Somebody quipped on Facebook over the weekend that it seems as if legendary director Quentin Tarantino is 'directing' 2016, given how bloody, conflict-ridden and plain bizarre, things have been at times this year (think Brexit; and the rise of Donald Trump; and how many rockstars/icons have died). Or maybe it only seems like that to those of us embedded in a daily diet of news from around the globe.
Luckily, when you work in B2B media, particularly in Africa, I feel, there is more good news about innovation, investment and talent to write about, than the truly weird. These are just some of the 'great news' stories from the continent this past week: The African Union is expected to formally launch the much-anticipated AU passport to facilitate trade and movement across the continent at its 27th AU summit at Kigali's new convention centre in Rwanda; Disrupt Africa profiles the five global accelerators supporting African startups; how GE's innovation 'garages' across Africa are becoming innovation hubs, where in Algeria, for example, students are given the opportunity to 3D print their graduation projects; there was a $24 billion investment boost for African agriculture from the African Development Bank; an African marketer, Kim Thipe from South African Airways, was named one of the world's top 15 women in marketing - a fantastic honour; there were several business tourism articles on hotel expansion and investment and new airline routes being added this week; as well as expansion by South African advertising and marketing agencies Joe Public and 99c into Africa; and so on.
Of course the news isn't always good, with renewed conflict in Sudan; worries about food security in sub-Saharan Africa, and the blocking of the internet and social media by both Zimbabwe and Ethiopia this past week, albeit for different reasons.The fact is that the internet has been determined a human right by the United Nations and the days are over where regimes can try control information flows to stifle dissent or try control what news their citizens can see or share.
But the point I'm trying to get across today, is that there is significant good news in business growth, innovation and investment coming out of Africa and it is inspiring and exciting.
Have a great week!
Louise Marsland
Africa Editor: Bizcommunity.com
