Education Archives - African Financial & Economic Data

07 Aug

South Africa’s unemployment stays at 14-year high in second quarter

South Africa’s unemployment rate stayed at a 14-year high in the second quarter, with the statistics agency saying on Monday the country was in a “precarious position” of not creating enough jobs to make a dent in poverty.

The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 27.7 percent of the labour force in the second three months of this year, with the absolute number of unemployed down slightly to 6.177 million from 6.214 million, data from the statistics office showed.

Africa’s most industrialised economy has sunk into recession and had its credit rating downgraded to junk by two of the three main credit rating agencies. In July Stats SA said nearly a fourth of all households are in poverty.

Statistician General Pali Lehohla said the real economy, which includes mining and manufacturing, was not creating enough employment.

“We are in a very precarious position as South Africa in as far as exiting poverty. The type of strategy that can make us exit poverty is when people are working,” Lehohla said.

“This kind of poverty cannot be resolved by social grants and the like. That type pf poverty is solved if people are doing work and being productive,” Lehohla said.

Although South Africa’s economy contracted for a second successive quarter in March, economists expect positive growth in 2017, but warn that political turmoil and regulatory uncertainty will continue to hamper investor sentiment.

Chief economist for Africa at Standard Charted, Razia Khan, said agriculture and mining were the only sectors that grew meaningfully in the first quarter of this year but actually experienced job losses in the second quarter.

“With a significant uplift to growth performance unlikely to be on the horizon just yet, there is little to suggest a meaningful pick-up in job creation for some time,” she said.

The rand shrugged off the unemployment print, with market focus on the no-confidence motion against President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday. As of 0825 GMT, the rand was trading at 13.4025 per dollar, 0.13 percent firmer than its close on Friday.

Zuma faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday brought by opposition parties. The ruling African National Congress says its members would rally behind Zuma and vote against the motion.

Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Editing by James Macharia and Angus MacSwan

Article from CNBCAfrica

07 Aug

SA facing a skilled-worker ‘brain drain’ as 7% of whites have emigrated since 2002

South Africa is facing a skilled-worker ‘brain drain’ as 7% of whites have emigrated since 2002.

Figures published in BizNews have highlighted South Africa’s overall population growth since 2002, and life expectancy has risen to 64 (up from 53) in that time.

The rollout of free antiretroviral treatments for HIV and AIDS patients has made a huge difference to SA’s health landscape, and the country is now home to more than 56m citizens; it’s highest ever total.

However, as the population rises, there is a hole right in the middle of that data – the white population is somewhat shrinking, as the calls to find ‘a home from home’ have grown ever stronger and convinced more to leave.

How many whites live in South Africa?

The net emigration of Whites is estimated at 327,000, or about 7% of the population. This has left the number of Whites in 2017, of 4.49m, down by -62,000 in the last 15 years.

In contrast, there has been a 10.18m increase in the Black African population, to 45.11m at present and a 1.05m increase in the Coloured population, up to 4.96m, in mid-2017.

South Africa is facing a skilled-worker ‘brain drain’

The research was carried out by Econometrix’s chief economist Azar Jammine: He feels that the whites leaving the country are able to do so because their skill sets are attractive to lucrative foreign businesses:

“There is an argument for being very concerned about the decline in the population of Whites due to emigration. Many of those who emigrate are drawn presumably from the most highly skilled sections of society and their departure from the workspace is likely to impact negatively on the capacity of the economy to grow at a faster rate.”

“It is debatable whether the inflow of skilled persons from the rest of the African continent is sufficient to counteract the outflow of skills from large-scale emigration of Whites.”

South Africans working abroad

The growth rate in the population of persons between the ages of 15 and 34 has fallen from 2.48% to just 0.18% over this period. With education standards languishing, current figures suggest we will have less people available to adequately carry out the services SA needs to function

12 May

Nigeria Parliament Approves 21% Budget Hike to Boost Economy

Nigeria’s lawmakers approved to boost spending by 21 percent this year’s budget to help the West African economy recover from its worst slump in 25 years.

The Senate, led by its President Bukola Saraki, agreed on Thursday in the capital, Abuja, to increase spending this year to 7.4 trillion naira ($23 billion). That compares to a budget of 7.3 trillion naira that President Muhammadu Buhari proposed on Dec. 14. The House of Representatives, the National Assembly’s lower chamber, approved it earlier Thursday.

Nigeria’s economy, which vies with South Africa’s to be the largest on the continent, shrunk by 1.5 percent last year, the first contraction since 1991, after revenue from oil, its biggest export, fell by almost half. About 30 percent of the budget will be spent on roads, rail, ports and power to help stimulate business activity.

The government should implement the budget quickly “to boost the economy and take it out of recession,” Michael Famoroti, an economist at Lagos-based Vetiva Capital Management, said by phone. Spending on capital projects to promote exports and in the oil-producing Niger delta region, is expected in the second half of the year, he said.

The spending plans assume daily production of 2.2 million barrels of crude oil sold at $42.5 per barrel, and an exchange rate of 305 naira per dollar, according to budget documents. This was unchanged from Buhari’s proposal, the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Appropriations, Danjuma Goje, told lawmakers.

The government’s oil-production target may be reached in the second half of the year as “oil revenue is expected to be strong,” according to Famoroti. If non-oil revenue doesn’t increase, Nigeria might face “another under-performance of the budget.”

Foreign-currency shortages in the country forced the central bank to introduce multiple exchange rates, with the main rate at 315 naira per dollar, more than 20 percent cheaper than the street price.

The two chambers of Parliament debate and approve spending plans separately before harmonizing their proposals into a single document sent to the president to sign into law.

08 May

Morocco’s Attijariwafa Plans Africa Expansions This Year

Attijariwafa Bank, Morocco’s biggest lender, is planning to complete expansions in East and West Africa this year as it focuses on consolidating its new acquisitions to spur growth.

The Casablanca-based bank aims to finalize a deal to buy Rwanda’s Cie Generale de Banque, known as Cogebanque, start commercial banking operations in Chad and apply for a banking license in Ghana in 2017, General Manager Ismail Douiri said in an interview in Cairo on Sunday.

The lender has halted its plans to enter Nigeria and Algeria as it prioritizes the consolidation of its purchase of 100 percent of Barclays Plc’s Egypt, which was completed this month as part of plans to boost growth. Attijariwafa started its first wave of acquisitions in 2005 as it was faced with fewer opportunities to expand in Morocco. It now operates in 26 countries including Tunisia, Niger, Gabon and Cameroon, as well as France, Germany and Italy.

The bank forecasts loans and deposits will increase 5 percent to 7 percent and profits to expand between 5 percent and 10 percent in 2017. It plans to sell as much as 1.5 billion Moroccan dirhams ($152 million) of perpetual bonds to meet Basel 3 requirements.

24 Apr

Burkina Faso Sees Cotton Output Rising 20% in 2017-18 Season

Burkina Faso, Africa’s top cotton grower, sees output rising by as much as 20 percent to 820,000 metric tons in the 2017-18 season which starts this month, an industry official said.

The target is “realistic and achievable” if rains are favorable and well distributed over the season and if parasites are kept under control, Georges Yameogo, general secretary of the nation’s cotton association, told reporters on Saturday in the capital, Ouagadougou.

The price for the new season was set at 245 CFA Francs ($0.40) a kilogram, up from 235 francs in the previous season, he said. The costs of fertilizers, insecticides and seeds remain unchanged, he said.

Burkina Faso harvested 683,000 tons of cotton in the 2016-17 season, Yameogo said. That’s below the target of 700,000 tons because of a lack of rains in September, he said. But it’s still 17 percent higher than the 586,000 tons harvested in 2015-2016, he said.

9th Africa Carbon Forum, Cotonou, Benin, 28 – 30 June 2017

Collaborative climate action for sustainable development in Africa

COTONOU, Benin, April 10, 2017

Come to Cotonou for the 9th Africa Carbon Forum to engage in promoting climate action in Africa.

The 9th Africa Carbon Forum (ACF) will focus on how engagement between State and non-State actors can be further strengthened in the key sectors for Africa (energy, agriculture and human settlements), including the role of future carbon markets to achieve enhanced climate action, towards the goals of sustainable development.

The event will cover:

Practical examples of policies, initiatives and actions in Africa;
Barriers and enabling measures for engaging climate action in key sectors;
Financial instruments and regulatory frameworks;
Advancing the implementation of climate action and more.

With a comprehensive programme of plenary sessions, workshops, a ministerial section, side events and exhibits, this is a one of a kind event in the region.

The ACF is a great opportunity for financiers, policymakers and project developers to share experiences, network and build capacity.

Over the past decade the ACF has provided a unique platform for Africa to engage on climate change issues in the region. The Forum brings together key stakeholders from the public sector and other non-Party actors from Africa and beyond. It witnesses the participation of key multilateral and bilateral development institutions and experts to discuss urgent actions needed on the ground and share experience and build capacity for implementation of actions.

Meet us in Cotonou to learn, share and connect at ACF 2017. Registration is open at www.AfricaCarbonForum.com.

Distributed by APO on behalf of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

10 Apr

Ministry of Labour and United Nations Launch “Opening Doors: Building Careers Together” Joint Human Resource Initiative

The launch was presided over by officials from the Ministry of Labour, Public Service, and Human Resource Development, including Honourable Minister Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang, Honourable Deputy Minister David Yau Yau, and Honourable Undersecretary Mary Hillary Wani Pitia

The Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development and the United Nations jointly launched the new “Opening Doors: Building Careers Together” initiative, which aims to educate and sensitize South Sudanese nationals on employment in the United Nations system, at the Ministry of Labour on Thursday.

The launch was presided over by officials from the Ministry of Labour, Public Service, and Human Resource Development, including Honourable Minister Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang, Honourable Deputy Minister David Yau Yau, and Honourable Undersecretary Mary Hillary Wani Pitia. Joining the government representation was Undersecretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Honourable Gat Kouth Peter Kulang and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports Honourable Agum Riig Maban.

“The collaboration that we are having now with the UN family agencies aiming to sensitize and educate our jobseekers on the UN and other NGO job market is greatly welcome. The activities that will be carried out will enhance the chances of employment for our job seekers and with time they will be able to take over the labour market in the country and contribute effectively to the development of the economy,” said Hon. Minister Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang in his remarks.

The United Nations was represented by the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator a.i. Dr. Abdulmumini Usman, Country Representative for the World Health Organization. Country Representatives and members of the Inter-Agency Human Resource Network were in attendance from UNMISS, UNV, WFP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, FAO, UNWOMEN, UNEP, IOM, UNOCHA, UNMAS, and UNHCR.

“To be successful in our mandates, the United Nations, agencies, funds and programmes, all need the unique expertise, perspective, and skills that South Sudanese national staff bring to the table. We are also aware that our systems can sometimes appear to be complex or unclear, especially from the outside looking in. We want this new initiative to be a resource for all interested in making their mark – and this goes beyond simple job and volunteer vacancies. We want the public to know that the UN is not operating in a closed-door environment, and we are here to help everyone, at all levels, understand how they can join us,” said Dr. Usman, delivering remarks on behalf of Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Eugene Owusu.

A series of radio and public outreach activities, including a career fair scheduled for Thursday, May 25^th in Juba, were also announced at the launch event.

The United Nations Human Resources Inter-Agency Network is supporting the Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development to lead the “Opening Doors: Building Careers Together” initiative.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

04 Apr

UN emphasizes its commitment to support women’s empowerment in Egypt

The United Nations joins Egypt in celebrating the ingenuity, courage and determination of Egyptian women and the extraordinary role they play in their families and communities across Egypt, and emphasizes its commitment to support women’s empowerment in Egypt

The month of March was an important month for women in Egypt. The commemoration of the Day of the Egyptian Women, the International Women’s Day, and the 61^st global Session of the Commission on the Status of Women culminated in H.E. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s pronunciation of 2017 as the “Year of Egyptian women”. The United Nations joins Egypt in celebrating the ingenuity, courage and determination of Egyptian women and the extraordinary role they play in their families and communities across Egypt, and emphasizes its commitment to support women’s empowerment in Egypt.

The Government of Egypt continues to demonstrate its clear commitment and actions to achieve equality between women and men, and promote women’s social, economic, cultural and political empowerment through targeted actions, policies, programmes and legislations. In his pronunciation of 2017 as the “Year of Egyptian women”, H.E. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed women’s central role for the future of Egypt, the need to safeguard women’s constitutional rights and for women to be at the forefront, and outlining expediting steps towards the empowerment of women.

The United Nations commends the launch of Egypt’s Women’s Strategy 2030 under the leadership of the National Council for Women – a pioneer strategy globally for women’s empowerment – and welcomes the presidential directions to the Government of Egypt to regard the Egyptian Women’s Strategy 2030 as the reference document that guides the upcoming work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In line with the 2014 Constitution and the Egypt Vision 2030: Sustainable Development Strategy, the Egyptian Women’s Strategy 2030 is devised to enact women’s constitutional rights that foster principles of equality and non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and protection. This affirms the government’s recognition that social justice and inclusive growth will only be realized when women are enabled to benefit and contribute as equal citizens to Egypt’s sustainable development.

In line with these positive developments, “the UN in Egypt reiterates its commitment to supporting the Government of Egypt and its partners in their efforts towards local development solutions to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women,” said the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Egypt Mr. Richard Dictus.

Distributed by APO on behalf of UN Information Centre in Cairo.

30 Mar

Irish Government provides 7.2 million Euros to improve education to 150,000 children in Karamoja

The Irish Government has provided €7.2 million – about Ush 27.5 billion – to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support the Ministry of Education and Sports through the Gender Unit, to improve quality education for the most vulnerable children and adolescent girls across the Karamoja region.

The Irish Aid-supported programme will target almost 150,000 children in schools in Karamoja (76,606 boys and 57,834 girls from 283 primary schools and 6,716 boys and 4,891 girls in 23 secondary schools) – with a special focus on children at risk of dropping out of school and children with disabilities and special learning needs.

“This contribution from Ireland is critical in improving the skills and future of young people in Karamoja,” the Irish Ambassador, Dónal Cronin, said. “Education is key to the region’s development and this support, to be implemented by our partner UNICEF, is part of our ongoing efforts to empower some of the most vulnerable communities in Uganda.”

Children in the Karamoja region experience multiple vulnerabilities. Approximately 82 per cent of all 6 to 17 year old children in Karamoja are living in poverty and are deprived of at least two or more basic services.

For example, the average rates for primary school completion and transition to secondary school are 14 per cent and 25 per cent in Karamoja compared to the national average of 67 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

The persistent challenges of low enrolment, poor quality education, teacher absenteeism, and the absence of flexible alternative education opportunities to meet needs mean that dropout rates remain a problem in Karamoja. In some communities, education is not given much value and children, especially girls, are subjected to child marriages, female genital mutilation, child trafficking and child labour.

The Irish support will therefore focus on enhancing teacher effectiveness; strengthening school management; assessing and monitoring learning outcomes; addressing issues of violence in schools; strengthening girls’ education; and promoting peacebuilding and conflict-sensitive education. The support will also address cultural and social practices that continue to undermine inclusive and quality learning.

The five year programme aims to reduce gender gaps in enrolment and completion; improve learning outcomes in basic education; increase the transition of students from primary school to secondary school; and increase awareness within families and communities on the importance of investing in education for both girls and boys.

“This support from the people of Ireland will help thousands of children to stay in school and have a higher quality education, especially adolescent girls who have a critical role in transforming the living conditions of their families and communities in the future,” said Ms. Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Uganda.

“Given every additional year in school can increase that child’s future income by up to 10 per cent, this programme will greatly improve the futures of thousands of children as well as the Karamoja region as a whole.”

Ireland has supported improved education access and quality in the Karamoja sub-region for many years now, including most recently the rehabilitation of 21 primary schools across all seven districts. In addition to this support to UNICEF, Irish Aid also provided €150,000 to UNICEF to enhance gender equality in access to services and opportunities in the education sector in ten districts of Busoga region and seven districts of Karamoja.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

29 Mar

Japan donates US $906,000 to Mine Action in South Sudan

Last year alone, Japanese-funded teams cleared a total of 1,799,211 sqm, and closed 450 spot tasks including emergency operations by UNMAS Quick Response Teams to survey and clear civilian locations in Juba in the immediate aftermath of conflict in July 2016

JUBA, South Sudan, March 28, 2017

The Government of Japan has contributed USD 906,000 for the mine action project “Humanitarian Mine Action in Support of Conflict Affected Communities in South Sudan.” Over the past five years, Japan has contribution over USD 13 million to mine action operations in South Sudan. Last year alone, Japanese-funded teams cleared a total of 1,799,211 sqm, and closed 450 spot tasks including emergency operations by UNMAS Quick Response Teams to survey and clear civilian locations in Juba in the immediate aftermath of conflict in July 2016.

An estimated 7.5 million people have been directly affected by the conflict in South Sudan since it began in December 2013. Over the past year, the affected population has grown by more than one million. On 8 July 2016, the optimism for peace and socioeconomic development resulting from the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan was interrupted by an outbreak of conflict in Juba and several locations in South Sudan. The use of explosive weapons such as rockets, grenades, and mortars has further increased the proliferation of explosive hazards with accident levels in 2015 and 2016 being the highest in the last five years. It is clear that the explosive legacy of war will continue to inhibit social and economic recovery long after the guns have been silenced.

Continued funding from the people of Japan will support a Multi-task Team (MTT) to reduce the impact of explosive hazards, through survey and clearance as well as the provision of Risk Education, for conflict affected communities in Greater Equatoria. In South Sudan, where 92,840,000 sqm of contamination is known and hundreds of new hazards discovered every month, Mine Action is a critical enabler of humanitarian aid and a key driver of socio-economic development.

The Ambassador of Japan to South Sudan, Mr. Kiya Masahiko stated, “We feel a sense of mission as a peace-loving nation to support mine action in South Sudan as it lays the ground work for the people of this country to cancel out the negative past and to collectively embark on humanitarian and development efforts. Ahead of the International Mine Awareness Day, I wish to answer the global call for mine action with a USD 0.9 million contribution and to invite others to this indispensable mine action led by our long-standing partner, UNMAS.”

Mr. Tim Lardner, UNMAS South Sudan Programme Manager, emphasized the importance of the support from Japan. “Japan has been a reliable and encouraging partner in mine action to South Sudan and to UNMAS.They have always worked closely with us to support the goals of risk reduction to the population through the clearance of explosive remnants of war, but also maintain an important role in working closely with the government of South Sudan, through the National Mine Action Authority. It is great to have such a steady and reliable partner.”

UNMAS currently supports mine action programmes in Abyei (Sudan/South Sudan), Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Darfur (Sudan), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, State of Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and the territory of Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).