Afribiz: Business & Investment in Africa

The start of the World Cup is only two days away in South Africa. The event is highly anticipated with an expected 2 billion viewers worldwide over the next month. But on the other side, what does this mean for business in South Africa? Stevie Bacher, Business Editor for KayaFM in Joburg, will share what impact he believes the World Cup will make on the local business environment in the short-term and in the long-term.

ICT is on the move across the entire African continent, but unless you're there its a little hard to imagine how the landscape of business is changing. This segment highlights the key movements in the South African market with an eye to seeing other African markets follow a similar path in the next few years. Arthur Goldstuck, a leading ICT analyst and Managing Director of World Wide Worx, shares what he knows about the South African ICT market.

Africa Investor magazine recently conducted the African Brand Investment Index survey to find out what was in the mind of investors about Africa, both the good and bad. Hubert Danso, Managing Director of Africa Investor, joins us to share some of the insights drawn from the survey, including which countries have best brand images in Africa.

Last season we explored tips for managing investments from a legal perspective. This segment will focus on the business and management side of investments. Joining us is Joseph Wambia, CEO of Wambia Capital.

This show provides a unique glimpse of how people get started with doing business in Africa through the eyes of two African Americans living it now. Carlton Owens and Will Smith share their initial experiences and learnings which has led them to partner in a profitable gold mine in Ghana. If you think business in Africa is impossible for you, Carlton and Will will change your mind.

2010 is bringing a change in the business landscape in Africa. The macroeconomic stability maintained by most African countries during the global economic crisis signaled a new dawn of progress in Africa to say nothing of the economic growth rate during the first decade of this century. More eyes are turning to the possibilities in Africa, but ecosystems to support the growth in business and investment still remain fragmented. This show highlights the work of organizations like the Canadian Council of Africa to connect the dots in critical areas like finance and investment. We are joined by Lucien Bradet, President of CCAfrica, and Lisa Lambie, a CCAfrica Board Member and Managing Director of Cordiant Capital, for this discussion.

Handling business taxes in your home country can be daunting enough, but tax issues in cross-border and international trade adds complexity to the mix. This segment focuses on helping you understand the tax landscape, identify key tax issues you should address, and some practical tips for gaining clarity around this critical business matter in Africa. Reggie Mezu, a Director at The Cragus Group, will share insights based on his experience as a corporate tax advisor for companies globally and in Africa.

This segment focuses on the risk environment and managing risks associated with doing business in Africa. The business media in the West often paints a picture of Africa as a risky place to do business. However, Africa has a much better outlook in managing risks in 2010, according to ControlRisk. Sanjeev Kumar, a director at Delamore and Owl companies, will join us and share his expertise on the challenges and approaches to managing risks in Africa. And finally, AfribizTalk introduces a new occasional co-host, Nwakego Eyisi.

Funding available for SMEs and entrepreneurs, particularly start-ups, still remains low in Africa. This segment highlights a new, emerging financing alternative called Growth Finance. Guido Boysen, Chief Investment Officer of GroFin, shares what Growth Finance is, how it serves SMEs in Africa, and how Grofin's business model has made it both the pioneer and leader in the Growth Finance industry.

This is a re-broadcast of our January 27, 2010 show. Enjoy!! This segment provides tips for how entrepreneurs from Africa and elsewhere can use the media to promote their businesses in international trade. The guest expert is C. Paschal Eze, a former journalist in Africa and the West. Eze now helps entrepreneurs use the media to build social capital.

We open our 2010 season with a hard hitting but practical approach to doing business in post-conflict countries in Africa. After the genocide in Rwanda in the mid-1990s, Rwanda is emerging as an example of a transition economy gaining its own footing in a competitive global market place only 15 years after conflict. Jacqueline Musiitwa, an expert on trade in post-conflict countries, will join us.

This is a re-broadcast of our live segment on November 4, 2009. Enjoy...This segment focuses on a much sought after resource - investors for your business venture. Many firms spend a tremendous amount of time looking for investors yet get little benefit. In this segment, we will share practical tips and perspectives on African firms’ pursuit of local and foreign investors. Mr. Patrice Backer, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Financial and Investment Group, will share what venture capital firms look for in African firms based on his organization’s experience.

Welcome to our opening segment on investing in Africa! This segment focuses on successful tips for investing offered by two experts. First, Dr. Richard America of Georgetown University in Washington DC will give us ideas about the landscape for investing in Africa. Second, Attorney Peter Hansen, who specializes in African investment law, will share insights on what to do before investing. Come join the conversation!

This is a re-broadcast of our live segment on October 21, 2009. Enjoy...Just like any business venture yours can work beautifully but if it doesn't draw customers it fails. Extending your product to other markets can be challenging. This segment will explore the issue of market access and market entry. Different experts will join the discussion. Dr. Emeka Nwankwo, CEO of Vertical Optimization, LLC. will share tips for market entry. Vertical Optimization, LLC is the managing partner of Export-Path. Our other familiar expert Dr. Patrick Wilson, aka "Dr. Patrick," will share technical issues associated with AGOA that can impact your marketing. This segment will be of special interest to those exporting to African countries from North America and those exporting to North America from Africa.

This broadcast starts a quarterly dialogue on the business landscape in the agriculture and food markets in Africa. We'll continue our discussion with Dr. Pat Wilson, aka "Dr. Patrick," on how to make AGOA work as a business person or investor in Africa or elsewhere. Also learn about opportunities and paths of success that we discovered while at the recent U.S. - Africa Business Summit in Washington, D.C. Finally, we will begin a discussion on the opportunity for African businesses to tap into markets in other countries and regions on the continent.