From first-mover advantage to coming from behind: A new phase of the Japan-Africa partnership
When the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was launched in 1993 by Japan in co-operation with the World Bank, the UN, and the UN Development Programme, it was the first such initiative of one country seeking to deepen its partnership with Africa.
Understanding the Angolan FDI Regulatory Landscape
This paper explores the regulatory framework for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Angola, with the objective of broadening understanding of the barriers to foreign investment in the country.
Mozambique: options for multi-sector approaches to FDI
Historically, Mozambique has relied heavily on aid flows to finance post-war reconstruction. It is also Africa’s biggest recipient of overseas development assistance (ODA) – about 50% of government spending is financed from ODA. Post-war economic reconstruction efforts came mainly in the form of large projects focused on rebuilding the country’s infrastructure.
Namibia: Towards a Logistics Hub for Southern Africa
Namibia’s New Investment Bill represents a new foreign direct investment (FDI) regime in line with a recent shift in the developing world away from liberal FDI regulation, which favours foreign investors and restricts the state’s right to regulate in the public interest.
How can Tanzania’s engagement with the world be optimised by Magufuli?
On 25 October 2015, Tanzanians elected John Pombe Magufuli as their president – nicknamed “The Bulldozer” for his self-assertive, brash leadership style, and his ability to push through his agenda.
African countries square up for battle over future of ivory trade ban
Three countries in southern Africa have banded together to press for the ban on international trade in ivory to be lifted.
The ‘frontline states’ in the Baltic Sea region are feeling increasingly threatened by Russia
The already-anxious, West-aligned states bordering Russia are receiving alarmingly mixed messages from their NATO allies. At its summit in Warsaw in July, NATO agreed to deploy a battalion of troops to each of the three Baltic states and Poland to protect them against possible Russian attack.
The East African Energy Frontier, a Decade On
The East Africa region has seen some of the decade’s largest natural gas and energy finds. However, despite their magnitude, these discoveries have yet to fulfil the promise of social and economic progress.
Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea: Establishing Law, Generating Order
Maritime security has become a buzzword in recent years as criminal activities at sea threaten a wide range of geostrategic, security and economic imperatives.
Municipal elections: No longer the warm-up game
A telling feature of South African municipal elections is the near seamless manner in which they blend into the country’s national political narratives.