Opening the money taps into Africa

Africa Update 1

Akinwumi Adesina is not a name most people in Africa would recognise, yet it belongs to a man who is, arguably, doing the most to haul the continent out of a rut of underdevelopment and improve the lives of its people. Adesina is president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the brains behind this […]

South Africa’s BBBEE Act and Codes explained

South Africa News

The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 (ā€œBBBEE Actā€) provides the legislative framework for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (ā€œBBBEEā€) in South Africa. Codes of Good Practice may be issued by the Minister of Trade and Industry under the BBBEE Act and such Codes may be ā€œgenericā€ (i.e. of general application) or apply to a specific sector […]

LEX Africa expands in 6 African countries

Africa Update

LEX Africa has appointed 6 new members namely SCPA Kam & Some for Burkina Faso, Emery Mukendi Wafwana & AssociĆ©s for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gebreamlak Gebregiorgis for Ethiopia, Jurifis Consult for Mali, Gangate & Partners for Reunion and Aquereburu & Partners for Togo. This brings the total number of countries covered by […]

Whisperings on African business developments & opportunities – October 2014

Africa Update

The AGRICULTURE SECTOR IN AFRICA is still lacking in agricultural input commodities. Ā Only five states (i.e. South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Egypt) have seed industries which provide about twenty per cent of the continent’s requirements. Ā Eighty-five per cent of the fertilizer requirement is imported with South Africa and Morocco being the major producers.Ā  However, […]

Whisperings on African business developments & opportunities – September 2014

Africa Update

The EXPORT CREDIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (ECIC) OF SOUTH AFRICA has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the EXPORT CREDIT AGENCIES (“ECA”) of the BRICS countries.Ā  The positive cooperation between the ECAs is evident at the annual Bern Union meetings. There is a continuing reticence on the part of African governments to implement ONE-STOP BORDER […]

The enforcement of foreign arbitration awards in South Africa

Africa Update

South Africa is party to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. The Convention is given effect to by the Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards Act, 40 of 1977. Foreign arbitration awards are readily enforced in South Africa under the Act (indeed in some cases more readily than foreign […]

South Africa set to enter the international arbitration stage

Africa Update

There is an arbitration groundswell in Africa. Thirty three African States are party to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and ten African States have adopted the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (ā€œUNCITRALā€) Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration to form the basis of their arbitration […]