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<p>The 2024 edition of the Africa Business Forum invited the public and private sector to have an open dialogue about Africa’s efforts to accelerate the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the agenda 2063, the Africa we want. This Focus On brings key voices to highlight what needs to be done to boost Africa’s transformation through education, technology, and innovation.</p>


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Focus On ABF: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

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<p>The Africa Business Forum 2024, a pivotal event which recently took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Spearheaded by Claver Gatete, the UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, this gathering marks a significant milestone in shaping the continent&#8217;s future. Under the overarching theme of &#8220;Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation,&#8221; leaders, innovators, and visionaries converge to explore pathways for sustainable growth and development.</p>


ABF 2024: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

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<p>Africa Business Forum will be held under the theme, Boosting Africa’s transformation through education, science, technology, and innovation. The goal of the Africa Business Forum is to promote an on-going dialogue between the private and the public sectors in Africa to accelerate collective efforts towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, of the African Union. This segment will interrogate what it will take to realise the &#8220;Africa We Want&#8221; and reimagine Africa&#8217;s Tech and STEM future.</p>


Africa Business Forum 2024: Reimagining Africa’s Tech & STEM Future

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<p>With almost 100 million out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa, investing in education presents an opportunity to spur development, lifting a generation from poverty and social disparities. EdTech Mondays Africa explores the commitments that can be made &#8211; from educator capacity to infrastructure and technology, to usher in a new social contract through education.</p>


Ed-Tech Monday: Investment in Education for Transformative Learning

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<p>A 2022 report by Briter Bridges, estimates that there are over 500 EdTech start-ups operating across the continent, offering a diverse range of services from online tutoring and e-learning platforms to digital content creation and teacher training solutions. On this special edition of EdTech Monday, we review the season that has been through the lens of conversations and numerous activities held across the continent.</p>


EdTech in Africa: Reflections, Achievements and the Future

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<p>Throughout this pandemic, we&#8217;ve seen tens of initiatives geared at providing support for struggling SMEs and entrepreneurs in the region. One prolific player in this arena has been Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners and this time, they&#8217;re partnering up with the MasterCard Foundation&#8217;s &#8216;Hanga Ahazaza&#8217; program to elevate young tourism entrepreneurs and even entrepreneurs in the making by providing them with Intelligent Capital. Charity Kabango, Director &#038; Co-Founder, Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How intelligent capital is essential in helping SMEs recover from COVID-19

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<p>African economies could see a jump of as much as $25 million on their GDP if more investment is given to secondary education that many feel has been neglected so what’s next for the sector? Peter Materu, Chief Programs Officer, Mastercard Foundation spoke to CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Mastercard Foundation: Why secondary education is essential to Africa’s economic growth

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<p>High-end home decor and fashion company, Gahaya Links works with mostly women artisans to provide quality handicraft goods to the local and international markets. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdowns back in March, the company has pivoted, becoming one of the first companies to be approved by the government to provide PPEs. Now, they’ve partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to provide 40,000 vulnerable artisans and their families with free face masks to help them be safe and continue working throughout this time.</p>


Gahaya Links

Gahaya Links, Mastercard Foundation partner to provide 40,000 vulnerable families with face masks

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<p>A new COVID-19 resilience program has arrived and this time in the form of a partnership between Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, MasterCard Foundation and Equity Bank Rwanda. The ‘Komeza’ program will support 120 SMEs in the tourism sector with not only technical assistance, but financing as well, for up to $50,000 each. CNBC Africa spoke to Charity Kabango, Director and co-Founder of ESP for more.</p>


Rwanda: Tourism entrepreneurs to benefit from COVID-19 resilience program

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<p>Business growth accelerator, Invest in Africa, has received a commitment of $1.69 million from the Mastercard Foundation’s Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Program to help 8,000 micro, small and medium sized enterprises across Ghana, Senegal and Kenya. CNBC Africa spoke to IIA Kenya Country Director, Wangechi Muriuki on how they plan to spend that money and more.</p>


COVID-19: IIA receives $1.69mn towards continued recovery support for MSMEs

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<p>The Mastercard Foundation has committed $2.3 million for the COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program to support Rwandan businesses to overcome COVID-19 negative impact. This will be distributed as direct relief grants through the Inkomoko Relief Fund to 3,500 SMEs, including 1,000 entrepreneurs within refugee communities. Julienne Oyler, CEO of African Entrepreneur Collective joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Mastercard Foundation commits $2.3mn to support Rwandan SMEs during COVID-19

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<p>The Mastercard Foundation has committed $40 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as it seeks to contribute to the COVID-19 fight. Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer, Mastercard Foundation joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Mastercard Foundation commits $40mn to Africa’s fight against COVID-19

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<p>A new Public-Private Partnership between the Rwanda Development Board, Mastercard Foundation and Education First was announced yesterday. The PPP will focus on providing English proficiency and hospitality skills training for thousands of workers and students in the field. Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Zephanie Niyonkuru joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


New Rwanda PPP to focus on language & skills training for hospitality

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<p>Back in 2016, KCB Group and Mastercard Foundation entered into a partnership worth $30 Million with the aim of addressing youth unemployment and 2jirajiri was born. 3 years later – CEO of KCB Foundation speaks on the progress of the Kenya and Rwanda based program thus far. Jane Mwangi, Managing Director of KCB Foundation joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>
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How successful are incubation programmes at addressing youth unemployment 3 years on?

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<p>Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark World Tourism Day and as part of the celebrations the government through Rwanda Development Board (RDB) partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to bring together a cluster of entrepreneurs in the sector. On how best the youth can tap into the sector, Chief Tourism Officer of Rwanda Development Board, Belise Kariza joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How RDB is empowering youth to lead tourism sector drive

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<p>Rwanda has looked at the services and tourism sector as a potential bread basket in its economy diversity plan. Fast forward to a $50 million Mastercard Foundation initiative known as Hanga Ahazaza that seeks to provide opportunities for the youth to tap into the Hospitality and tourism sectors. Rica Rwigamba, Country Representative of Mastercard Foundation Hanga Ahazaza Initiative joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Rwandan Tourism sector equipping youth with skills for the future

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<p>The inaugural &#8220;Very Young Entrepreneur Education and Acceleration summit&#8221; is currently underway at the Hilton Hotel in Johannesburg. This one-day conference is a new innovation to explore the transition from school directly to entrepreneurship. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Lubabalo Mashiqana spoke with Koffi Assouan, Program Manager at Mastercard Foundation to talk about the role of investors in growing entrepreneurship in Africa.</p>


MasterCard Foundation

Focus On ABF: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

ABF 2024: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

Africa Business Forum 2024: Reimagining Africa’s Tech & STEM Future

Ed-Tech Monday: Investment in Education for Transformative Learning

EdTech in Africa: Reflections, Achievements and the Future

How intelligent capital is essential in helping SMEs recover from COVID-19

Mastercard Foundation: Why secondary education is essential to Africa’s economic growth

Gahaya Links, Mastercard Foundation partner to provide 40,000 vulnerable families with face masks

Rwanda: Tourism entrepreneurs to benefit from COVID-19 resilience program

COVID-19: IIA receives $1.69mn towards continued recovery support for MSMEs

Mastercard Foundation commits $2.3mn to support Rwandan SMEs during COVID-19

Mastercard Foundation commits $40mn to Africa’s fight against COVID-19

New Rwanda PPP to focus on language & skills training for hospitality

How successful are incubation programmes at addressing youth unemployment 3 years on?

How RDB is empowering youth to lead tourism sector drive

Rwandan Tourism sector equipping youth with skills for the future

Investing in Africa’s entrepreneurs

News Tips

Advertise With Us

MasterCard Foundation

Focus On ABF: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

ABF 2024: Boosting Africa’s Transformation through Education, Science, Technology & Innovation

Africa Business Forum 2024: Reimagining Africa’s Tech & STEM Future

Ed-Tech Monday: Investment in Education for Transformative Learning

EdTech in Africa: Reflections, Achievements and the Future

How intelligent capital is essential in helping SMEs recover from COVID-19

Mastercard Foundation: Why secondary education is essential to Africa’s economic growth

Gahaya Links, Mastercard Foundation partner to provide 40,000 vulnerable families with face masks

Rwanda: Tourism entrepreneurs to benefit from COVID-19 resilience program

COVID-19: IIA receives $1.69mn towards continued recovery support for MSMEs

Mastercard Foundation commits $2.3mn to support Rwandan SMEs during COVID-19

Mastercard Foundation commits $40mn to Africa’s fight against COVID-19

New Rwanda PPP to focus on language & skills training for hospitality

How successful are incubation programmes at addressing youth unemployment 3 years on?

How RDB is empowering youth to lead tourism sector drive

Rwandan Tourism sector equipping youth with skills for the future

Investing in Africa’s entrepreneurs

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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