We are excited to announce that we have recruited and trained new consultants in Ivory Coast, Botswana and Mauritius. We have also added the locations: Democratic Republic of Congo and Djibouti to our destination.
Relocation Africa is alive and growing! For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Ethiopia is combating deforestation – leading a campaign to plant 6 billion trees across the state this year. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is leading this campaign, which also forms part of his Green Legacy project to promote eco-tourism and action against climate change effects. The launch of the third cycle of the Green Legacy programme was held on May 18 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The main message conveyed at the launch by PM Abiy’s was that “Ethiopia is putting the environment at the centre of its development process.”
The new cycle of the Green Legacy is set to begin in May and expected to be furthered until September 2021. This cycle will begin with regions with high rainfalls, whereas preparatory measure will have to be taken in arid areas where rainfall is scarce.
It is the third consecutive year that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has continued his efforts in urging Ethiopians to plant billions of trees. In 2017, as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, Ethiopia joined more than 20 other African nations in pledging to restore 100 million hectares of land. In 2019, Ethiopia planted more than 353 million trees in 12 hours on Monday, which officials believe is a world record.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s has long emphasised the importance of continuity and completing the campaign he has initiated. PM Ahmed’s goal of the Green Legacy campaign was to plant 20 billion trees by the end of next year [2022]. This year, the Ethiopian government plans to send 1 billion seedlings to neighbouring countries to support reforestation efforts in the Horn of Africa, a region known for its arid climate.
Addis Ababa plans to start with regions with high rainfall. In arid areas where rainfall is scarce or irregular, preparatory measures are being taken to ensure the development of young trees. The Ethiopian government also plans to send one billion trees to neighbouring countries to support reforestation efforts in the Horn of Africa, a region known for its arid climate.
Ghana has been selected as the manufacturing hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa and has also been excluded from the European Union’s list of money laundering nations.
A statement was issued by the Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential palace following a recent meeting in Belgium with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis. According to the European Commission, the Government of Ghana has taken remarkable initiatives towards the domestic manufacturing of vaccines.
Ghana was the first country in the world to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility and began its first phase of mass vaccination earlier this year. Ghana has administered over 900 000 doses, projecting to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year. Taskforce teams elected from the European Union (EU) and Ghana will convene to discuss the approach in the realisation of this initiative that the European Investment Bank (EIB) could be supporting.
The European Commission has also announced the decision to remove Ghana from the AntiMoney Laundering and Terrorism Financing deficiency list. “The European Union acknowledged the efforts Ghana has made in implementing the action plan of the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) in record time. The Commission, thus, congratulated Ghana for the reforms embarked on, as well as the sustainable, robust systems deployed towards being taken off the list” the release added.
Ghana will be a great destination for investment and we are proud to offer services for Immigration and Relocation services into Accra, Ghana. Please contact us for further information.
On the 14th of May 2021, Relocation Africa’s CEO Rene Stegmann joined the European Relocation Association (EuRA) Spring Summit Day 5 as a panellist. The moderator, Ben Ivory, Senior Vice President, Global Initiatives was joined by panellists, Lloyd Townsend, Supply Chain Manager, EDF (Corporate), Rico Lopes – Graebel (Supply Chain Management) and Beverly King – Graebel (Business Development).
The topic of Day 5 of this summit continuing the conversation of sustainability and provide perspectives from a leading UK energy sector client professional, a progressive DSP provider and a global relocation management company. The presentation was set to present a level of understanding of sustainability/ Environmental, Social, and (Corporate) Governance, (ESG)/ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and establish a foundation for what is a multi-year or even multi-generational effort.
First on the agenda for discussion was the topic on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries. The vision for 2030 is setting a vision for a world free of poverty, hunger, disease. A world that elevates human social justice and human rights, and an accessible world to all regardless of background, race, gender and sexual orientation. Stegmann aptly states that we can no longer greenwash and pay lip service, that to achieve these 17 SGDs, we need to act and walk in the terms of sustainability in both our personal lives and business environment. She further to explains how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is an appropriate model to include in the SDG goal, especially the SDG Gender Equality, or SDG 10 reduced inequality. The insertion of DEI will help stakeholders and humanity at all levels reach an understanding of the importance of these 17 goals. The world needs to understand these goals from the DEI root level, understanding its intricacies and complexities, and its intersections. When we understand from this point, we are able to operate from a place of consideration of differences.
Lloyd Townsend shared his sustainability EDF commitment, Helping Britain Achieve net-zero initiative which is made up of five pillars: net-zero environmental impact, increasing energy efficiency, the elimination of single-use enhanced social value and also innovation. Townsend states that taking a leading role in Britain’s race to net-zero will hopefully translate into other businesses and companies being equally honest with themselves to ensure they are contributing appropriately based on their business activities.
Townsend says, “I think businesses need to play a key part in this race as well. They need to create a diverse and inclusive environment which allows their employees to feel safe and to flourish being exactly who it is that they”.
Beverly King makes a remarkable point, stating that “Understanding the background of the organization their corporate strategy of sustainability and if DE&I really seem to be at the forefront. Then you can probably understand that there will be some of those initiatives that will help in the background drive, you know the pro the procurement process, the RFP process and be a factor that is included.” Soon, employees will measure a companies progressiveness based on their DEI and CSR initiative. Why? In recent times, companies are being held accountable and called into question about their contribution to eradicating social and environmental problems. It is almost necessary for companies to make a declaration or have policies in place as means of remaining accountable to the people and the planet.
Stegmann continues the sustainability conversation voicing that businesses need to self-examine the environment in which they operate and how business impact sustainability, and the balance of the triple bottom line approach of people and profit. She goes to speak on the #Payin30 initiative as a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) business. #Payin30 is an initiative aimed at helping SME suppliers become sustainable in the future. Stegmann has managed to reach an agreement with over 50 Relocation Africa clients, to pay Relocation Africa within 30 days. Stegmann has been a pivotal leader in driving the campaign across the corporate and SME sector, highlighting the importance of #Payin30 as an integral part of Corporate Sustainability (CS).
An important highlight that Stegmann makes, “We believe in working in partnership vertically horizontally with our competitors because we’re all working to the same goal.” Indeed, a collaborative approach towards a world we all share is needed. Using all our expertise and resources to combat a problem we all face saves time and the planet. She further highlights the need to make information on the broad topic of sustainability available such as making a library of articles available for your own network. King further augments this point by asserting the need for sustainability to become a way of life, a part of our everyday life. She aptly highlights the need to understand that we cannot operate outside the triple bottom line. “We have the responsibility of looking after the planet for the next generation”, Townsend adds.
One day a man was walking along the beach, when he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”
The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I do not throw them back, they’ll die.” The man laughed to himself and said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said,
“I made a difference to that one.” –
As the session ends, Ben Ivory makes an important point. He says, to tackle the topic of sustainability, the first step is making it a topic on your agenda. The following step is to be critical of yourself, making the journey to being sustainable a measurable one by placing real objectives in place. Let us all remember the story of the starfish. In our capacity, we have the power to make a difference.