Africa Soft Power Tracker

August so far…

Aug 21^st: Somalia’s progress towards joining the East African Community (EAC) is marked by negotiations scheduled from August 22 to September 5, 2023. Business insider africa reported here that the EAC conducted a verification mission after Somalia’s 2012 application, with a report approved in June 2023. Discussions aim to align Somalia’s regulations with EAC integration pillars. Dr. Abdusalam Omer, Presidential Special Envoy, highlighted the benefits of regional integration for countering terrorism and economic growth. With connectivity to the Middle East and diaspora presence, Somalia’s EAC membership promises mutual gains. The EAC Summit’s approval and Somalia’s ratification are required for full membership.

Aug 21^st: According to Nairametrics Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt are projected to lead the African natural gas and LNG supply market between 2023 and 2027, comprising 80% of the total African gas output. Africa’s short-term gas supply will rise from 25.5 Bcf/d in 2023 to over 27 Bcf/d in 2024, remaining steady until 2027. Algeria’s output will grow from 10 Bcf/d to 11 Bcf/d, Egypt will maintain 6.25 Bcf/d, and Nigeria will fluctuate between 4.5 Bcf/d and 5.5 Bcf/d. The African Energy Chamber emphasizes the need for effective gas monetization, including Nigeria’s “Decade of Gas” policy, which has progressed at 5% instead of the set 85% benchmark.

Aug 18^th: In a 2022–2023 Africa PR and Communications report, it’s noted that AI is viewed by a majority of professionals in the industry as a transformative force over the next decade. The report highlights that AI is already being used for media monitoring, sentiment analysis, and combating fake news. African PR professionals were interviewed to gather their insights on the impact of AI in their field and its future role. Overall, African PR professionals recognize AI’s potential to enhance their industry but emphasize the continuing importance of human input and emotional intelligence in their field. You can find the full article here.

Aug 8^th: African teams shine at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia representing the continent. Sportingnews.com gave insight on Nigeria and South Africa’s progress to Round of 16, showcasing strong performances. Morocco marks historic debut, reaching Round of 16; first Arab team in women’s tournament and Zambia’s landlocked nation breaks new ground albeit being knocked out in the group stage. The excellence of African teams at the world cup is proof of development in African sports as a whole.

Aug 3^rd: According to a report from africanews. Niger’s ruling junta and civil society groups have rallied citizens in the capital to safeguard national freedom and resist foreign involvement. The M62 civil society group, led by Mahaman Sanoussi, seeks the immediate departure of foreign forces. Amid anti-French sentiment, protests align with the nation’s Independence Day. The coup’s condemnation jeopardizes Niger’s role against regional terrorism. General Abdourahmane Tchiani urges preparedness for challenges ahead and rejects ECOWAS sanctions. Speculation arises about potential French military ousting. Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum’s release deadline sets tensions with ECOWAS.

July

July 28^th African cities shine in IMD Smart City Index 2023‘s top 200, leading urban tech-driven sustainability. Cairo, Egypt (108), pioneers historic-tech synergy. Algiers, Algeria (123), balances nature and tech. Cape Town, South Africa (125), fuses modernity with nature. Rabat, Morocco (126), merges tradition with tech. Nairobi, Kenya (131), pulses with innovation. Lagos (132) and Abuja (133), Nigeria, embrace digital prowess. Tunis, Tunisia (137), weaves heritage-innovation. Accra, Ghana (138), empowers through cutting-edge tech.

July 18^th African Queens from Morocco, Zambia, Nigeria, and South Africa to represent Africa in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Nigeria faces Canada first, while Zambia debuts against Japan. South Africa aims to surpass the group stage. Morocco’s Lionesses enter a challenging Group H alongside Germany, South Korea, and Colombia. African teams gear up for historic participation in global football events.

July 15^th As per The Verge, Disney Plus’ “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” from the South African studio Triggerfish, draws inspiration from Marvel’s Black Panther and appeals to global audiences. The anthology, featuring 10 unique episodes, presents culturally rich short films envisioning Africa’s potential futures. It prioritizes African cultures and perspectives authentically, distinct from Hollywood norms. Like “Star Wars: Visions,” it offers culturally specific narratives, showcasing diverse voices. By emphasizing African realities, Disney nurtures fresh talents and invites a global audience to value varied viewpoints. The series underscores Disney’s remarkable global animation.

July 12^th Nigerian-American designer Victoria Adesanmi’s Barbie Malibu DreamHouse creation, featured in an upcoming Barbie film, highlights Black designers’ capabilities. Blackenterpise wrote further about  Adesanmi’s work which was flaunted in Architectural Digest, showcasing her journey in interior design. She’s worked with stars like Beyoncé and Kanye West, focusing on reimagining objects and storytelling. The DreamHouse is listed on Airbnb for stays in July, reflecting Barbie’s signature pink “Kenergy.” Adesanmi’s efforts and dedication led her to collaborate with the Barbie team.

July 9^th Burna Boy does it again!! The Nigerian superstar achieves a historic milestone, becoming the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium. Mesmerizing 41,800 fans at Citi Field, he performed hits from albums like ‘Twice As Tall’ and ‘African Giant,’ with surprise guest Dave! Reflecting his global influence and growth, Burna Boy took to instagram to write about his journey from smaller venues to being celebrated at Madison Square Garden. You can read more about it here.

June

Jun 26^th: The Tony Elumelu Foundation recognizes Africa’s creative industry as a driving force for economic growth, cultural exchange, and social transformation, as stated in a recent publication. The foundation’s commitment is to enable African entrepreneurs to address challenges by providing seed capital, training, mentoring, and networking. It supports cultural exchange through initiatives that preserve heritage and promote understanding. Michel Nkuindja, founder of Michel Nkuindja and Chioma Ogbudimkpa Founder, Redbutton NG are two of many entrepreneurs recognized in the publication.

Jun 23^rd: African Development Bank (AfDB) was proud to report that its solution; enabling affluent nations to reassign a portion of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to low-income countries through multilateral development banks, was applauded by  world leaders at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. The technical approach maintains SDRs’ asset reserve status and has the potential to unlock significant funding for Africa. AfDB and the Inter-American Development Bank spearheaded calls for SDR reallocation via multilateral banks to address challenges like climate change. Discussions emphasized equitable financing, climate resilience, and partnerships with regional development banks, with a focus on advancing Africa’s development.

Jun 21^st: Business day reported here that Bill Gates, During a discussion at the ‘Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation,’ event, commended Nigerian youth and partners for their collaborations with the Gates Foundation over the past decade. Gates advocated for the prioritization of equity in science, innovation, funding, and implementation to ensure widespread benefits. He also emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration among Nigerian youth and urged leaders to fulfill commitments for an improved quality of life in the country.

Jun 2^nd: Kenyan President, William Ruto, has pledged his support for the country’s creative industries, as reported here by ZAWYA. He said that the government has initiated a programme under the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture to grow the arts industry, emphasising: “We would want to see the arts grow so that they can also contribute productively to our growth.” Crucially, the programme has been designed to see students leave secondary school armed with knowledge – both theory and skill – in the arts.

Jun 2^nd: During ASP’s own hugely successful summit, which you can read more about here, the inaugural Africa Soft Power Summit Awards took place, showcasing some of the finest creative and innovative talents from across the continent and beyond. Amongst the recipients, the country of Rwanda itself was recognised, for services to the continent’s travel and tourism sectors: “Rwanda is a great example of the level of change that having a clear plan and developing a dedicated strategy for African success can bring,” said Dr Nkiru Balonwu, Founder & Creative Director, ASP.

Jun 1^st: Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of Ghana and Head of the country’s Economic Management Team, pens an article for the Guardian titled, ‘Africa will be transformed by the potential of AI and data – if we can get investment’. In it, he says: “Africans have a goldmine at our fingertips. A rapidly growing population of 1.4 billion people, 70% under the age of 30, combined with huge growth in AI investments, creates a potent recipe for Africa. We will not sit back and wait for the rest of the world to reap our rewards.”

Jun 1^st: The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved an equity investment of $20 million in the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, in support of its target to mobilize private capital for infrastructure across the continent. The Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund I is a pan-African infrastructure private equity fund that is mobilizing up to $500 million for investment and value creation in strategic infrastructure sectors. These include power, energy, digital and social infrastructure, transportation, logistics, and water and sanitation.

MAY

May 31^st: The first edition of Gitex Africa has been launched in Marrakech, Morocco, bringing together 900 companies and 250 lecturers from 95 countries, to exchange views on the digital economy. The event was held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, under the authority of the Moroccan Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform and hosted by Digital Development Agency (ADD).

May 31^st: The UK’s Telegraph newspaper runs an article titled ‘Corruption, pollution and exploitation: the fallout from China’s push into Africa’, which examines the growing influence of China on the continent. ‘Even Sierra Leone’s national stadium, based in the centre of the capital, was built by the Chinese,’ writes Deputy Editor of Global Health Security, Samuel Lovett, ‘while Mandarin is being taught in the classrooms of primary and secondary schools across the country.’

May 29^th: Disrupt Africa reports that 12 African start-ups have been selected to pitch for investment opportunities at Africa Tech Summit London at the London Stock Exchange on June 23. Africa Tech Summit (ATS) is a leading African tech conference series providing insight and networking with the African tech ecosystem in Nairobi, London and Ghana. ATS London is its 15th live summit, and brings together tech leaders, MNOs, banks, investors, entrepreneurs, governments, trade bodies, media and leading ventures to drive investment and growth in African tech.

May 24^th: Africanews reports on the recent MOCA festival, which was held in Rabat, Morocco, to promote Africa’s cultural industries. The article notes that Africa makes up only 1% of the world’s Cultural & Creative Industries, and the eighth incarnation of the festival sought to help change that. In total, 46 countries were represented at the festival in Rabat, which is currently the African Capital of Culture.

May 23^rd: The Africa Investment Forum presented four renewable energy and sustainability projects worth nearly $1.5 billion to investors on the sidelines of the African Development Bank Group’s 2023 Annual Meetings. The curated projects, which are drawn from all of Africa’s regions, are sourced from the Africa Investment Forum’s pipeline.  They reflect gathering urgency in Africa, the world’s most vulnerable region to climate change, to accelerate climate action, including closing financing gaps by securing an ever-increasing share of global capital for the continent.

May 11^th: Dr Alastair McPhail CMG OBE, former Ambassador to Ethiopia, has been appointed Envoy for the 2024 UK-African Investment Summit. Over the coming months, Dr McPhail will engage with governments and organisations invited to the summit to listen to their expectations, build partnerships, and start to make mutually beneficial opportunities for the UK and African partners a reality. The official Twitter channel for the summit has also launched, which will be the source for information and updates about the Summit, as well as showcase UK-African partnerships.

April

Apr 22^nd: International Breweries Plc – Nigeria’s first solar powered brewery, has launched Beerkathon, a new initiative aimed at encouraging inclusion in the tech industry. The event invited females aged 18yrs+ to provide creative solutions to business-specific issues. “We believe that supporting and empowering women in technology is the right thing to do and makes good business sense,” said Michael Odutayo, People Director for International Breweries. “We recognise that our company’s success depends on the talent and diversity of our workforce, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.”

Apr 22^nd: This Day reports that tech entrepreneurs are gearing up for GITEX Africa, a dedicated tech event that tech event that connects tech titans, governments, SMEs, start-ups, coders, investors, and academia. Included in the convening will be an International Business Hub, hosted by WorkSmart for Events Management. Commenting on the event, Chief Executive Officer of WorkSmart, Ahmed AlHujairy said: “This ambitious event takes place at the same time as Africa is experiencing a sharp rise in its economy, society, and a variety of other sectors. This global forum is poised to bring together nearly 5,000 exhibitors from 90 countries, paving the way for ground-breaking advancements in the technology industry.”

Apr 21^st: Named by the UN as World Creativity & Innovation Day, April 21^st has been designated to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development. In an article published here in Modern Ghana, Dr Angela Lusigi looks at some of the ways in which we can accelerate creativity and innovation in Africa. “Critical thinking, problem-solving, and valuing creativity are crucial in unlocking the potential of African students to solve 21^st century development challenges. While more students across Africa have access to education at all levels, many students still face challenges in harnessing their creativity and innovation.”

Apr 20^th: The Cultural Vibrancy Index for Africa (CVIA) will launch at the iHub in Nairobi, Kenya this week, to provide a comprehensive database that maps the cultural landscape in Africa. Developed by the Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB in Nigeria, in partnership with Africa No Filter and the British Council, the data will highlight the cultural infrastructure, institutions, events, organisations, policies and initiatives that support the creative economy.

Apr 18^th: WIRED publish an articled titled ‘A Peter Thiel–Backed Startup City Wants to Be Africa’s Delaware’, in which Laurie Clarke and Nelson C.J. report on developments surrounding the 150km2 patch of land along the Gulf of Guinea coast, established in 2009 as a business-friendly spot for companies to set up in: “So far, the projects in the free zone have been industrial, with an oil refinery, garment factories, and other manufacturing facilities looming over the scrubland. But a new project has its ambitions first and foremost in the cloud: a virtual startup city that will transform into a physical one when it lays its first bricks later this year.”

Apr 15^th: Stan Getui, Director at Luminate, Africa pens an article for allAfrica titled, ‘Inclusion and Innovation Key to African Media Sustainability’, in which he examines key themes within the African media landscape, including security, podcasting, big data, and business models. ‘Media can transform the future of our societies,’ he writes. ‘With shared knowledge, and strategic resourcing, the next decade in the media industry calls for robust collaboration.’

Apr 11^th: The BBC has in recent weeks been publishing a series of guides on the media landscapes of African countries, advising on the macro state of press freedom therein as well as publishing lists of top radio, television, and press outlets. This week, guides on the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Republic of Congo have been published.

Apr 9^th: Ghana Web says that Nigerian entrepreneur Ikenna Nzewi is set to revolutionise the agri-tech industry across Africa. His start-up, Releaf, which was founded in 2017, enables decentralised purchasing and processing of raw crops, and has helped establish smaller factories in close proximity to smallholder farmers, providing FMCG manufacturers with easy access to high-quality raw materials.

Apr 5^th: Equator, a climate tech VC firm with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, has reached an initial close on its first fund, with $40 million in commitments. Partners include BII, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), the Shell Foundation and impact investor DOEN Participaties, according to the company’s statement and reported here by TechCrunch.

Apr 4^th: Africa is set to see a rise in adventure tourism, according to a panel of experts who spoke at WTM Africa. ‘One untapped opportunity is sustainable cruise travel,’ writes Travel Daily News writer, Tatiana Rokou. ‘With smaller cruise ships venturing into lesser-known towns, the concept of explorer cruising has gained momentum. This approach not only ensures that the cruise itself is environmentally responsible, but also supports local communities and economies by visiting smaller towns and promoting cultural exchange.’

Apr 4^th: Zawya reports that Africa Tech Summit has announced the final shortlist of start-ups who will pitch live to investors, corporate and media at the next event in Nairobi in early 2024. More than 250 entries from 20+ African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Mali, South Africa, and Benin, were submitted, and have been whittled down to the final 14, which can be viewed here.

Apr 4^th: Despite a recent influx of investment into African tech, new data from Disrupt Africa shows that this trend could now be slowing down, as the region follows suit with the wider media tech sectors around the world. According to a report highlighted here by Business Insider Africa, tech start-ups raised 57.2% less capital in Q1 2023 than in the same period last year. Despite this trend, Disrupt Africa says that the continent can ride out global cash crunch via ‘efficient growth’.

MARCH

Mar 26^th: US Vice President, Kamala Harris, has begun a 9-day trip across the continent, beginning in Ghana before moving onto Tanzania and Zambia. The visit comes as the US looks to build upon last year’s US-Africa Leaders Summit and strengthen ties further with Africa, amid growing competition for the continent’s affections from Russia and China.

Mar 26^th: UNESCO has partnered with Netflix to launch African Folktales Reimagined, an anthology of six short films that will be available for global streaming from March 29^th. The programming has been launched as part of Netflix’s partnership with UNESCO to support the next generation of African storytellers. Young filmmakers were given resources, including a $90,000 budget and creative guidance to help bring their stories to life.

Mar 24^th: The Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023 has taken place in South Africa, with the China-led company calling for “increased co-operation between the technology and banking industries to facilitate innovation in financial services across Africa.” As Kamala Harris prepares to take to Africa to try to win hearts and minds through greater US collaboration, it’s clear that China still has strong interests in the continent.

Mar 20^th: The BBC runs an article titled ‘Seven striking images by Africa’s new creative wave’, in which it looks at the works of emerging African and diaspora artists, including the likes of Ismail Zaidy, Prince Gyasi, and Thandiwe Muriu. ‘With the art of the continent and its diaspora increasingly in the spotlight, an exciting new cohort of Gen-Z and young Millennial image-makers is emerging,’ says the Precious Adesina-penned piece.

Mar 20^th: Meta’s legal woes on the continent appear to be growing, with a third lawsuit now raised in Kenya as moderators claim illegal sacking and blacklisting. According to TechCrunch, 43 content moderators have alleged “unlawful termination” by Meta and its partners in the region, and have also raised blacklisting charges.

Mar 14^th: The African Development Bank (AfDB) and partners lave launched a $618m fund aimed at Nigeria’s digital and creative industries. The Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme is estimated to create around 6 million jobs, funding more than 200 technology and creative start-ups and providing non-financial services to about 450 digital technology, small and medium enterprises.

Mar 13^th: The World Bank has published a report looking at Technological Transformation for Jobs on the continent. The study states that ‘Generating good jobs is essential for the more than 22 million Africans joining the workforce each year,’ and looks at the importance of internet penetration and other factors in helping young people into employment.

Mar 11^th: The FT runs an article looking at the current global spotlight on West African art as the Benin Bronzes take centre stage in the restitution discussion. ‘Nigerian arts and culture are thriving,’ writes Aindrea Emelife, ‘Despite a global economic downturn, an unstable currency, inflation and political turbulence, creative expression flourishes through the power and sophistication of our ancient kingdoms, and our post-independence freedoms.’