Carte Blanche with Perry

The Great Inga Dam Hydro-electric power plant that is set to add 40,000MW to DRC`s power grid The DRC has grown at an average of 7.7% over the last five years, ahead of the sub-Saharan Africa benchmark and is forecast to grow by at least 8% this year according to the AfDB, making it one of the top rising economies in the world. The good Africa stories keep coming, battling against “old” Africa with its civil wars and people threatened with famine.Over the next 20 years, some estimates project that Africa will have at least two billion people. Of these, 1.2-billion people will be living in urban cities, and 300-million of that urban population potentially earning $20 a day. If these statistics become reality, Africa could be a $2-trillion market annually.  This paints a picture of a continent whose economic activity is on the rise. Six of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies of the last decade have been in Africa, hence the “Africa rising” catchphra...

Nigel Chanakira It's a Thursday night, and despite the dipping temperatures of this July night, the room is packed and one can almost sense the optimism and excitement in the atmosphere. The event is “Pitch Night Thursdays,” and is organised by a local company that invests in good business ideas. Entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas; then the floor is opened up for questions, suggestions and any other contributions to help accelerate the business ideas.  NeedIess to say, some of the ideas being discussed here are epic! The immediate feeling one gets from these pitches is how eager Zimbabwe’s young people are to make things happen.  Yes the current economic climate makes Zimbabwe a less than ideal environment for entrepreneurs, with most if not all economic indicators pointing to a severely wakened economy. To say that things have been tough would be a massive understatement of.  And it is Zimbabwe's millennial generation- the country`s so called 'lost g...

There are over 180 currencies the world over as recognised by the United Nations that are used by millions in their day-to-day activities.  As globalization has spurred on international trade, currencies have become very fluid and transcend international borders. But have you ever stopped to think how some of the major world`s currencies got their names? Here is a brief explainer on the origin of some of the world`s currencies, in no particular order of importance: Pound The British Pound is the world`s most oldest currency still in use, tracing its origins as far back as the 8 th century, while the South Sudanese pound which was introduced in July 2011 is the world`s newest currency. The word pound has its roots in the Latin word “poundus’ which loosely translates to “weight” in modern English. Some of the countries that use the pound include Cyprus, Britain, Egypt and the two Sudanese countries. Rand The Rand is predominantly used in South Africa, and w...

Forget how condescending it might sound, but truth is, Africa has had its fair share of rather curious political leaders than the rest of the world.  Consider Jacob Zuma, who thinks he can laugh and giggle his way from being held to account, to chaps like Burundi`s Pierre Nkurunziza who think they can alter the constitution to their advantage and extend presidential term limits on a whim. Then there are the types of Laurent Gbagbo, who will flat out refuse to lose an election even when the results are glaringly clear. Africa has had these queer leaders in all shapes and sizes as it were. And if latest events are anything to go by, America will likely have a taste of what it feels like to have leaders in the same mold of what Africans have more often than not been exposed to. Enter Donald Trump! Coming out of the recent Republic National Convention where like always he managed in spectacular fashion to contradict himself, lie, boast about his capabilities as a le...