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It’s a G-thing, US mega investors say

Scouting for opportunities: Prosper Africa led the US institutional investor delegation at the US Africa Business Summit
Scouting for opportunities: Prosper Africa led the US institutional investor delegation at the US Africa Business Summit

Major US institutional investors with assets of about $2.3 trillion were in Botswana recently, as part of a five-country tour of African states. Towering titans like South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco also on the list, but the investors say one key element they’re watching out for is governance. Staff Writer MBONGENI MGUNI reports

Last December, I joined hundreds of delegates at the US Africa Leaders’ Summit called by President Joseph Biden and attended by more than 40 African heads of state, together with their private sectors. Stemming from that engagement, 75 new deals between the United States and African countries were closed for a total estimated value of $5.7 billion in two-way trade and investment.

At least $15 billion in commitments were made by business and government leaders at the Summit, as well as the additional $8 billion in private sector commitments and a further $1 billion in U.S. Government commitments made in conjunction with Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia in March this year.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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