Rwanda Among Top 15 Retail Investment Destinations in sub-Saharan Africa Filed in: africa, east africa, rwanda, retail, investment
Consulting group A.T. Kearney's 2015 African Retail Development Index ranks the leading current and potential retail expansion destinations in sub-Saharan Africa. Leading the pack is Gabon because of its high rate of urbanization (86%) and high GDP per capita. For its part, Rwanda ranks seventh on the index -- down...
Rwanda Among Leading Investment Destinations in Africa Filed in: rwanda, investment, east africa
From CNBC: According to Rand Merchant Bank's 2014/2015 report Rwanda is the most attractive destination in East Africa and the ninth most attractive in Africa as a whole. The report looks at three criteria: growth rate, market size, and the ease of doing business. In addition to its favorable...
Companies Expanding in Africa Filed in: ibm, starbucks, fdi, investment, economic growth, boston consulting group, africa, kenya, facebook, airbnb
Consulting firms from McKinsey & Company to the Boston Consulting Group have touted sub-Saharan's investment opportunities, and now large companies from the West are following suit. Recent investment announcements are highlighted below. Airbnb: The number of people staying in Airbnb homes in Africa has increased 257 percent, with Johannesburg and...
Rwanda Pursues Foreign Investment Increase Filed in: rwanda, east africa, kenya, fdi, investment
According to The Africa Report, Rwanda is seeking to increase foreign direct investment this year to $1.2 billion. The increase will be helped along by new investment tax incentives, which include a seven-year tax holiday for firms investing over $50 million. Rwanda has become an attractive investment destination due to its strong,...
HBR on Doing Business in Africa Filed in: investment
With the rising interest in adding sub-Saharan Africa to emerging market portfolios, Harvard Business Review recently covered some of the myths of doing business in sub-Saharan Africa. These misconceptions include: There is no competitive urgency to build a presence in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa's growth is all about natural...
Africa’s Angel Group Filed in: angel investment, investment, medium-sized enterprise
U.S.-based Renew Strategies is an impact-oriented angel group focused on bringing capital to scalable medium-sized companies across Africa. Right now the firm has three Ethiopian companies in its portfolio and is looking to expand. To date the firm has raised $about 2 million, according to the Washington Post. Although...
Former Barclays CEO Invests in Rwanda Banking Sector Filed in: finance, rwanda, fdi, investment, banking
The London Evening Standard reports that former Barclays CEO Bob Diamond will invest $22.5 million in Banque Populaire Rwanda through his African banking venture Atlas Mara. The investment will give the firm a 45% stake in the bank, which Atlas Mara then plans to merge with BRD Commercial Bank of Rwanda. The...
Fitch Upgrades Rwanda to “B+” with a Stable Outlook Filed in: rwanda, economic growth, investment, development
Fitch Ratings upgraded Rwanda to 'B+' from a 'B' rating it had given the East African country earlier in 2015, according to CNBC Africa. According to Fitch, there were two reasons for the upgrade. The first is Rwanda's track record of "prudent and coherent fiscal and monetary policy." The...
Kenya’s Equity Bank Cross-Lists on the Rwanda Stock Exchange Filed in: finance, investment, rwanda, kenya
Rwanda's six-company stock exchanged doubled its value by cross-listing Kenya's Equity Bank. With a market cap over $2 billion, the bank is now the largest company listed on the exchange. “Cross-listing is important because it gives Rwandans an opportunity to participate in the progress of their bank,...
Investment in Africa Continues to Gain Traction in the US Filed in: fdi, investment, africa
As an example of how Americans are increasingly seeing the opportunities present south of the Sahara, Minnesota’s Star Tribune newspaper recently reported on the continued engagement of the state’s business sector with the region. “As a giant middle class gradually rises across Africa...