Mixed fortunes ahead for African countries in 2023
Economic growth in Africa is expected to slow to 3.8% in 2023, from 4.1% in 2022, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2023 report. In terms of how this is expected to play out across the continent, it says growth is expected to ramp up slightly in West Africa, remain […]
Digital currencies and services gaining momentum across the continent
A McKinsey report earlier this month highlights that although cash is still king in Africa its supremacy is likely to be increasingly challenged as e-payments gain momentum. With innovation escalating there is a shift in the way people pay for goods and services with electronic payments rapidly displacing cash and cryptocurrency and digital currencies emerging […]
Dispute resolution practices progressing across the continent
Dispute resolution practices vary in many respects from one African country to another, although some significant similarities are apparent. The latter includes a predominance of preference for litigation in handling disputes, for various reasons, although arbitration is gaining increasing acceptance, while mediation is lagging behind. This was highlighted in the responses LEX Africa received from […]
M&A activity on the rise in Africa in 2022
According to the recent Dealmakers Africa report, during the first quarter of 2022 the total value of deals in Africa – excluding South Africa – was $9,7 billion – an almost three-fold increase over that of Q1 2021 – off 196 transactions. North and West Africa were the two regions with the greatest deal activity, […]
Infrastructure developments in Africa
Infrastructure development is a key driver for progress across the African continent and a critical enabler for productivity and sustainable economic growth. According to the African Development Bank, investment in infrastructure accounts for over half of the recent improvement in economic growth in Africa and has the potential to achieve even more. A fund known […]
Guinea: A huge wealth of untapped resources!
Guinea Conakry is a West African country known for its rich mineral resources, including bauxite, iron ore, and large deposits of gold, uranium, and diamonds. The country has a population of about 13 million people, its capital city is Conakry, and it is bordered by Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, and Mali. […]
Challenges abound in West Africa – but hope springs eternal
By Amadou Barry – Counsel at Thiam & Associes – Guinea Conakry The democratic progress of West African states achieved over the last decades is being undermined by disruptive events like military coups. Prior to the most recent military coup in the Republic of Guinea in September, the West African region experienced a military […]
Appetite for Innovative Funding in the Mining Industry
The robust demand for most commodities and the uptick in prices, particularly for precious metals, has seen a number of minerals and metal producers flagging project expansion initiatives. SA Mining recently caught up with LEX Africa’s network of law firms in South Africa, Zambia and Guinea for insight into the different funding options available to […]
The African Continental Free Trade Area and the Regional Economic Communities (Focus on ECOWAS)
Article by Amadou Barry Ismael Traoré of Thiam & Associes – Guinea Conakry In order to implement the largest free trade area with 1.2 billion consumers and approximately US $2.5 trillion GDP, the AfCFTA was recently ratified by 54 out of 55 countries (excluding Eritrea). One of its purpose is to eliminate tariffs on nearly […]
Guinea’s mines: digging up good news
The Republic of Guinea is an unfolding example of how Africa’s vast resource potential can start to be realised. It has been described as “a geological scandal” thanks to its rich mineral deposits, yet the Republic of Guinea has been “a notorious case-study in governance and economic failure for more than half a century”, according […]
