AFRICA: Changing the Narrative

ESG & Agriculture

70% of Africans make a living through agriculture, and technology could transform their world. Rural areas are chronically underserved by financial service providers, which is a limiting factor for economic development. Even where financial services are accessible, evidence shows that social concerns are often not fully incorporated in funding decisions and the delivery of services.

 

Standard Bank brings you this six-part series that delves deeper into key topics affecting the continent. Take a listen to how Africa can better prepare for the fight against climate change, leverage our agricultural potential, take advantage of deepening digitisation and protect the human rights of her people.

Unpacking the Mercer Report

Many African companies have realised that life will never be the same again post Covid-19. Business survival will, to a large extent, depend on how organisations embrace the future, use technology, invest in skilling and re-skilling employees, develop tailor-made employee benefits, incorporate mental well-being into HR models, develop sustainable working models, and embed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices in business models. 

In this episode, Teresa Clarke talks with Kenny Fihla, Chief Executive: Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group about how businesses can reorganise themselves post Covid-19.

Friends Or Foes ESG & The Mining Sector

Many mining and minerals businesses are already taking active steps on their ESG agenda; identifying their priorities and measuring their performance. But the real benefits come when you move beyond measurement and take action to improve.

Blockchain As Monitor Of Human Rights

Blockchain is, for many people, still synonymous with cryptocurrencies and financial applications. Yet the features that make blockchain technologies so appealing for asset management and monetary transactions -- transparency, tamper-resistance, efficiency, and smart contracts -- are also useful in areas that have little to do with finance.

Impact Investing - The African Reality

Investing in impact businesses can increase access to basic services such as finance, healthcare, education, clean water, and energy. Several prominent examples in Africa demonstrate that impact businesses can be both profitable and beneficial for a wide range of stakeholders and while offering tangible social and economic benefits.

Podcast host Teresa Clarke invited two women who are very familiar with the impact investing space.  

Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women-owned and led growth private equity funds closing the gender gaps in Africa. 

Hema Vallabh is an engineer, turned entrepreneur, turned investor. Hema is a founding partner at Five35 Ventures, a pan-African VC fund investing in women in tech. She is also Co-Founder at WomHub and WomEng.

Why Africa Must Be At The Heart Of COP26

Africa’s situation deserves extraordinary attention: the continent contributes just 4 percent of global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the lowest of any region, yet its socio-economic development is threatened by the climate crisis. In other words, Africa contributes the least emissions but suffers the brunt of the consequences.

Africa.com's TERESA CLARKE talks with SIMON FREEMANTLE, Senior Political Economist, Standard Bank Research Chair, and PENNY BYRNE, Climate Research Analyst at Standard Bank.

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. It is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, between 31 October and 12 November 2021, under the co-presidency of the United Kingdom and Italy.

Unspoken Rules for Women Who Are Climbing The African Corporate Ladder

Men significantly outnumber women not just at the senior management and board levels but at every stage of the African Corporate pipeline. This is why Africa.com is committed to supporting talented women who aspire to climb the corporate ladder in Africa.

This workshop will inspire junior women by hearing the story of a successful African woman who reached the pinnacle of the corporate ladder, followed by an interactive session with a Harvard Business School career advisor and author of “The Unspoken Rules – Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right.”

Women Leading Corporate Africa

Why is it that most discussions of African women in business are focused on small and medium-sized businesses? 

We want to see African women dream big – why not earn the top spot in a large, complex organization?

On October 13, 2021, we began the journey of supporting every African woman to take on a new dream – climbing the corporate ladder to the number one spot. 

In addition to revealing the names of the 50 women on the Africa.com Definitive List of Women CEOs, this podcast features two big discussions:

Beating the Odds, with Harvard Business School’s Tony Mayo’s research on black women graduates of Harvard Business School who made it to the top spot.  He will share what a study of these successful women tells us. 

Then, a panel of Women CEOs from the Africa.com Definitive List of Women CEOs react to Professor Mayo’s research by sharing their own journeys to the top of Corporate Africa, and commenting on what is similar to Corporate America, and what it takes for women to get to the top in Corporate Africa. 

Finally, we explore the surprising role that stock exchanges are playing worldwide in advocating for women in big business.

For more information about Africa.com events, visit https://www.africa.com/

The First Public Sector Comprehensive Cancer Center for East and Central Africa

GE Healthcare – East Africa Projects Development Director Alexander Oketch

KUTRRH is poised to become the only Public facility in East and Central African region to offer the comprehensive continuum of cancer care with the establishment of an MIC. This centre will have state of the art technologies that will help in early diagnosis and management of cancer that will be expected to increase the survivorship of cancer patients, reverse outbound medical tourism while at the same time increasing inbound medical tourism into Kenya. This marks a significant milestone in the health sector and is a part of the country’s Big Four Agenda that prioritises increased access to quality and affordable healthcare to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Restoring Up To 360MW In Nigeria Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic

Kenneth Oyakhire of GE Gas & Power Sub - Saharan Africa.  Restoring Up To 360MW In Nigeria Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic.

“Being Nigeria’s largest electricity generating company, with a total installed capacity of 4.0 gigawatts (GW), representing about 35% of Nigeria’s generating capacity, we are committed to strengthening Nigeria's power sector, despite the unexpected logistical challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

For more than 125 years, GE has invented the future of industry, and today the company’s dedicated team, leading technology, and global reach and capabilities help the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely.  GE is rising to the challenge of building a world that works in Africa.