The take-off for Africa will happen in Nairobi, says businessman Alex Chesosi to FORBES AFRICA in a recent interview. He is a man on a mission, keen to see Kenya play in the big leagues when it comes to technology.



Chesosi, who wears several hats, is currently the Chairman of Intellimedia Networks Africa, a connectivity solutions provider. The US-based company has been making inroads into Africa, and Kenya is proving to be a key launch pad.



He acknowledges that the government, since the country’s independence, has made substantial investments in the information and communication technologies (ICT) space.



“[Former] President Uhuru Kenyatta contributed heavily towards Kenya accelerating investments in technology and his administration did cover good ground,” says Chesosi.



The current administration, led by President William Ruto, is primarily anchoring the new Kenya on an economic take-off, linked to bridging the digital divide. “I laud President Ruto. He has a plan to lay 100,000 kilometers of fiber optic [cable] and 25,000 hotspots,” notes Chesosi.



Connectivity is no longer a preserve of the affluent. Kenya is among the most robust countries, placing ICT at the center of the government’s agenda.



“ICT is the bedrock for Kenya’s next growth trajectory. Investment in connectivity will be a game-changer. We are on the brink of a great ICT revolution,” Chesosi says.



With fintech leading the charge in Kenya’s tech ecosystem, it has birthed multiple startups that are making inroads, not just on the continent but on the global stage as well. Kenya’s mass adoption of technology has positioned the country in the vanguard for the region’s prosperity.



“Laptops for school children in remote urban areas remains a priority for my administration. We shall continue to invest more in the education systems,” declared President Ruto when he addressed the nation as he led the celebrations for the 60th Mashujaa Day in Kericho County.



With the digital divide still being quite vast, investment opportunities abound for internet service providers in the region. “We need to set in motion more tax-friendly policies if Kenya is to attract the right foreign capital,” adds Chesosi.



Global businesses with a presence in Kenya include Google, HP, IBM as well as Microsoft. The latest entrant is Elon Musk’s internet company, Starlink, which is threatening to stir up market prices in the internet service provider sphere.



According to Chesosi, who has had a vantage point in seeing the strides the country is making, having worked in the aviation, fintech and energy sectors over 23 years, it is Kenya’s moment to shine on the global stage.



He believes that the country’s economy is now on a stable footing with Kenya’s GDP having grown at a rate of 5.4% in the second quarter of 2023. &nbsp;



For Chesosi, his latest foray supports the notion that deploying the internet to special economic zones (SEZs), school districts, distribution centers, smart cities, hospitals, transportation hubs and manufacturing sites, through a private cellular network, will be vital in advancing Kenya’s internet penetration.



Leading the African arm of Intellimedia Networks, Chesosi admits that good governance and transparency will be a key driver in pulling in future investors.



“I see DRC as our next growth market. By all indications, I reckon that those who still see Africa as a dark continent will have to play catch up as this is the next growth frontier.”



In Chesosi’s words, new investments will only come if African business leaders up the ante and invest more in building solid companies that have the right checks and balances. Sitting on several boards, currently, including Baran Telecom Networks Kenya Limited and Genghis Capital, he has acquired a knack for figuring out what works.



“As much as tech holds a lot of promise, to break even requires initial, substantial, capital outlay. African businesses must be ready to walk the talk and raise the funding. That’s the only way we can safeguard our place on the global stage.”



Though major milestones are being registered on the ICT front, deploying a private cellular network sets up new players to take on the big boys in the game. “We have what it takes to transition Kenya to the future of technology. With support from the ICT ministry, as well as sustained interest by investors, Kenya can become a formidable force in the region,” quips Chesosi.

Alex Chesosi; image supplied

‘On The Brink Of A Great ICT Revolution’: Kenya-Based Entrepreneur On The Country’s Tech Landscape  

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
&#8220;The forum offers a delightful vacation on the expense account.” – Quote: unknown, 1981.
</blockquote>



Perhaps true but entertaining, nevertheless.



Let’s plod on.



Davos 2023: the word &#8216;polycrisis&#8217; was on everybody&#8217;s lips as leaders deliberated the cascading crises of the moment.



Attitudes have now hardened further. New and old conflicts have flared up, deepening the schisms between and inside countries and communities.



Flashpoints galore as anger levels reach a crescendo.



Will the year ahead therefore be a period of &#8216;permacrisis&#8217;?



Into this valley of hope,



Davos and it’s ski slope,



Rode the few of us resolute,



In quest for something absolute.



Will the leap year be a time for: ‘Rebuilding Trust’?



Whose trust and whose future though? A preponderance of received wisdom laced with dominant Anglo-Saxon paradigms interspersed with voices from the South can’t cut it.



Did I finally detect fear?



Not greed. Not guilt. Not anger.



A lurking suspicion permeating across I thought.



That the hubris and the presumptions that have dominated the world post World War 2 was not forever.



Alternative axes of powers throwing new arcs of hope to the impoverished and unrepresented.



I listened to President Emmanuel Macron talking of “de-risking, not decoupling”. A tacit admission that the East and the South cannot be ignored.



Heard European Commission President Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen speak on the need for solidarity and announcing how “Russia is militarily, diplomatically and technologically isolated and wholly dependent on China”; while news suggests it is perhaps not yet.



Even the mighty United States until today imports a fifth of its enriched uranium from Russia.



At the BRICS panel discussion, erudite ministers from India, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa extolled the virtues of choices in a fickle world of geopolitics. Unity in diversity to manage the common challenges of poverty, climate and health, among others. President Xi Jinping said: “China’s economy is like the Swiss Alps, undulating with peaks and troughs.”



To appreciate the Alps, you need to zoom out and admire from afar.



Same with China.



Broaden your vision and see what it exudes and promises. Profound!



What is then the true test of multilateralism? To smaller countries, it’s about protection. For the powerful, a litmus test to fulfil their obligations. For the international community, it’s how to monitor and create balanced priorities. Davos 2024 aimed to restore collective agency, and reinforce the fundamental principles of transparency, consistency, and accountability.



The goal ostensibly is to back a spirit of open and constructive dialogue to help connect the dots in an increasingly complex and fractured environment.



Déjà vu.



Why now this cry from the developed world?



An attempt to remain on the saddle and lure back the disenchanted who has flown?



My conclusion is simple.



A truly multipolar world based on trade, choices, efficiencies and fair negotiations is well underway.



And therein lies hope and salvation.



President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, together with UNDP, launched Timbuktoo, a startup fund with an initial $1 billion target to leverage Africa&#8217;s youth and dynamism.



An ingenious name.



Timbuktu has long been used to describe long, difficult journeys.



A boulevard of broken dreams for European explorers of the past who tried to reach it.



As masters of our own destiny, we in Africa will succeed through new partners and along with the old that still remains good.



Insanity is when you keep trying the same thing and expect different results.



We don’t have the time for that.



And indeed, as they say: You get what you negotiate. Not what you deserve.



Davos told me we have room to dream and space to maneuver.



Most of all, we have choices now to make.



As the world needs us as much as we need them.



A ‘win-win’ finally.



So, let’s seek that perfect world of collaboration focused on global extension and not its extinction.

Day Three Of The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024

View From The Alps: Davos 2024 A Bugle Call For Multilateralism

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



As shares of Tesla&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TSLA/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sank</a>&nbsp;13% Thursday, a day after the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2Z-AEtdAg&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;missed estimates in its fourth-quarter earnings, the net worth of its centibillionare CEO Elon Musk dropped by more than $18 billion, though he remains the richest person in the world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



Tesla stock sank 13.2% to 180.38 on Thursday, with Musk losing $18.8 billion.



The decline followed the company’s Wednesday fourth-quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2Z-AEtdAg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earning report</a>&nbsp;that indicated it&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-stock-plunges-12-as-ev-maker-warns-production-growth-will-be-notably-lower-than-2023-143454161.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">missed several estimates</a>—including that revenue for the quarter was $25.17 billion, compared to an estimated $25.87 billion.



Stocks for fellow American electric car makers&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/RIVN?p=RIVN&amp;ncid=yahooproperties_stockrecom_g40boan2td8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rivian</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/LCID?p=LCID&amp;ncid=yahooproperties_stockrecom_g40boan2td8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucid</a>&nbsp;also dropped 1% and 6%, respectively, on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forbes-valuation">FORBES VALUATION</h2>



Musk lost $18.8 billion Thursday, a more than $17 billion larger decline than any other billionaire, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#62bf5a623d78">Forbes calculations</a>. Musk, who owns about 21% of Tesla, remains the world’s wealthiest person with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/?listuri=rtb&amp;sh=430430527999">estimated net worth</a>&nbsp;of $203.6 billion, still roughly $20 billion more than LVMH’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/bernard-arnault/?sh=5900e1fb66fa">Bernard Arnault</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



$320 billion. That’s how much Musk was worth in November 2021, first person in history to obtain such a net worth and also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2022/10/21/elon-musks-fortune-has-fallen-by-more-than-100-billion-in-less-than-a-year/?sh=691a348a3ea4">his peak fortune</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2024/01/25/tesla-stock-price-down-25-in-2024-time-to-take-your-profits/?sh=5451e31a701a">With Tesla Stock Down 25% In 2024, It’s Time To Take Your Profits</a> (Forbes)

GERMANY-AUTOMOBILE-TESLA-MUSK

Elon Musk’s Net Worth Drops $18 Billion As Tesla Stock Slides

Roushanna Gray uses food and ecology as a medium to impart knowledge on the rich biodiversity of South Africa’s edible land and seascapes.



Cape Town is a city with no shortage of experiences, for every kind of person. There are some that appeal to the hedonists, such as lavish fine dining dinners or curated wine tastings. And then there are those that offer a unique insight into the Western Cape province’s biodiversity and landscape, such as the coastal foraging experiences hosted by Veld &amp; Sea in Cape Point.



Housed at the Good Hope Gardens Nursery in Cape Point – which focuses on cultivating and protecting plants, flowers and trees indigenous to the majestic Cape Floral Kingdom – Veld &amp; Sea is run by Roushanna Gray, a food artist and forager, who says it was her own curiosity about the edible land and seascapes that fueled her to start these experiences.



“My inspiration stems from a desire to share the rich biodiversity of edible plants and seaweeds of South Africa and cultivate awareness about sustainable living,” she explains. “Our experiences employ a hands-on approach, I believe that direct engagement with nature during the workshops fosters a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships within these ecosystems, encouraging participants to develop a sense of responsibility, stewardship and joy for nature.” 



A typical workshop sees guests arrive on nearby Scarborough Beach, where the morning is spent foraging for edible seaweeds and mussels. In keeping with the sustainable undercurrent, only prolific seaweed and invasive mussel species are picked, in order to keep the ecosystem’s balance in check. After that, the group returns to the Veld &amp; Sea classroom in the nursery to cook and sit down to a three-course lunch, made entirely of foraged produce.



“We not only impart practical culinary and scientific knowledge about foraging and local flora but also weave together ecological principles and ethical considerations to nurture an environmentally-conscious community committed to the preservation of these delicate ecosystems,” adds Gray.



The workshops are guided by the seasons, with each one offering a unique experience, from beach gatherings for seaweeds and shellfish in summer to forest forays for wild mushrooms and acorns in autumn.



“What makes this space extraordinary is not just the edible variety of the plants, seaweeds, wild mushrooms, edible flowers, and herbs, but the profound relationships between them and their role in sustainable living practices.”



Foraging as a concept has been around for a while, particularly in the high-end restaurant scene. Top chefs like NOMA’s Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen and Magnus Nilsson of now-closed Fäviken, in remote Sweden, both made their names sourcing hyper-local and seasonal produce and serving it in a Michelin-starred context.



Through her workshops, Gray instils a sense of responsibility and respect for the rich biodiversity of the coastal and edible landscapes. “It’s the transformative power of hands-on learning in nature. It’s not just about foraging; it’s about unraveling the intricate stories behind these wildly delicious ingredients, understanding their ecological roles, and appreciating the delicate balance they contribute to these ecosystems,” she adds.



In some ways, it’s more than just a workshop or a meal.



“It’s about fostering a connection to nature that lasts a lifetime,” says Gray. This sentiment feels especially crucial in the context of the Western Cape, which is mostly known for its food, wine and beaches.



“Nature is a perfect living classroom, with our subjects surrounding us on all sides, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional education,” she says. By using food and ecology as a medium for teaching, Gray hopes to foster a deep connection between guests and the environment, appealing to anyone with a sense of wonder and respect for South Africa’s incredible Western Cape ecosystem.

‘Foraging And Fostering Connections With Nature’: The Food Artist In South Africa’s Western Cape

In 1943, the Royal Air Force looked for quick fixes to improve the probability that their bombers could complete their missions and successfully return home. One option was to add armor-plating, but what was the optimal placement which would ensure maximum protection without compromising the aircraft’s performance?



The accepted thinking, based on the data collected from returning bombers, was that the wings, nose, and fuselage should be armored up. They, after all, had the most bullet holes.



It took a gifted mathematician, Abraham Wald, to highlight that the best solution would, in reality, be to armor the three areas that never seemed to get hit: the cockpit, the engines, and the tail.



He had correctly hypothesized that the bullet patterns would be evenly distributed and, therefore, the planes that did not return had been taken down due to weaknesses in these three key areas.



This is a wonderful story as it highlights how, if you want to be effective using data for strategic decision-making, you have to think deeply about both the data you have and the data you don’t.



Companies, surprisingly, despite their significant investment in technology, still seem to succumb to their own version of this data selection bias.



For while they do not have to worry about the negative consequences of suboptimal armoring, they do need to optimize the placement of resources, to ensure they provide maximum customer value without compromising their ability to scale profitably.



The data they consistently seem to ignore when making these types of resource decisions is that which exposes the real value they bring to their clients.



I’ll use the case of mid-size Asian bank, DBS Bank, as an example. For years they had managed their business using key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs helped them to focus on efficiently distributing their products to millions of retail customers.



Call centers, for example, would typically focus on reducing call abandonment, queuing times, handling times, and improving first call resolutions.



And I suspect that over time DBS were able to improve productivity and offer a more streamlined service to their clients.



But although these metrics no doubt helped the company reduce its costs, it reportedly added extra ones for their customers.



And the cost that seemingly annoyed their customers the most was the extra hours they had to waste, dealing with the bank.



So it was Paul Cobban and his team who realized they were managing using the data they had, not the data they needed. So they pivoted and reset the strategy to focus on improving just one metric: reducing the time customers spend dealing with them. Now, their teams had to think more deeply about how to ensure their customers didn’t have to call centers, write emails, travel to branches, or wait in long queues.



Cobban estimated that this process was able to “take out at least 250 million wasted customer hours per year”, as per a 2016 article in Forbes.



This helped DBS transform from being recognized as one of the worst banks in Singapore to becoming one of the best and most loved.



It must have taken courage for the team to stop worrying about internal metrics and start trying to develop customer-led ones.



Especially when business schools and consultants are still extolling the virtues of balanced scorecards based on the assumption you can’t manage what you can’t measure.



The truth is, these management systems tend to reinforce selection bias. This occurs as executives often shape strategies around what is straightforward to manage and quantify, rather than exploring the often ethereal data sets that help identify where the real client value lies.



Aligning compensation with easily quantifiable metrics such as revenue, profit margins, or operational efficiency is much simpler than assessing the value a client derives because you saved him time, or amplified his brand, or increased his profits, or made him happier, or reduced his stress levels.



Still, working out the bullet patterns on planes that are hundreds of meters below the sea wasn’t easy either.



Predicting how best to serve your customers, without understanding the actual value you bring them may have worked in a world where change is slow and the future is predictable.



That world, I’m afraid, has gone.

Business people working in a board room with a laptop and digital tablet

Why KPIs Can Kill Companies

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



Johnson &amp; Johnson will pay an estimated $700 million to resolve an investigation by more than 40 states into the pharmaceutical firm’s marketing of its talcum powder, according to Bloomberg, following thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn customers about cancer risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



The tentative agreement will end an ongoing probe into Johnson &amp; Johnson’s talcum-based baby powder and whether the company wrongfully marketed the product,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-08/j-j-to-pay-700-million-to-settle-states-talc-marketing-probe?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the deal.



Johnson &amp; Johnson and representatives for state attorneys general involved in the investigation have agreed on the settlement amount but not other terms for the agreement, Bloomberg reported.



The agreement is expected to protect Johnson &amp; Johnson from future lawsuits involving its talc-based baby powder and alleged cancer risks.



Johnson &amp; Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



50,000. That’s how many lawsuits Johnson &amp; Johnson faces over its talcum-based baby powder, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/judge-certifies-johnson-johnson-shareholder-class-action-over-talc-disclosures-2023-12-29/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reuters</a>. Several cases allege the powder caused several forms of cancer, including ovarian and mesothelioma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Johnson &amp; Johnson faces allegations it failed to properly warn consumers about potential health risks associated with its talc-based baby powder, including alleged cancer risks. Both Mississippi and New Mexico have sued the company over its marketing, as 42 states and the District of Columbia launched a joint investigation, <a href="https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000200406/a0c68a93-e699-45d6-b3e7-311e8f9c43bb.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to a securities filing. Attorneys general from several states, including Arizona, North Carolina and Texas, have requested additional information from the company about its marketing tactics, the filing said. Johnson &amp; Johnson—which denies claims against its powder—<a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-subsidiary-to-appeal-bankruptcy-court-ruling-that-deprived-talc-claimants-of-an-equitable-and-efficient-resolution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">set aside</a> $8.9 billion in its bankruptcy filing last year to resolve some 40,000 cases, though that plan was subsequently <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-17/j-j-weighs-third-bankruptcy-to-resolve-tainted-baby-powder-suits" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shot down</a> by a New Jersey judge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



In 2018, a Missouri court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/12/business/johnson-johnson-talcum-powder.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ordered</a>&nbsp;Johnson &amp; Johnson to pay nearly $4.7 billion to 22 women claiming asbestos in the company’s talcum powder was linked to their cases of ovarian cancer. The judge involved in the case suggested the company had “misrepresented the safety of these products for decades.” Johnson &amp; Johnson appealed the ruling, though the effort was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/01/supreme-court-wont-hear-johnson--johnson-challenge-of-2-billion-baby-powder-lawsuit/?sh=1441441e3d6e">shot down&nbsp;</a>by the Supreme Court.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-08/j-j-to-pay-700-million-to-settle-states-talc-marketing-probe?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">J&amp;J To Pay $700 Million To Settle States’ Talc-Marketing Probe</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)

Johnson & Johnson Reaches Settlement In 8.9 Billion Dollar Lawsuit Over Products Containing Talcum Powder

Johnson & Johnson Will Pay $700 Million To Resolve Baby Powder Marketing Probe, Report Says

A school in South Africa is giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to excel – in football and in the professional workspace.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“We&#8217;re the only place in southern Africa that&#8217;s giving an elite kid an opportunity to be holistically invested.”
</blockquote>



The Ubuntu Football Academy School in Cape Town, South Africa, recently won continental acclaim when they qualified their country for the finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship.



The school, playing under the South African flag, defeated what was essentially the Malawi national side in the southern African Under-15 qualifiers that were staged in Harare in December.



It is a great achievement, but this school is about so much more than football, as Executive Director Casey Prince explains.



He moved with his young family from his native United States (US) to South Africa 14 years ago with the aim of starting a program that gave children from disadvantaged backgrounds the best possible chance to excel – in football or in the professional workspace.



A total of 22 graduates have gone on to receive academic scholarships in the US to add to the 25 players that have signed for professional clubs in South Africa and overseas.



In all, 28 players have received junior nation team call-ups, with SuperSport United’s Jesse Donn, Kaizer Chiefs’ Luke Fleurs and Stellenbosch FC’s Antonio Van Wyk having received senior call-ups for South Africa too.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="970" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239-1024x970.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60917" style="width:604px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239-1024x970.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239-300x284.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239-768x728.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239-1536x1455.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0239.jpg 1976w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


Image Above: Okestar Kanyenda of Malawi challenged by Joshua Langeveldt of South Africa during the 2023 CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Day 3 at Gateway High School in Harare on the 16 December 2023 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix



Munashe Garananga has played for the senior national team of Zimbabwe and this season featured in the UEFA Europa League with Romanian side Sheriff Tiraspol.



“We recognize that in communities, the talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity isn&#8217;t,” Prince tells FORBES AFRICA. “And so we feel like we&#8217;re the only place in southern Africa that&#8217;s giving an elite kid an opportunity to be holistically invested.



“That means his education, his character, leadership and obviously his football. If you are a graduate and you&#8217;re playing professionally or in the national team, but you&#8217;re a horrible person, then we failed.



&#8220;We want every kid to get to Matric and have multiple options, so he can make the choice that excites him.&#8221;



The Academy has made strides in a short space of time, but Prince believes there is still much to do in the future, with an exciting new addition in 2024.



“We would love to see players from our academy playing in the (UEFA) Champions League and representing the full national team, we&#8217;ve had a few but we want the day when there&#8217;s five or six in every Bafana Bafana squad that came from Ubuntu,” he says.



“But we also want to see guys who are just going to do significant things with their lives, become teachers, policemen or other professionals. We had our first wedding this year, we are having the first children born. It&#8217;s those exciting things, to see them become great Dads.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="577" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-1024x577.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60918" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23LPSM0498-2048x1153.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


South Africa Celebrates being Crowned Champions during the 2023 CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Day 3 at Gateway High School in Harare on the 16 December 2023 © Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix



“I guess the new big development in 2024 is that we&#8217;re actually adding ladies to the program, which is exceptionally exciting for us.



“We&#8217;re having our first four or five girls in the school, along with an Under-12 team, and then from 2025 onwards we&#8217;ll start bringing in six or seven girls in every grade to the school. That&#8217;s our hope, that we&#8217;ll be fully integrated and balanced.”

Football – 2023 CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA – Boys – South Africa v Angola – Gateway High School – Day 1 – Harare

The Cape Town School Scoring With Good Football And The Ubuntu Spirit

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been touted as the key to unlocking the continent’s economic fortunes. Yet, in a continent that grapples with extreme poverty and inequality, what does this tangibly mean?



AfCFTA, an Africa-wide free trade area agreement aimed at establishing the African market as a single market, was formed by 54 of the 55 African Union (AU) nations in 2018. This year has been seen as the year of accelerated implementation of the agreement. As Ijeoma Uju, a Partner at Templars Nigeria, outlines: “Recent developments across the African continent show that the idea of ‘Africa Rising’ remains true and alive. With trade liberalization through AfCFTA, a fast-growing population and increased technology penetration, the opportunities in Africa’s key markets continue to expand. What many see as challenges in Africa, are in a manner of speaking, Africa’s greatest strength for investments and growth.”



The agreement represents not just an economic opportunity but a transformative force that can reshape Africa’s global standing. By fostering collaboration and integration among nations, it encourages shared knowledge and resources while strengthening regional ties. It is envisioned as a way to drive innovation, which could lead to the development of sustainable industries and solutions to pressing social challenges.



According to a 2022 World Bank report, this agreement could generate vast economic benefits, embracing 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. If fully implemented, it is expected to raise income by 9% by 2035 and lift 50 million people out of extreme poverty. It aims to boost intra-African trade, promote industrialization, foster economic diversification, and ultimately lead to increased economic growth and job creation. However, as the bank states, to realize these benefits, the agreement must harmonize policies across regions and interests.



Abrego et al. outline the potential for Africa’s welfare advancement, particularly through reducing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) with an emphasis on manufacturing and agriculture for income gains. Their research indicates that addressing NTBs, including infrastructure gaps, improving business environments, and reducing transportation costs, is crucial for maximizing these gains. From a policy point of view, the authors call for a reduction of NTBs, an enabling business environment, full liberalization to maximize the welfare benefits, and structural transformation that promotes labor and capital reallocation. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), asserts: “Unless we can deal with these costs and bring them down, it will be very difficult for us to actualize a good implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area.”



There are, of course, some other glaring challenges to consider in implementing this agreement. Firstly, AfCFTA’s benefits might not be evenly distributed, potentially exacerbating income inequality. Those with skills and resources might benefit more, leaving vulnerable populations behind.



Secondly, many nations on the continent lack robust social safety nets. If increased trade leads to job displacements in certain sectors, there might be a lack of adequate social security measures to support affected individuals and families. Thirdly, rapid industrialization and increased trade could raise concerns about labor standards and workers’ rights. Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and job security are crucial for social security, but these may be compromised in the pursuit of competitiveness.



Finally, a significant portion of Africa’s workforce operates in the informal sector without formal social security benefits. Integrating these workers into formal economic activities under AfCFTA poses challenges in ensuring their social security.



Indeed, while AfCFTA has the potential to drive economic growth and create jobs, its impact on social security in Africa will depend on how well governments address the challenges highlighted. Policymakers need to focus on inclusive economic policies, invest in education and skills development, and strengthen social safety nets



to ensure that the benefits of increased trade translate into improved social security for all segments of the population. As those in the ‘Africa Rising’ camp argue, this could be a watershed moment for the continent.



AfCFTA holds immense promise for Africa’s economic growth, but its true success will be measured by our ability to address these challenges and ensure inclusive development. We may well be able to resuscitate the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative, but we need to balance its impact with policy.

Container ship in export and import business and logistics. Shipping cargo to harbor by crane. Water transport International. Aerial view and top view

The Potential Impact Of AfCFTA On Social Security And Inclusive Development

September 2023 was a month of conferences.



It started off with the summit of the Norwegian-African Business Association in Oslo.



A Reuters event in London followed. Then the revered United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. And the month finished with the AIIB Annual Meeting at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. Fascinating as always. Thousands of clever people flying around, talking and promising. Everywhere, the Africa question is dominant but cautious. Risk, coups, exchange rates, crime… are oft-repeated words.



The fine balance of today’s geopolitics means Africa has to appease to the rhetoric and the threats of a rejuvenated West while still looking at the East for all things important.



Tough for our leaders, fraught as their countries are with inflation, currency issues, elections, and poverty.



The fundamental architecture where Africa provides the minerals, and the world produces goods they then sell back to the continent creates an imbalance that no amount of Bretton Woods fiddling can resolve.



The climate challenge exposes the hypocrisy too. Africa, home to labor, land, minerals and oodles of sun, wind and water (read renewables).



Why keep manufacturing then outside its shores? At least one eminent minister told me that the Washington Consensus on Trade in the 1980s, which was 40 years after the original Bretton Woods’ party and now another 40 years later, the climate agenda (and the ESG paraphernalia), has one thing in common.



A 40-year itch perhaps.



Extract not engage. Lecture but not lead. Promise but not provide.



Can happy endings come from this relentless pursuit of a status quo camouflaged as aid and grant?



The question is: what then?



Possibly the BRICS bank is the answer to getting an alter ego?



They seem serious albeit the principle of ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’-kind-of binding force. Well, my school had said ‘charity begins at home’.



My mother, like all mothers, had told me: “You don’t get what you want, you get what you deserve.” And my little daughter used to say: “United we stand, divided we fall.”



African unity cannot remain a myth. African collaboration cannot be an illusion. African solidarity cannot be confined to speeches. The global quest for minerals, gas and gold interlaced with ‘dead aid’, fits nicely into the greed, guilt, and fear syndrome. How do we collectively enhance that fear factor?



The fear of food shortage when Africa has so much arable land.



The fear of global warming when Africa can absorb it all through its forests.



The fear of energy sourcing when Africa has all the gas, oil and the coal the world needs.



The fear of growth when Africa has the youngest and largest unserved markets.



The fear of supply chain concentration when Africa has the obvious renewable energy- based manufacturing at source (critical minerals) solutions. The fear of mass immigration; fundamentalism when simply adding value to Africa’s resources will create jobs and keep them south of the Mediterranean.



Collective bargaining, anyone?



Into that valley of hope let Africa awake. To take charge and be masters of our own destiny. Maybe we should start with banning Africa’s soccer stars from playing in Europe? That should make them feel the pinch – or at the very least, let’s make a pledge to not export any raw materials without value addition at source. Therein lies the start to a world where jobs exist and prosperity reigns.

African woman plucking tea leaves on plantation, East Africa

The Conundrum Facing Africa. Question Is: What Then?

More than a decade has passed since South African Paralympian, Oscar Pistorius, known as ‘blade runner’, shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, through a locked bathroom door. Now out on parole, he is at home, as experts and social media weigh in.



Oscar Pistorius, once hailed as a trailblazing Paralympian, has been released on parole after nearly nine years behind bars in South Africa. His release, confirmed by the country’s prison authorities, marks the end of a journey that has for years gripped the attention of audiences worldwide.



“He was admitted into the system of Community Corrections and is now at home,” concluded the statement from South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services today.



Pistorius, an acclaimed sprinter and gold medal-winning athlete, was convicted of shooting his then-girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door of their Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The subsequent case became widely publicized both locally and internationally due to both Pistorius&#8217; and Steenkamp&#8217;s prominent social profiles, as well as the horrific end to what had appeared to be an iconic celebrity relationship.



The shooting of Steenkamp not only ended a life but also marked the start of a convoluted legal saga. Initially convicted of culpable homicide, Pistorius&#8217; sentence was later ruled murder after a series of appeals and retrials, highlighting the complexities and nuances of the judicial process.



The relentless media scrutiny brought unprecedented attention to South African legal proceedings, influencing public opinion and raising critical questions about celebrity culture, media ethics, and the justice system&#8217;s handling of domestic violence cases.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="595" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-162069565.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60887" style="width:638px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-162069565.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-162069565-300x174.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-162069565-768x446.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Outside the Pretoria High Court on March 4, 2014, in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Herman Verwey/Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


“He has served more than 50% of his sentence. And the parole, or rather the Correctional Services Act and the regulations make provision for parole… He is being very carefully monitored, and the conditions are there… The parole board has set stringent checks on him,” comments William Booth, a defence counsel in South Africa specializing in criminal law, to FORBES AFRICA.



The conditions of Pistorius&#8217; parole, as outlined by South African correctional services, underscore a set of requirements. His life, once marked by the freedom of the running track, is now confined to the boundaries of his uncle&#8217;s residence in the upmarket suburb of Waterkloof, Pretoria. Additionally, his rehabilitation includes therapy for anger management and programs addressing gender-based violence, a nod to the underlying issues his case has brought to the fore as well as stern adherences to a daily routine and a ban on alcohol consumption.



The most significant condition to his release, which is quite uncommon to parole cases, is his strict adherence to a media blackout.



“I think the reason for that is because the case has been dealt with worldwide in the media on all platforms,” Booth explains. “They feel that he should not give interviews, be paid for those, write articles or have articles written or even, let&#8217;s say write a book and get paid for that. So I think that is the feeling in this instance. And in many cases, when people are released on parole, there&#8217;s never any fear of the person going to speak to the media, because it&#8217;s not a case that the public have any particular interest in. But here, certainly the world and the public internationally, and, of course, nationally, have a very specific interest in this matter.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-476628927.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60886" style="width:702px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-476628927.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-476628927-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-476628927-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> (Photo by Herman Verwey/Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


Even with these conditions in place, activists hold strong views about granting parole to a person convicted of murder in South Africa, a country with one of the highest femicide rates in the world.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="636" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-161658209.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60889" style="width:304px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-161658209.jpg 636w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-161658209-186x300.jpg 186w" sizes="(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Reeva Steenkamp. (Photo by Mike Holmes/The Herald/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


“Thirteen years and five months was a very lenient sentence in the first place, but that he got out after serving only [over] eight years in prison just reflects the legal system&#8217;s inability to address femicide as a pandemic,” says Sabrina Walter, Chairperson of Women For Change, a non-profit organization advocating against Gender Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa.



“I still maintain that Oscar Pistorius should have served the full sentence for the brutal murder of Reeva. Given the severity of the crime, I feel that justice has not been adequately served. My thoughts are with June today and everyone who dearly loved Reeva.”



The most resonant voice in the aftermath of Pistorius&#8217; release is that of June, mother of the late Steenkamp, issued in a statement early this morning. While acknowledging the inevitability of Pistorius’ parole, she stated that she and her “dear late husband Barry” have never been able to come to terms with Reeva&#8217;s death, or the way she died.



“Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time?” Steenkamp said in her statement on Friday. “There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence. With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, my only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva&#8217;s legacy.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-478398457.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60885" style="width:520px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-478398457.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-478398457-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-478398457-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Oscar Pistorius at the Pretoria High Court on March 13, 2014, in Pretoria, South Africa.(Photo by Alet Pretorius/Foto24/Gallo Images &#8211; Pool /Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


The Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, established in her honor, continues to address issues of domestic violence and support women in need, reflecting her commitment to social change.



As Pistorius begins his life under the conditions of parole, the case leaves a lasting imprint on public discourse surrounding the criminal justice system, the treatment of high-profile figures within it, and the ongoing challenges in addressing domestic violence.

Oscar Pistorius Is Convicted Of Culpable Homicide Of Girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius Granted Parole After Nearly Nine Years In South Africa Prison; Reeva Steenkamp’s Legacy Lives On

Many workplaces are experiencing a rise in “pleasanteeism” as the cost-of-living crisis takes its toll on the mental health of employees.



Pleasanteeism refers to the pressure an individual feels to put on a brave face in front of colleagues, regardless of their emotional state.



Not only does pleasanteeism compromise the overall mental wellbeing of employees but it can impact badly on workplace productivity.



All businesses are trying to be more open about emotional wellbeing and establish better support structures for employees, break stigmas and encourage conversations.



While the stiff upper lip mentality is slowly being broken down, many people still feel the pressure to put on a brave face when they feel less than optimal.



Pleasanteeism is on display when employees put up a front – and act as if everything is going well for them – even when they are stressed, anxious, under pressure or in need of support.



Those who have succumbed to this affliction wear a mask of pleasantries to hide their true feelings.



Their aim in concealing emotional turmoil and stress is to avoid coming across as disruptive and problematic to colleagues, especially those in charge.



While many bosses appreciate employees who are regarded as low maintenance, hiding one’s poor mental health represents a false economy.



When employees suffer in silence and are not working at their optimal level, it will impact on an organization in both the short and long term – quite apart from the damage this charade is doing to the individual.



It is not hard to understand why pleasanteeism – sometimes called faked cheerfulness – has taken hold of some workplaces.



Cost-of-living concerns following on so closely from the pandemic, combined with overwork and growing job insecurity, have combined to create not just a perfect storm of worry and anxiety but a category four cyclone.



So strong are the gusts of economic headwinds that they have the potential to rattle – and upend – those individuals with deeply rooted positive dispositions to life and work.



At the same time, there have been even stronger calls for people to become more resilient and ride out tough times.



This has meant many have felt themselves torn between sharing their worries and concerns with others or just putting on a brave face.



Many are choosing the pleasanteeism pathway because we still tend to value positivity over negativity.



From a young age, we are taught to banish so-called bad feelings and pick ourselves up when we fail or fall. We are told to stop whingeing, soldier on, stop being negative and look on the bright side.



As we age, we become part of fix-it-fast cultures that embrace FONO, or the fear of a negative outlook.



FONO makes us drown out negative vibes with buckets of contrived positivity and false reassurances when we tell our colleagues that we are “perfectly okay”.



And when we encounter employees who are brave enough to tell us they are experiencing challenging situations, instead of empathizing with them we are increasingly opting for a toxic quick fix that dismisses the slightest sniff of negativity.



We have become accustomed to pouring overly positive vibes on emotions such as fear, sadness, loneliness or anger to push those who are struggling towards a state of false cheerfulness.



We tell them “everything happens for a reason”, “others have it worse” or “just think positive thoughts” instead of reassuring them that it is actually okay to not be okay.



When a workplace embraces and supports pleasanteeism rather than the expression of raw feelings, employees are denied the chance to feel and express what is going on inside them.



Suppression of those feelings further amplifies the internal feeling of negativity.



Many of the worries and concerns of our colleagues are triggered by factors outside the workplace – and often linked to financial concerns. But just because they are created externally does not mean they will not come flooding into our workplaces.



We should open the door to what is on our colleagues’ minds. Simply being there to listen can make a world of difference.



Although mental wellbeing is more front of mind in workplaces than ever before, many colleagues remain unprepared to talk openly about their problems. The truth is we still have a long way to go to remove the fear of being judged or even punished for being honest about expressing that our health is not as rosy as our pretence suggests.

A young boy dressed as a businessman wears a paper bag with a happy face on it.

The Unpleasant Truth About The Pleasanteeism Crisis

Without the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to automate and improve football decision-making, Africa faces being left behind while the world plays a different game.



Africa faces being left behind the rest of the world if the slow implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) continues at the same slow pace, which will be bad news not only for the integrity of football, but also the continent’s match officials. That is the view of Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima after the organization recently introduced VAR for their Women’s Championship and held a workshop for referees in how to most effectively use the system.



Tangawarima is well-placed to comment; he is a Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA Instructor and very much at the forefront of modern trends in officiating.



He says VAR is becoming the norm at FIFA events at all levels – male and female – and if the continent’s top officials want to be selected for these assignments, they will need to have the necessary training and experience, something that is currently lacking.



“VAR is there within the laws of the game and it is not going anywhere, so it is important for us to embrace it,” Tangawarima tells FORBES AFRICA. “In the future, if you want to go to a World Cup (as a match official), you will have to have practiced with VAR.



“FIFA will come any day and say every game will be VAR, so we urge our member associations at COSAFA to get ready for that. FIFA are looking for licensed officials and we don’t want our referees to be left out.”



The reason why the uptake of VAR has been so slow in Africa is well-documented. It is hugely expensive to buy the equipment and it has to be fixed at stadiums and cannot be easily moved around.



That is a problem for so many clubs on the continent who do not own their own stadiums, but rent from municipalities.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="703" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-703x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60832" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-703x1024.jpg 703w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-206x300.jpg 206w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-768x1118.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-1055x1536.jpg 1055w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied-1407x2048.jpg 1407w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VAR-tech-for-football-image-supplied.jpg 1673w" sizes="(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Referee Maria Rivet checking VAR during the 2023 Hollywoodlbets COSAFA Womens 3rd/4th Playoff match between Zimbabwe and Mozambique at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on 15 October 2023 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix</figcaption></figure></div>


Who is therefore responsible for the safe-keeping of this expensive equipment?



In terms of the South African Premier Soccer League, all the equipment is already in the country and waiting to be used, but the league has reportedly balked at the reported R40-million ($2.18 million) per season it will cost to run.



But a solution will have to be found or Africa faces being left in the dark ages in football terms, while the rest of the world plays a different game.



COSAFA hope their recent successful pilot project will show their own 14 member associations across southern Africa the way forward, and also the rest of the continent too.



“Our objective is to have as many referees registered and ready as possible,” Tangawarima says. “In the future we want to have VAR used in every game from the group stages of our tournaments. But the first step is to help the referees get licensed, so we must intensify the teaching they need and train as many as we can. The support we have had, which includes from FIFA and CAF, to help us, has been fantastic.



“COSAFA will be one of the first regions to implement VAR for its tournaments, though there are only some North African countries who have it already. So this is very exciting for us and the referees.”



COSAFA implemented the system fully from the semifinals onwards at the Women’s Championship in October, though behind-the-scenes, referees used the system as a training session.



They operated it as if it was live as part of their certification.



“For a referee to be licensed, they must have had 25 hours of training,” Tangawarima says. “We have done a five-day preparatory course, simply because a number of the referees were encountering VAR for the first time. The course includes theory, and of course practical.



“We tasked the project leader from FIFA (Mike van der Roest) with taking the referees through the theory part of it. We split the referees into two groups, the one on the field, the other in the booth using the VAR.



“Everyone is rallying behind this project, which will change the face of COSAFA.”

Football – 2023 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Womens Championship – COSAFA Referees VAR Workshop – Southern Sun Hotel

On A VAR Footing: Catching Up With The Game In Africa

Addressing sexual exploitation and abuse in the digital ecosystem.



The hype around the development of the metaverse, an immersive digital space that will take real-world experiences online and blur the line between physical and virtual, is palpable. Accounting organization KPMG predicts that by 2030, we might be spending more time in the metaverse than in the real world. In a survey conducted by Pew Research and Elon University in North Carolina, more than half of the technology experts responded that by 2040, they expect the metaverse to be a fully-immersive, well-functioning aspect of daily life for half a billion people (or more) around the world. 



But for many, the excitement around the world’s digital future is something that should be approached with caution. Women, in particular, have been known to experience gender-based violence in the form of online harassment. One study from the Economist Intelligence Unit uncovered that 85% of women have experienced or witnessed online violence, with 38% of women reporting personal experiences with online violence and 65% reporting knowing of other women who were targeted online.



If women are already su-fering a disproportionate amount of abuse online, will they be safe in the metaverse?



In 2022, the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) was formed by two international gender equality and advocacy organizations, Equality Now and Women Leading in AI. For over 30 years, Equality Now has been campaigning for legal and systematic change to address violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world but what they soon came to realize is that the sexual exploitation and abuse they were working against stopping in the physical space could be manifested online.



“People are using the internet to replicate and amplify the same sort of violence; [what] we’re seeing in the physical space is being played out in the digital space. It’s growing at an alarming rate just because of the nature of the internet,” says Tsitsi Matekaire, Equality Now’s Global Lead of End Sexual Exploitation.



Born in Zimbabwe, Matekaire has worked with women’s rights organizations throughout Africa, providing legal aid services to women affected by domestic violence.



“Looking at the legal frameworks, we didn’t realize that if we focus our research so narrowly on sexual exploitation and abuse, we sort of miss the bigger picture because this is happening in the digital ecosystem.” Working with a network of women in technology, AUDRi is calling for an international standard that will address women and girl’s rights in the digital space grounded in international human rights law.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-a-game">More than a game</h2>



The studies around avatar gender-swapping in the online gaming space are eye-opening. To avoid toxic sexual behavior, female players choose a male avatar to avoid being harassed.



Wai Yen Tang, a researcher from the University of Amsterdam, found that in gaming culture, women are often harassed because they are perceived as an outside and intrusive minority.



“Women don’t participate to the extent that they should because they have serious concerns around safety. The result is self-censorship, where you don’t want to bring out your true identity,” says Maitekaire. “We are a diverse community but as a woman, you’re operating as a white male because that attracts less harassment. There are black women, cisgender women, trans women… all of that can get lost if people have that fear.” In addition, it’s all too easy for the abuse can easily jump from digital to physical – in April 2023, a man in California was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year old girl he met playing a popular kids gaming app – which is exactly why organizations like AUDRi are so needed.



<div class="wp-block-media-text" style="grid-template-columns:42% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60791 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tsitsi-Matekaire-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
“WE ARE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY BUT AS A WOMAN, YOU’RE OPERATING AS A WHITE MALE BECAUSE THAT ATTRACTS LESS HARASSMENT.”
</blockquote>
</div></div>



“We really wanted to look at that digital dimension and assess the impact it would have on human rights and human vulnerability so we are advocating for policies at a global level,” says Matekaire. “Even on a national level, we have to show governments what they need to be thinking about to ensure rights are protected within that space.” 



For Matekaire, the urgency is now because as the technology is being developed, policy frameworks need to be created to keep up. “There’s a dilemma because things are moving quickly and policies can also be future-proofed to anticipate the risks,” she adds. “We need to ensure that in the design stage we are building in those principles of equality, of safety, of human rights, for people with disabilities and those in the LGBTQ community. We have to anticipate these different aspects before or as the technology is designed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">An economic opportunity</h2>



Be it education or healthcare, throughout the continent, there has been interest on a governmental level in how the metaverse can be best utilized. Egypt, for example, launched MetaTut at the end of 2022.



MetaTut is a virtual city created to celebrate Egyptian culture and take the country’s heritage into the digital age. It’s not only a virtual tourist destination but a place where people can meet others and even conduct business.



“African governments are looking at the metaverse as an opportunity to advance their economies but have they anticipated the risks?” asks Matekaire.



Considering the potential impact of the metaverse, AUDRi is urging governments, regulators and big tech companies to consider the rights of those who remain marginalized online. They’re calling for guidelines to be established that measure the impact on the human rights of vulnerable groups as well as best practices when it comes to design. 



“And we need governments involved because ultimately governments are the ones that are responsible for people’s rights,” she adds. “As AUDRi, what we’re really talking about is a global approach – global policies and laws that countries can derive their national laws and policies from.

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Will Women Be Safe In The Metaverse?

Since the 1980s, the term ‘just transition’ has been touted as the answer to our climate challenges. Against the industrial revolution(s) backdrop, this transition referred to the deliberate shift towards more sustainable and green practices. The ‘just transition’ is the responsible move from a high- to a low-carbon economy. 



Yet, an often forgotten aspect of this transition is the very descriptor ‘just’. The reality is that much climate change action happens in silos. A distinct gap between the Global North and the Global South seems to persist. As Irina Velicu and Stefania Barca asserted in 2019: “Since both ecological and social crises are produced via inequalities, a just transition can be a transition out of the logic of unequal relations — rather than just out of fossil fuels.” In other words, our responsibility extends beyond borders and encompasses more than just shifting to a low- carbon economy. In this regard, there are some glaring challenges.



Firstly, there are financial constraints. Here, the gap between the Global North and the Global South is painfully apparent. Much of the Global South is already explicitly confronted by the impact of climate change, and there is a clarion call for the Global North to help fund interventions. The reality is that the Global South lacks the funding and resources to take on this fight alone. According to UNCTAD, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of just half of the developing world is projected at $5.8 trillion by 2030. Yet, only $83.3 billion was provided and mobilized by developed countries for climate initiatives in developing countries in 2020, $16.7 billion short of the annual goal. 



This has been compounded by the constrained fiscal context in much of the developing world, which the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated. Moreover, many countries in the Global South are still in the initial stages of industrialization and economic development and implementing strict environmental regulations can hinder this progress if they do not have access to critical green technologies such as solar power.



Secondly, the technological gap creates a disparity in implementing sustainable practices. The concentration of intellectual property (IP) ownership in advanced economies has led to difficulties for developing countries to access green technology innovation. This concentration hampers their progress in Global Value Chains and forces them to rely on costly methods to establish domestic capacities. Additionally, there are barriers to transferring green technology. This unwillingness to share IP might similarly hinder global efforts in climate technologies, causing divisions and tensions despite the urgent need for global cooperation. 



Countries with clear policies supporting research, innovation, and technology development tend to have more robust technological capacity, yet there is minimal alignment across developing countries. The Global North is the locus of primary innovation – armed with resources, knowledge, technology and ability. To combat this challenge, a diffusion practice is imperative to assist the Global South in mirroring these practices. Diffusion allows for the sharing of IP, so that innovative practices are easily adopted.



Thirdly, capacity disparities exist between the Global South and the Global North and within the Global South. Alongside financial and technological gaps, there are also infrastructure challenges. Countries in the Global South range from highly industrialized economies to those struggling with basic infrastructure – this is often apparent through service delivery challenges. There are also disparities in education and research capacities. Additionally, it is important to consider the severity of the challenges in the Global South and where they are realistically able to place climate change in our contextual coat hangers. Research demonstrates that the Global South is disproportionately impacted by the setback in the sustainable development goals (SDGs).



A grim reality is that this is a difficult balancing act in many of these regions. The just transition, however, does also have a ripple impact on other SDGs, particularly concerning clean energy, decent employment, economic metrics, inequality and sustainable production and consumption.



Velicu and Barca argue that we need to rethink the just transition through the lens of equality through an approach that focuses on equity rather than equality. In other words, if the Global South received equal diffusion of resources, it would not be as beneficial as if they received an equitable or proportionate resource. As Damian White concluded in 2020: “Decarbonizing, decolonizing, democratizing and de-commodifying our carbon-intensive material world is going to require… the unleashing of enormous amounts of creative labour and inventive praxis to build public institutions, a public ecology and a public culture to allow us to survive and flourish on a warming planet.” What is abundantly apparent is that without bridging these gaps and ensuring the inclusion of the Global South, the just transition will remain a dream deferre

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Rethinking ‘Just Transition’ In Africa

Nobuhle Ndlovu is among the few to break the glass ceiling in the male-dominated world of private equity.



An investment banker-turned-vice president at a private equity firm in South Africa, Nobuhle Ndlovu realized early on that her calling was to help humanity.



Awarded a full scholarship to Canada, she majored in Economics and International Politics, is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford. She has lived and worked in seven countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.



It was after a stint at Standard Chartered that Ndlovu realized her true goal. “My internship taught me that banking is the easier route to track money and hold people accountable. The NGO space has a lot of wastage; I liked the concept of making a difference but being able to quantify it.”



Ndlovu started her career with the mindset that she didn’t need to prove herself.



“I had been schooled overseas by my own right through scholarships, and worked hard to get to where I am, but coming back to a South African setting, it all goes out of the window,” says Ndlovu, who started from scratch when she moved back to South Africa.



Ndlovu recalls her earliest job in corporate finance in South Africa as one of only two women in a team of around 50. “I recall thinking, ‘wow, in South Africa, this is still a thing’; I get it in New York, but South Africa?



“But I quickly learned that if you stay humble, put your head down and work, you’ll get the props – if props are necessary,” she says.



“For me, it was about ‘how do I get to the next thing’. There’s not a lot of faces that look like me so it was trying to balance that and doing my best to include others to pay it forward,” she says.



Ndlovu didn’t know she wanted to get into private equity but as she got older, she thought about creating businesses and sustainable ecosystems.



“Even before I went into mergers and acquisitions advisory, I knew I wanted to gain the necessary hard skills to be able to go into private equity,” she says



Today, Ndlovu is a vice president at Kasada Capital Management, an independent real estate private equity platform that focuses on the hospitality sector in sub-Saharan Africa. She also made it to the Mail &amp; Guardian 200 Young South Africans cohort in 2021.



“I get to travel for work and spend a lot of time in East Africa. Hospitality is such an interesting space but it’s also about creating spaces that people want to spend their time and money in.”



You could look at it as real estate or FMCG because you’re catering to a fast-moving good, she says.



“My current fund is across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and it’s so fulfilling seeing how much you’re supporting the region.”



Some of the biggest lessons Ndlovu has learned over the years is that no market is the same.



“It’s about how you balance risk and return all the time and having the right people in place to buy and manage assets.



“We’re SSA-focused; we’re constantly trying to work out what market in SSA makes sense when, and where each asset gets anchored.”

Author: Forbes Africa

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA