivering sustainable soil management solutions for Zimbabwe,' added Talla. The meeting brought together key directorates and departments from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD). The Agricultural Research, Innovation and Specialist Services (ARISS) was represented by the Chemistry and Soil Research Institute (CSRI) whilst the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) was represented by the department of Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX), Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) and international partners including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Defining technical priorities and implementation framework The inception meeting was strategically structured to align technical dialogue with policy priorities. The meeting featured expert presentations on the distribution and management of red soils in Zimbabwe, the current state of soil laboratories and information systems, and comparative insights from China's red soil management practices. These sessions laid the technical foundation for the project, ensuring that all stakeholders had a shared understanding of the scientific context and implementation framework. The meeting transitioned into a participatory planning phase, where stakeholders engaged in group discussions to define workplans for site identification, soil mapping, laboratory analysis, field trials, and farmer trainings through the Global Soil Doctor Programme. 'This collaborative approach ensured that the project's implementation plan was not only technically sound but also nationally owned and contextually relevant. The structure of the meeting strategically contributed to the project's overall objectives, clarifying roles, and setting a clear, actionable roadmap for effective implementation of the project,' said Emmanuel Chikwari, Head of the CSRI. As the project moves into its implementation phase, the focus now shifts to delivering on three strategic priority areas: upgrading soil laboratories and developing digital soil maps; demonstrating sustainable soil and fertilizer management practices through field trials and extension training; and facilitating international knowledge exchange through workshops and technical cooperation. These actions will operationalize the project's vision and deliver tangible outcomes for Zimbabwe's soil health and agricultural resilience. Harnessing the power of South-South Cooperation and learning 'This project is a powerful demonstration of how South-South Cooperation can drive innovation and capacity development in sustainable agriculture. As an implementing partner, Marondera University is proud to contribute to the rollout of this initiative by applying research, training, and field-evidence-based learning to improve soil management,' said Esther Masvaya, from MUAST. 'The inception meeting has set a clear, co-owned and co-created direction for implementation, ensuring that Zimbabwe's soil economy benefits from inclusive planning, shared expertise, and a strong culture of learning that will drive lasting impact,' said Sibongile Mangena-Chikore, Chief Agronomist, AGRITEX. FAO and its implementing partners will continue to refine the project's strategic direction, monitoring progress and learning through regular workshops and field implementation activities. 'Sustainable soil management is a pivotal activity towards enhanced agricultural production and productivity in the context of climate change. This project is a game changer, especially in the management of red soils in Zimbabwe, which have not received much attention in the past,' said Obert Maminimini, FAO Project Coordinator. Through its strong foundation in South-South Cooperation, the project also creates a platform for Zimbabwe to share its experiences, innovations, and lessons learned with other project countries in the Global South, fostering mutual learning and advancing sustainable soil management across regions. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
