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.
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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
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.
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.
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How Solar Power Investors In Africa Cope With Lack Of Skilled Manpower
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.
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GHANA : Visa-on-arrival scheme planned for nationals of 54 African countries
GHANA : Visa-on-arrival scheme planned for nationals of 54 African countries
Ghana has announced that it plans to offer a new class of visas on arrival to nationals of member countries of the African Union.
Tourist made gesture by ghana flag colored hands showing symbol of heart and love
Once the new scheme is introduced (approximately July 2016), nationals of all but one African country will no longer need to secure a visa from either a consulate or the Ghana Immigration Service before traveling to Ghana for visits of up to 30 days and, as a result, it is anticipated that this new and progressive immigration policy of the Ghanaian Government will significantly facilitate travel and stimulate business contacts between Ghana and the rest of Africa.