Business Training opportunities for African Women.

Goldman Sachs a leading world financial services provider has announced that over the next five years it will fund training scholarships for 10,000 business women in the developing world, including Africa. The scholarships will be run jointly with US and UK universities and, for Africa, will take place in the following universities.

American University in Cairo, Egypt
Pan-African University, Nigeria
School of Finance and Banking, Rwanda
United States International University, Kenya
University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa
University of Dar es Salaam, Entrepreneurship Centre, Tanzania
Judge University of Cambridge with Camfed, Zambia.

The schools will work together to establish or expand certificate programs ranging from 5 weeks to 6 months that could include courses in marketing, accounting, market research, writing a business plan, strategic planning, accessing capital and e-commerce.

Camfed Zambia is expected to create two innovative certificate programs for female high school graduates. The first certificate will cultivate basic business literacy, entrepreneurship and leadership development through an intensive summer residential program for young women who have just graduated from high school. The second certificate will be a part-time, two-year certificate program for women who are employed or enrolled in postsecondary career training as nurses and teachers to augment their skills with financial management and entrepreneurial training. The program will also offer coaching, personal development and networking resources. Camfed is estimated to benefit 560 women.

Pan African University in Lagos is expected to expand a well-established 5-month certificate program at the Enterprise Development Services (EDS) that uses a hands-on case study approach to develop core skills of women owners of small and medium-sized businesses, such as sales and marketing, strategies for growth and writing a business plan. Goldman Sachs will provide scholarships for additional women, expanding access to those who would otherwise be unable to afford the tuition. An estimated 250 women are expected to benefit

The University of Cape Town is expected to adapt its graduate level course to reach a wider audience. All participants, both graduate students and other students – will likely receive a certificate upon completion. UCT and Goldman Sachs will expand their Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development 6-month program into Soweto to enable deserving young women to strengthen their business skills and receive certificates upon completion. An estimated 220 women are expected to benefit.

The University of Michigan and School of Finance and Banking in Rwanda will develop a two-track business education program. The first provides scholarships and housing assistance to women pursuing undergraduate business.The program will offer 4-year BA and 6-month certificate programs for qualified but indigent women. The project will reach an estimated 375 women.

Columbia University and the University of Dar es Salaam will work together create two new certificate programs in entrepreneurship and management within their existing entrepreneurship center targeted at 500 women.

Wharton university and American University in Cairo will work together to create a 5-week certificate program focused on professional leadership, management, and entrepreneurial skills including: accounting, market research, marketing, accessing capital, writing a business plan, strategic planning and e-commerce. Participants will receive an accredited certificate. The curriculum includes field work with local businesses and connectivity to mentor networks and is projected to reach 500 women.

For more information please contact the relevant university.

Please note that this blog has moved to its own website on www.tradelinkafrica/blog please visit us at that address for more coverage of Africa business information and opportunities.

Bio-diesel production- Growing opportunity for African farmers?

As the need for power to fuel the world’s economy grows, bio-fuels are increasingly being seen as a potential opportunity for African farmers. There are many efforts by farmers to diversify into bio-fuel production across the continent. In Botswana, one such new project aimed at producing bio-diesel from oil extracted from the sunflower seeds and has the potential to improve incomes for farmers and create new jobs.

Continental Agricultural and Industrial Development, an international company specialising in bio diesel production from sun flowers has put an estimated $ 3 million agricultural tractors and equipment to do the ploughing and the planting of the crop. The farmers who benefit from the project will be trained in the necessary skills. The project is intended to help farmers to move away from subsistence farming to become commercial farmers.

Apart from growing the plant, farmers will be engaged in the process of extracting oil from the sunflower seeds at the company’s oil extraction plants. Continental will provide the technology for the extraction process. The company and the farmers will jointly own the facilities for extracting the oil and turning it into bio-diesel. The project is expected to create roughly 10,000 direct jobs and benefit 40,000 more indirectly through the additional processes such as servicing, transportation and delivery of the oil. Another estimated1, 400 industrial jobs could be created in the extraction plants.

Taking advantage of this opportunity will require farmers to not only know agriculture but they would also understand the energy industry and the market for their product.

Bio-diesel is a clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic renewable resources such vegetable oils, including sunflower, animal fats or greases. However, there are increasing questions on whether bio-fuels will actually help address climate change. Scientists have recently found that the clearing of new lands for farming, and the process of extraction of some bio-fuels can add more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than their use reduces. Another growing concern is whether farmers will switch totally to these new products to the detriment of food production. This, coupled with increasing demand for staples like maize and soybean (which are also used for bio-fuel production) are likely to make them so expensive that ordinary people cannot afford them as food. Oil from sunflower seeds is usually combined with ethanol from sorghum seeds and two components are used in the chemical process of producing bio-diesel. Sorghum is a staple in most countries in Africa and its increased use to produce fuel could affect food prices, researchers warn.

Please note that this blog has moved to its own website on www.tradelinkafrica/blog please visit us at that address for better coverage of Africa business information and opportunities.

Tanzanians urged to buy shares in the National Investment Company

The National Investment Company Ltd (NICO) Company’s board chairman, Felix Mosha told Tanzanian Media that his company intends to sell new shares to the public. The move comes after a recent injection of a total of TZS 5bn in a fish processing facility in Mwanza Region.

The National Investment Company plans to sell shares to Tanzanians with a view of raising capital. It is expected that the fish processing factory, due to start production next February, will be a source of revenue for shareholders and the company in the near future. NICO intends to sell 50 million shares worth TZS 1.5 bn. According to Mr Mosha, the shares would be sold at TZS 300 each at the NMB, CRDB, Exim, FBME and CBA banks. The shares would also be sold at all post offices and at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. “People should not hesitate to continue buying the company’s shares even if the 50 million shares are all bought,” Mr Mosha said. NICO currently has 25,000 shareholders and the number is expected to increase following the issuing of new shares.

Please note that this blog has moved to its own website on www.tradelinkafrica/blog please visit us at that address for better coverage of Africa business information and opportunities.

The 8th West African mining and power exhibition and conference

When: 3-8 June 2008

Where: Accra International Conference Centre, Castle road, Accra,

Note: For more information on this event click here

Upcoming Business Event

What : African Private Sector Forum
When: January 22 to January 23 2008

Where: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

What: Meeting bringing together companies, investors, donor community members, and regulatory bodies for more information click here

Participation is free.

Business Opportunity- Gum Trees

Demand for Gum trees on the increase

Demand for gum trees has been on a steady increase since 2003. The trees are used for poles for the Kenya Power and Lighting and Telecom services. Currently the trees are being imported mainly from Tanzania. Farmers in Kenya are being encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture to grow more of such fast maturing trees to meet demand.

Gain in value of African currencies against dollar- good or bad news

Several African currencies have seen a gain in value against the dollar as the green buck has taken a beating from the credit market crisis and the looming threat of recession in the US. So is it good or bad news? Well that seems to depend on what business you are undertaking. If you are an exporter you probably are feeling a pinch. But farmers, manufacturers and potential importers of machinery can take advantage of the strengthening currencies to import capital goods at cheaper rates. This is the time to import items such as fertilizer, vehicles, and chemicals and oils that would otherwise cost a whole lot more if the currencies were weaker.

A second advantage is that with currencies strengthening, the amount of money governments are paying for oil imports is lower, whether this translates into cheaper prices at the fuel pump though depends on how much the companies selling the oil are passing on the benefits to the consumer.