Andrew Stegmann

Over 200,000 UK expats living in South Africa, all you need to know to relocate to South Africa

This extremely diverse country is paradise for animal lovers and adventurers, and is further enhanced by glorious weather.

The Republic of South Africa is home to more than 200,000 UK expats, drawn by a relatively low cost of living, warm climate, beautiful beaches and amazing wildlife and game parks, as well as opportunities for an outdoors lifestyle among the country’s incredible scenery.

Figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show there are more than 38,000 UK citizens living in South Africa and drawing a UK state pension. The most popular cities for expats moving to South Africa are Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Things you need to know before you go:
As a UK citizen you can visit South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa, subject to proof you can support yourself during that time (you may need to show bank statements and/or payslips).

If you want to stay longer you will need to apply for a visa. In the first instance you need to get a temporary resident permit, then when you are living there you can apply for a permanent residency permit.

Source

Andrew Stegmann

45,000 Africans Apply For 1,000 Spots In Elumelu Entrepreneur Program

Kenyan textile entrepreneur Timothy Murithi has increased production capacity at his silkworm company to 200,000 silkworms with the help of seed money and mentoring from the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme.

The CEO of Seritex, Murithi has been able to train 10 additional staff members to rear silkworms and plant mulberry trees, according to the TonyElumeluFoundation. The entrepreneur now has an office furnished with equipment needed to operate a business.
More than 45,000 entrepreneurs from 54 African countries applied, but just 1,000 were chosen to receive funding, mentoring and intensive online training in the second round of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme.
The program, which was launched in 2015, is the largest-ever African philanthropic initiative devoted to entrepreneurship, according to a press release by the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
An economist by training, entrepreneur and philanthropist Elumelu aims to identify and help grow 10,000 start-ups and young businesses from across Africa over 10 years. These businesses are expected to create 1 million new jobs and contribute $10 billion in annual revenues to Africa’s economy.

The 10,000 start-ups selected from applicants across Africa participate in a program that includes a customized 12-week business skills training course, mentoring, entrepreneurship boot camp and seed capital funding.

Source

Andrew Stegmann

Ethiopia’s Tourism Revenue Rises As Diasporans Invest In High-End Hotels Back Home

Ethiopia’s tourism sector is set for a record year as number of visitors to the coffee producing East African nation increase buoyed by increased number of high-end hotels build by Ethiopians in the Diaspora and improving infrastructure.Ethiopia-luxury-hotels-620x350
The country generated more than $1.7 billion in the first six months of its current fiscal year (2015/16), 2Merkato.com quoted the Ministry of Culture and Tourism saying.
The country received 470,000 tourists during the period, with each staying an average of 16 days and spending $234 each day. The visitors number was more than half of the average 750,000 visitors it gets each year — 12 percent higher than a decade ago.
According to Gezahegn Abate, Public Relations and International Affairs Director at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ethiopians living in abroad have built more than 200 luxury hotels in the country that have made it easier for the country to market itself as a upmarket tourist destination.

The Ethiopian government has for the past few years taken various steps to encourage Ethiopian Diaspora community to play an active role in the development of their home country, The Ethiopian Herald reported.
The country’s fertile national parks, 3,000 year-old archeological history and nine UNESCO world heritage sites are also a big attraction for these tourists.

Source

 

Andrew Stegmann

How Solar Power Investors In Africa Cope With Lack Of Skilled Manpower

solar-blog-2_1f39c3685f6003ac1c44f82b285aef9eSolar power investors in Africa have managed to make strides across the continent despite a glaring skill gap on the continent, thanks to increased demand for their products by a growing population and rising per capita income levels.
According to a Solar Novus Today report, solar companies on the continent are enjoying booming sales as the cost of acquiring raw material drops due to technological advancement over the last decade.
A fall in silicon prices, a main component in solar panels, since 2008 has been fueled by a rapid increase in global demand that has made production per unit much cheaper due to economies of scale, the South African Photovoltaic Industry association (SAPVIA) said.
These savings have made it viable for companies to invest in Africa’s solar market, despite the high cost of scarce skilled labor.
A study by Nairobi University showed that in Kenya, a country where several global solar giants have found a perfect market for their pay-as-you-go bottom of the pyramid products such as M-Kopa, has only about 800 to 1,000 PV (photovoltaic) technicians.
“(A) majority of them have the basic skills but no formal training to provide the service,” the study said.

Source