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The long-anticipated relaxation of the South African Exchange Control Rules relating to &#8220;loop&#8221; structures and investment was released on the 4th of January 2021 by the South African Reserve Bank under Exchange Control Circular No. 1/2021. The &#8220;loop&#8221; structure and investments restriction were lifted to promote inward investments into South Africa, subject to the normal criteria applying to inward investments and reporting to the Financial Surveillance Department (FinSurv).

 	What is a “loop” structure? 
In simple terms a &#8220;loop&#8221; structure are generally created by a South African resident individual, trust or company transferring authorized or unauthorized funds from South Africa to, for example, set up a foreign trust or foreign company. The foreign trust or company would then directly or indirectly (via another offshore entity) invest the authorized or unauthorized funds in South Africa, thereby creating a&#8221; loop structure&#8221;. An exception to this however applied in that South African residents were permitted to individually or collectively acquire up to 40% equity and/or voting rights, whichever is the higher, in a foreign target entity, which may in turn hold investments and/or make loans into any Common Monetary Area (CMA) which consists of South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

 	What was the position prior to the Exchange Control Circular? 
Prior to 1 January 2021, South African individuals, companies, trusts and private equity funds were prohibited from utilising funds or any other authorised foreign assets to enter into a transaction or a series of transactions to, directly or indirectly through any structure or scheme of arrangement, acquire shares or any other assets or interests in the CMA.

 	What changes has the Exchange Control Circular introduced? 
The changes outlined in the Circular apply with effect from 1 January 2021 and are summarised below.

 	Individuals, companies, and private equity funds. 
The amendments to the Exchange Control Rules provide that individuals, companies and private equity funds with authorised foreign assets may invest in South Africa through offshore structures, subject to reporting of the transactions through an Authorised Dealer to FinSurv. The wording of this seems to suggest that the restrictions in terms of &#8220;loop&#8221; structures have only been lifted to the extent that the relevant exchange control residents already have authorised foreign assets. A South African resident would not be able to a create &#8220;loop&#8221; structure without prior exchange control approval where it does not have authorised foreign assets. Individuals, companies and private equity funds may utilise authorised foreign assets to invest in South African assets through a loop structure, subject to the following requirements:

 	The investment must be reported to an Authorised Dealer for instance a local bank, as and when the transaction(s) is finalised. An annual progress report must be submitted to the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank (Finsurv) through an Authorised Dealer; 	An Authorised Dealer must view an independent auditor’s report verifying that the transaction(s) is concluded on an arm’s length basis and at a fair and market-related price; 	Upon completion of the transaction, the Authorised Dealer must submit a report to the Finsurv which should, among others, include the name(s) of the South African affiliated foreign investor(s), a description of the assets to be acquired, the name of the South African target investment company (if applicable), the date of the acquisition and the foreign currency amount introduced; 
All inward loans from South African affiliated foreign investors must still comply with the current exchange control rules applying to inward foreign loans and existing unauthorised loop structures (i.e. created prior to 1 January 2021), must still be regularised with the Finsurv. These amendments to do apply to South African trusts, trusts will continue to be prohibited from establishing &#8220;loop&#8221; structures.

 	Foreign inheritance 
In the event that a resident has inherited foreign assets held by the deceased offshore in compliance with exchange control regulations, the resident may apply to Finsurv for approval to retain the assets offshore. Until recently, such approval would be subject to the condition that the assets may not be used to invest in a loop structure. The prohibition on the investment in loop structures has now been removed.

 	Inward foreign loans 
Inward foreign loans received from foreign lenders will no longer be subject to the restriction that:
 	The loan funds may not represent or be sourced from a South African resident’s authorised foreign assets; and 	There may not be any direct/indirect South African interest in the foreign lender. 
Thus all clients who are either currently invested in loop structures or who have been unable to make investments as a result of the loop structure restrictions, should carefully consider the impact of the proposed relaxations on their current or future investments.

 	Currency and Exchanges Manual 
The changes to the exchange control rules do not affect section B.2(F)(ii) and B.2(F)(iii) of the Currency and Exchanges Manual for Authorised Dealers which have not been deleted or amended. These changes are also not industry specific, as is the case with B.2(F)(ii) of the Currency and Exchanges Manual for Authorised Dealers, which provides that unlisted South African technology, media, telecommunications, exploration and other research and development companies may establish an offshore company to raise foreign funding for their operations, subject to certain conditions. Companies established in terms of this dispensation have been permitted to hold investments and/or make loans into South Africa in terms B.2(F)(iii) of the Currency and Exchanges Manual for Authorised Dealers.

 	FinSurv regulation 
It is important to note that existing unauthorised &#8220;loop&#8221; structures created prior to 1 January 2021 and unauthorised &#8220;loop&#8221; structures where the 40% shareholding threshold was exceeded will not be automatically regularised as a result of the changes to the exchange control rules. These structures must still be regularised with the FinSurv. Additionally, where assets are contributed by a South African corporate to an offshore structure FinSurv approval will still be required as this would continue to constitute an externalisation of South African assets. This aspect is of particular relevance to the private equity industry where &#8220;dual structures&#8221; has become the industry norm to comply with the historic &#8220;loop&#8221; structure prohibitions.

 	Tax implications 
It is particularly important for investors to seek professional legal advice regarding the impact of the proposed tax changes on existing loop structures. This is because the proposed changes are intended to address potential tax leakage arising from the relaxation of loop structures. Several amendments have been proposed to existing tax legislation (in some instances punitive) to limit any tax leakage resulting from the relaxation of the rules to &#8220;loop&#8221; structures. It is important to consider these changes once promulgated as it may have negative tax consequences on South African tax residents holding into existing &#8220;loop&#8221; structures or who consider implementing &#8220;loop&#8221; structures. There are potential tax challenges that may arise in the future with regard to &#8220;loop&#8221; structures that may primarily be the potential tax pitfalls rather than the exchange control rules which have been prohibitive in the past.

 	Concluding remarks 
Whilst the removal of the prohibition of &#8220;loop structures&#8221; is a progressive welcomed development and a step in the right direction, the relaxation of &#8220;loop&#8221; structure prohibitions has possibly fallen short of what was anticipated. This is because the changes are limited to South African exchange control residents who already have authorised foreign assets and thereby continues to subject residents without authorised foreign assets to exchange control approval when intent on establishing a &#8220;loop&#8221; structure.

It is recommended that individuals who are intending on investing into an offshore company or structure with a loop structure component, should seek professional legal advice beforehand so as to understand the tax and exchange control considerations that will apply to their investment.

CREDIT: Chido Pamela Mafongoya, Legal Intern at The Centurion Law Group
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Centurion Law Group.
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The long-anticipated relaxation of the South African Exchange Control Rules relating to “loop” structures and investments (By Chido Pamela Mafongoya)

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WHO Africa Online Press Briefing on COVID-19 in Africa

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By Chido Pamela Mafongoya, Legal Intern

The long-awaited trading within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) finally began on 1 January 2021, marking a very important milestone for African trade. The AfCFTA creates a single continental market for goods and services, with the aim of increasing intra-African trade by reducing tariffs by approximately 90 percent [1] and harmonising trading rules at a continental level. The AfCFTA has the potential to increase intra-African trade by 52.3% by 2022 [2].

The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably delayed the implementation of the AfCFTA, in a time when harmonisation couldn’t be more important as the world clubs together to fight the novel Corona virus. Despite various regulations put in place by African governments to try and manage the spread of the disease, the pandemic continues spread across the continent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) cases in the African region (which excludes Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia) have been significantly increasing since the middle of September 2020. [3] According to WHO, one of the biggest challenges in Africa is the lack of essential products such as medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and test kits. As a result of this, most African countries heavily depend on imports from overseas for these essential products. The Covid‑19 pandemic thus demonstrates the heavy import dependency and vulnerability of Africa’s pharmaceutical sector, perhaps more so than for any other industry. According to the UNECA, all African countries are net importers of medical and pharmaceutical products as Africa imports 94% of its pharmaceuticals in total [4].

Ensuring availability and access to pharmaceuticals and PPE is essential to minimise COVID-19 cases, but also to manage societal expectations. The AfCFTA is an unmissable opportunity to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic by allowing the free movement of pharmaceuticals and PPE as well as the free exchange of technical expertise.

The pharmaceutical industry in Africa is one of the fastest growing in the world, driven by a small number of countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, some Eastern African countries and North Africa. Thus, through the AfCFTA, Africa has a great opportunity to boost intra-regional trade of pharmaceuticals and PPE. At present Africa manufactures less than 2 % of the medicines it consumes while importing about 70% from outside the continent at an annual cost of approximately $14.5 billion. [5] The AfCFTA can therefore facilitate creation of an environment conducive to establishing regional value chains in pharmaceuticals, which can be leveraged as a springboard for up-and-coming African multinationals.

The production of pharmaceuticals on the continent is important given the need not only to tackle the pandemic but other local diseases where there is no investment case for large external pharmaceutical companies. The economies of scale offered by the AfCFTA will mean market size is no longer an obstacle for pharmaceutical manufacturers to engage in local production of generic medicines (for export on the continent), or pooled procurement of medicines.

African countries can also leverage the AfCFTA to boost intra-regional trade through the harmonisation of standards as well as collective bargaining with foreign drug suppliers in the short to medium run and increasing investment in pharmaceutical production in the long run. African countries should take advantage of the opportunity given by the AfCFTA by accelerating implementation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) and establishment of the African Medicine Agency (AMA). This should be a collective effort done by all African countries by prioritising investment for regulatory capacity development; pursuing convergence and harmonisation of medical products regulation in regional economic commissions; and allocating adequate resources for AMA. With this in mind, UNECA, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Union Development Agency, the World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, launched an AfCFTA-anchored pharmaceutical initiative in 2019 to be piloted in Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles and Sudan. This adopts a three-pronged approach: localised production, pooled procurement, and harmonised regulatory and quality frameworks. With the coming into operation of the AfCFTA, this collaboration must be implemented.

The AfCFTA as a united coherent bloc should strengthen Africa’s ability to ensure Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities are fully utilised in efforts to enable local production and access to essential medicines. In this regard, it is important that the AfCFTA is compatible with TRIPS to ensure that it preserves TRIPS flexibilities.

African countries can also leverage regional industrial hubs within the continent to scale-up production of pharmaceuticals and PPE. For instance, countries such Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritius have industrial and medical supply capacity, whose development can be accelerated through collaborations. Trade negotiators should thus ensure that medical supplies and PPE are not restricted within the AfCFTA’s “excluded lists” and consider including health services as an additional priority sector for liberalisation under the trade in services negotiations. African countries must also fast-track the finalisation of rules of origin for PPE-related textile products under AfCFTA negotiations.

Further, there is a substantial lack of technical expertise preventing African countries to fully tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.

The AfCFTA agreement provides for easy and free exchange of technical expertise through the investment plans (i.e.. National investment plans, Investment promotion agencies, partnering to facilitate investment etc.), trade facilitation measures (such as standards certification and harmonization etc.) and trade-related infrastructure measures (i.e., programme for infrastructure development in Africa).

These policies also assist in addressing the issue of infrastructure which facilitates trade and economic growth in the continent. In conclusion, the AfCFTA could be a major key to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa should the countries and supporting industry utilise the benefits offered under the act.
[1] African Continental Free Trade Area: A New Horizon For Trade in Africa, www.cfr.org
[2] African Continental Free Trade Area: A New Horizon For Trade in Africa, www.cfr.org
[3] https://bbc.in/36mdGOZ
[4] UNECA (2020c) ‘Economic effects of the Covid-19 on Africa’. Presentation, Addis Ababa, 18 March.
[5] UNECA (2019) Healthcare and economic growth in Africa. Addis Ababa: UNECA.
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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); A key to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa (By Chido Pamela Mafongoya)

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The Cap des Biches combined cycle gas turbine power plant is expected to generate 300 megawatts (MW), nearly 25% of the power consumed in Senegal and the equivalent electricity needed to power approximately 500,000 Senegalese homes; under the contract, GE (www.GE.com) will supply two 9E.03 gas turbines, one STF-A200 steam turbine, three A39 generators, two Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) and additional balance of plant equipment; upon completion, the project will be the biggest power plant in Senegal; project supports the Senegalese government’s target to enhance universal access to electricity by increasing its generation capacity.

GE (NYSE: GE) announced today that it has secured an order to supply gas power generation equipment for West Africa Energy’s 300 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power project in Cap des Biches, Dakar, Senegal. Upon completion, the Cap des Biches plant will be the biggest power plant in the country and is expected to generate nearly 25% of the power consumed, providing the equivalent electricity needed to power up to 500,000 Senegalese homes. The plant is expected to begin operations in phases starting in 2022, enhancing universal access to electricity and supporting the Senegalese Government’s target to increase its generation capacity with a greater utilization of natural gas and renewables. 
“We are pleased to collaborate with GE to deliver reliable and efficient gas turbines to Senegal, aligned with the country’s strategy on gas to power under the leadership of President Macky Sall to develop the energy sector that will be critical for the development of strategic sectors of the economy, while actively driving localization initiatives,” said Samuel Sarr, CEO of West African Energy. “Once completed, the project will also go a long way in reducing the cost of electricity in the country,” he added.
GE will supply two 9E.03 gas turbines, one STF-A200 steam turbine, three A39 generators, two Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) and additional balance of plant equipment as part of the project scope. 
“Over the last decade, GE has been building on a proven track record of delivering and commissioning power projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, and we are delighted to continue this trend by providing our gas power  technology to support the expected renewables growth in the country,” said Elisee Sezan, CEO for GE&#39;s Gas Power business in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Cap des Biches Power Plant in Senegal represents another opportunity to use gas-fired generators as an ideal complement to variable renewable resources because they can change power levels quickly, turn down to low levels when demand is lower, and start rapidly. All of these attributes enable gas turbines to work in concert with renewables to maintain reliability in a power system. The plant will provide flexible power to Senegal and help improve the quality of people’s lives,” he added.
The 9E gas turbine is a robust, proven platform that delivers high availability, reliability, and durability at a lower cost-per-kilowatt. In 2020, GE’s 9E gas turbine fleet celebrated 40 years of operations globally. It has a large installed base of over 650 units in the world located primarily in Asia, China, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The STF-A200 steam turbine’s configuration is well-suited for this plant with a wide operating range to help meet the needs of a grid with a large amount of renewables. GE’s fleet of STF-A200 has demonstrated high reliability and availability and continues to deliver advanced performance.
GE has been collaborating with energy stakeholders to deploy innovative technologies tailored to respond to the needs of the Sub-Saharan Africa region since the 1950s with reliable baseload and flexible power. In 2018, the company celebrated its 100th power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa and today, up to 17 GW of gas power generation runs on GE gas turbines. GE delivers across the entire energy ecosystem from generation to transmission and distribution and throughout the region, GE-built technologies are supported by GE local service and maintenance teams working together and in close co-operation with FieldCore — the field services execution team owned by GE to help ensure access to reliable and sustainable energy.
Cap des Biches combined-cycle gas turbine power plant is being developed by Senegal’s West African Energy and will be built by Turkish engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company, Calik Enerji.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GE.
For more information, please contact: Anne Ezeh   Gas Power Communications Director Sub-Saharan Africa    +234 7031779857 Anne.Ezeh@ge.com                                                                                     
Laura Aresi Public Relations Leader GE Gas Power +39 02 67335600  Laura.aresi@ge.com
About GE Gas Power: GE Gas Power (www.GE.com/power/gas) is a world leader in natural gas power technology, services, and solutions. Through relentless innovation and continuous partnership with our customers, we are providing more advanced, cleaner, and efficient power that people depend on today and building the energy technologies of the future. With the world’s largest installed base of gas turbines and more than 600 million operating hours across GE’s installed fleet, we offer advanced technology and a level of experience that’s unmatched in the industry to build, operate and maintain leading gas power plants. For more information, please visit www.GE.com/power/gas and follow GE’s gas power businesses on Twitter (https://bit.ly/3ceBh7X) and LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3iS8IhX).
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GE Secures Equipment Contract to Power the Biggest Power Plant in Senegal

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A climate resilient project in Zambia supported by the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has won the Water ChangeMaker People’s Choice Award-Africa.

The Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue Sub-basin Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (SCRiKA) (https://bit.ly/2YmLBmk) beat two other finalists identified by an expert jury to win first prize with roughly 7,000 votes, it was announced at the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 on 25 January. 

Launched in 2014 with $38 million in funding from CIF, SCRiKA (https://bit.ly/2YmLBmk) aims to strengthen rural communities’ capacity to withstand climate variability and the long-term consequences of climate change. By the end of 2020, about 1,200 microprojects had been rolled out under SCRiKA to advance hard and soft adaptations, helping 800,000 Zambian farmers develop greater resilience to flooding and droughts.  One element is the construction and rehabilitation of climate-resilient roads.

“We could not have done this alone,” said Indie Dinala, SCRIKA’s Project Manager and an official in Zambia’s Ministry of Planning and Development. “We thank the African Development Bank and CIF for enabling us build the resilience of rural farmers to cope with climate change in Zambia. The Government of Zambia, with support from them, has been successful in advancing climate resilient development.”

“We look forward to more partnerships with CIF, MDBs (multi-national development banks) and actors in the climate adaptation space as we scale up to other regions, because the need is vast and urgent!” she added.

“Adaptation initiatives such as SCRiKA are required to cope with climate change-induced impacts on water resources in Africa,” said Wambui Gichuri, Acting Director of the Water Development and Sanitation Department, African Development Bank, who also serves as Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the Bank. 

“To know that thousands of famers now have access to solar-powered boreholes and other innovations to irrigate crops and increase incomes shows how Bank interventions can improve quality of life, particularly in rural areas. Water security is also key to energy security, food and nutritional security, and industrial development,” she added.

Anthony Nyong, The Bank’s Director of Climate Change and Green Growth said, “The SCRiKA project demonstrates the power of partnerships and having communities in the driving seat of adaptation action! We are very excited about this award and the African Development Bank will continue to mobilize resources to deliver more of such innovative projects at scale and transforming Africa&#39;s adaptation landscape.&#8221;

The Climate Adaptation Summit Water ChangeMaker award, organized by the Netherlands government and Global Water Partnership [GWP (www.GWP.org)], celebrates and promotes teams and organizations in Africa shaping water decisions that build climate resilience in Africa, in recognition of the continent being on the frontline of climate change. The other two finalists were Zutari Water Resources Group in South Africa and Shire River Basin Management Programme in Malawi.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Olufemi Terry Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: o.terry@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.
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African Development Bank’s climate resilient project in Zambia wins water change maker award

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AstraZeneca Ethiopia (www.AstraZeneca.com) announced today that it will work with The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and The Ethiopian Thoracic Society, as part of their new Africa PUMUA Initiative, aimed at redefining asthma care in Africa.

The Initiative was designed in consultation and collaboration with government, healthcare societies and respiratory health experts to strengthen local health systems and centres to improve paediatric and adult asthma management across both the public and private sectors.  The Africa PUMUA Initiative will support fundamental changes needed to advance clinical practice aligned to the Non Communicable Disease (NCD) service decentralisation programme roll-out by the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health.  
Globally, more than 339 million [1] people are living with asthma, with an estimated over 40 million people with asthma in Africa [2] .The World Health Organisation (WHO) cautions that over 80% of asthma-related deaths occur in low-and lower-middle income countries [3].
AstraZeneca has launched the Africa PUMUA Initiative to highlight its commitment to improving the health outcomes of patients in Africa. By providing support of infrastructure, increasing awareness of the symptoms and risks of asthma, and building the capacity of all role players across the patient journey, the Africa PUMUA Initiative looks at addressing the barriers currently preventing access to care for patients with asthma.
As part of the partnership signed today, 27 January 2021,  with The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and The Ethiopian Thoracic Society, AstraZeneca will provide 150 nebuliser machines to various hospitals within Ethiopia, as well as establish 47 nebulisation stations. The nebulisers will be allocated in consultation with the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Thoracic Society.
Barbara Nel, AstraZeneca Country President for African Cluster said: “ We are unwavering in our commitment to improve care for asthma patients across Africa.  People living with asthma should have the ability to live normal lives and deserve the best care. Through our Africa PUMUA initiative we aim to strengthen local health systems and centres. By working  together to boost local medical knowledge and expertise and building an infrastructure for Asthma Patients, through the donation of nebulisation machines, nebulisation stations, spirometers and peak flow meters, we believe we will be able to redefine asthma care in Ethiopia.”
Dr Dereje Duguma , Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, said : Through this important Public-Private Partnerships with the AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical and the Ethiopian Thoracic Society we will bring immense transformation to Asthma care. The partnership also goes in line with the Government of Ethiopia’s National Strategic Action Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases, effective diagnosis and enhanced referral systems. PUMUA will be a great tool in decentralization of these efforts. We hope this will be a good start to collaborating with AstraZeneca and look forward to seeing more endeavours. MOH supports pharmaceutical companies investing in the country as it is one of the key strategic areas in developing industries in the country.”
“It is estimated that more than 5 million people in Ethiopia are living with asthma, and to date there has been no national treatment guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Asthma. The Ethiopian Thoracic Society strongly believes that the implementation of the Africa PUMUA initiative will contribute significantly to the effective diagnosis and management of Asthma. The capacity building activities and the update and alignment of treatment guidelines and protocols for chronic asthma to GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma management) guidelines, will help to improve outcomes for asthma patients in Ethiopia. Cascading the treatment protocol and guidelines throughout the country will enable us provide standardised Asthma diagnosis and treatment in Ethiopia,” said Ethiopian Thoracic Society President, Dr Tewodros Haile Gebremariam
The initiative will launch initially across 6 countries in Africa, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal, and then expand to other countries.

References
 	Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet 2017; 390: 1211–59. https://bit.ly/39mIIIn 	Estimate of the prevalence of asthma in Africa https://bit.ly/2MAtAhp  last accessed 13 October 2020 	Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet 2017; 390: 1211–59. https://bit.ly/39mIIIn 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AstraZeneca.
The Africa PUMUA Initiative: The Africa PUMUA Initiative is AstraZeneca&#39;s innovative programme committed to Redefining Asthma Care in Africa. Through partnership with Governments, Healthcare Professionals and Societies, and AstraZeneca, the Initiative aims to improve paediatric and adult asthma management across public and private sectors with a focus on: 
• Local health system strengthening • Health worker capacity building  • Awareness and education  • Equitable access to AstraZeneca’s respiratory medicines 

The Initiative forms part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitment to deliver improved accessibility, acceptability, affordability and availability of quality care in Africa.
About Ethiopian Thoracic Society:  ETHIOPIAN THORACIC SOCIETY (ETS) (www.EthiopianThoracicSociety.com) is a professional society in Ethiopia, established in 2014, by professionals in the field of  Pulmonary &#038; Critical Care  Medicine  and  include physicians working in Pulmonology, Thoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Critical care, Emergency medicine, Anaesthesia, Chest imaging Radiology, Microbiology  and other interested and willing to be member of the society and support the goals. ETS has 120 full and associate members. ETS goals are to improve the quality of health care and equity of the delivery of health through improving the medical and research knowledge and skills of the fellow members and educating the public at large in chest, pulmonologists and related fields.
About AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca (www.AstraZeneca.com) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas &#8211; Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal &#038; Metabolism, and Respiratory &#038; Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit www.AstraZeneca.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn @AstraZeneca (https://bit.ly/3cj97J6).
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AstraZeneca launches Africa PUMUA Initiative to redefine asthma care in Africa

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Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi announces five new COVID-19 deaths in Eswatini, taking total deaths to 522. &#8220;May their souls rest in peace.&#8221;

New cases: 221 Total cases: 15,051 Active cases: 4,608 New recoveries: 158 Total recoveries: 9,700 New deaths: 5 Total deaths: 522
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Coronavirus – Eswatini: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

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The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) (www.OPECFund.org) marks its 45th anniversary today. Since inception, the multilateral development finance institution has approved more than US$25 billion in essential financing for 135 partner countries.  

Established in 1976 with a distinct mandate to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people, the OPEC Fund’s member countries are: Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. While the organization works directly with partner countries, it also collaborates with other development finance institutions, regional development banks and the specialized agencies of the United Nations to maximize its development impact.

The 45th anniversary coincides with a demonstration of steadfast support from the organization’s member countries. The OPEC Fund’s Governing Board recently endorsed a second tranche of US$400 million to be contributed by member countries over the next four years. The Ministerial Council approved a US$1 billion Fourth Replenishment of the OPEC Fund’s resources in 2001, of which this second tranche is a part. The first tranche of US$600 million was contributed over the past eight years.

Abdulwahab A Al-Bader, Chairman of the OPEC Fund&#39;s Governing Board, said: “The organization’s development operations are self-sustaining, due to prudent management and a long history of positive operational income. This second tranche of contributions signifies member country determination to strengthen the OPEC Fund’s ability to meet development challenges that have become even more urgent as a result of COVID-19.”

OPEC Fund Ministerial Council Member and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan outlined the unique role the organization plays in international development: “The OPEC Fund has been playing a distinguished role in promoting global development, and it is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries only. All developing countries, with the exception of its own members, are eligible for assistance.”

The OPEC Fund’s Ministerial Council member and Indonesia’s Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati said: “A new strategy introduced in 2019 and backed by member countries means that the organization has become more agile and can respond without delay to the changing needs of partner countries. We can now move quickly and effectively to ensure finance reaches those who need it most, as low-income communities around the world attempt to recover from the pandemic.”    

OPEC Fund Director-General Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “Thanks to the foresight and dedication of our member countries, the OPEC Fund continues to demonstrate solidarity and play its part in reducing global inequality. During the year ahead, we will focus on delivering in line with our clear and ambitious Strategic Framework to further expand our development impact and secure our future for many years to come.”

To date, the OPEC Fund’s public sector operations have supported the development of 15 GW of electricity generation capacity; contributed to the construction and development of 11,360 km of roads and railways; and provided 11.5 million households with access to water and sanitation. Since launching in 1998 and 2006, the organization’s private sector and trade finance operations have directly supported over 350,000 MSMEs; helped generate 15 million tonnes of annual handling capacity in ports; and contributed to the development of 750 MW of renewable capacity generation.

For further information on the OPEC Fund’s achievements since 1976, please see the special edition of the OPEC Fund Quarterly (https://bit.ly/3oqEAeP).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of OFID.
About the OPEC Fund: The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) (www.OPECFund.org) works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world. The organization was established by the member countries of OPEC in 1976 with a distinct mandate: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people. The OPEC Fund’s work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. Our vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.
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Unique and more essential than ever

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New cases: 830 Total active cases: 13,646 Lost to follow-up: 134 Total number of tests conducted: 135,066 (2,503 new) Total confirmed cases: 21,660 Total recovered: 7,249 (244 new) Outcome under investigation: 76 Total deaths: 555 (15 new)
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Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

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Total cases: 14,166 (+281) Recovered: 9,042 (+181) | 63.8% Active cases: 4,941 Tests: 853,238 (+4,156) Deaths: 183 (+2) | 1.3% Test positivity rate: 6.8%
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Coronavirus – Rwanda: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

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International healthcare and pharmaceuticals group MSD (www.MSD.co.za) has appointed Zwelethu Bashman to be the next managing director of its operations in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Mr Bashman will succeed Dr Priya Agrawal, who has been appointed chief behavioural science officer in global vaccines in the international operations of the company.

Zwelethu joined MSD South Africa as director for HIV and vaccines in 2019. MSD successes during his tenure included the signing of voluntary license agreements with other healthcare companies to allow the marketing of generic versions of its HIV medication, expanding access to treatment for people living with HIV/Aids in Africa.

Prior to joining MSD, Zwelethu held various roles within the pharmaceuticals sector. He started his career in the industry at Schering-Plough in 2006, where he worked in sales and product management. His commercial experience grew at Adcock Ingram, where he led the commercial division.

Between 2017 and 2019, Zwelethu expanded his responsibilities into the continent, leading the key account operations for Cipla Pharmaceuticals across Sub-Saharan Africa, before leading marketing for English and Portuguese-speaking African countries at Merck Biopharma.

Zwelethu’s appointment aligns with MSD’s succession planning and the Company’s commitment to internal staff career development. Zwelethu is well positioned to build on a successful year for MSD. The company has seen its Keytruda immunotherapy cancer treatment approved for further indications – offering hope for cancer patients. It has also signed investment agreements with Unjani Clinics, aimed at expanding the Unjani network to bring primary and maternal healthcare services as well as jobs and skills to underserved communities across South Africa.

Dr Agrawal’s tenure saw her successfully steer MSD through the challenging pandemic period, ensuring that the company’s vital clinical trials continued, with added PPE and safety requirements, but without any patients missing a dose throughout the lockdown.

Zwelethu will look to continue MSD’s Africa strategy, which has seen the company invested heavily in finding scientific solutions to the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD has conducted 1 250 clinical trials and invested more than $80 million in research and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. MSD’s Ebola vaccine has been given to more than 300 000 patients and it has administered more than 3,4 billion doses of Mectizan to fight river blindness, while MSD’s HPV vaccine continues to contribute toward cervical cancer elimination.

“I am thrilled to have been chosen to head up the MSD leadership team,” said Zwelethu. “My predecessor, Priya, has overseen a period of unprecedented change in South Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa, and I look forward to building on her foundational work.”

Zwelethu Bashman will assume his new position from February 1, 2021.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MSD.
Media Contact: Neren Rau nerenrau@merck.com (011- 655 3028)
About MSD: For more than a century, MSD (www.MSD.co.za), a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD is a trade name of Merck &#038; Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world &#8211; including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.MSD.co.za and connect with us on Twitter (https://bit.ly/3pqY0Bs).
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Global pharma firm appoints South African MD to lead sub-Saharan Africa operations

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1,861 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-773 FCT-285 Oyo-138 Rivers-111 Plateau-92 Nasarawa-83 Kaduna-59 Enugu-57 Imo-57 Edo-43 Kano-27 Kwara-20 Ebonyi-19 Abia-17 Ogun-12 Osun-12 Katsina-8 Bayelsa-6 Bauchi-5 Delta-5 Borno-4 Jigawa-4 Zamfara-1
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

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Active cases: 108 New cases: 7 New tests: 283 Total confirmed: 4,019 Recovered: 3,780 (+27) Deaths: 128 (+0)
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Coronavirus – Gambia: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

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NBA All-Star Voting Will Be Available Across NBA.com, NBA App and Twitter; discussions Regarding Potential NBA All-Star Game Are Ongoing

NBA (www.NBA.com) All-Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&#038;T (ATT.com), the official 5G wireless network of the NBA, will tip off tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 28 at noon ET and conclude on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET, giving fans the opportunity to vote for the NBA All-Star starters.  Discussions surrounding a potential NBA All-Star Game are ongoing.

Throughout the voting period, fans may submit one full ballot each day via the NBA App and NBA.com, as well as vote for up to 10 unique players per day on Twitter.  All current NBA players will be available for selection.  Five “2-for-1 Days” will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Jan. 30, Feb. 2, Feb. 4, Feb. 13 and Feb. 16 through Twitter, NBA.com and the NBA App voting platforms.  All “2-for-1 Days” will be designated from midnight ET – 11:59 p.m. ET.

NBA players and media will join fans in selecting the NBA All-Star starters.  Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each.  Players and media will be able to complete one ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

After all votes are tallied, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups – fan votes, player votes and media votes.  Each player’s score will be calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes.  The two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference will be named NBA All-Star starters.  Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score.

Fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, Feb. 4 and Thursday, Feb. 11.  TNT will reveal this season’s NBA All-Star starters the evening of Thursday, Feb. 18 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax.  TNT will also announce the NBA All-Star reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 23.

How Fans Can Vote:





 	NBA.com voting page at vote.NBA.com: Fill out one full ballot per day (per day is defined as once every 24 hours) on vote.NBA.com from a desktop or mobile browser.  Fans can select up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters. 	NBA App: Access the ballot and vote through the NBA App, which is available on Android and iOS.  Fans can fill out one full ballot per day by selecting up to two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference when choosing starters. 	Twitter: Tweet, retweet or reply with a hashtag of an NBA player’s first and last name (#FirstNameLastName) or Twitter handle, along with the hashtag #NBAAllStar.  Each tweet may include only one player’s name or handle.  Fans may vote for 10 unique players per day from Jan. 28 – Feb. 16. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
About the NBA: The NBA (NBA.com) is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2020-21 season featured 107 international players from 41 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.9 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

AT&#038;T and the NBA: An Innovative Partnership: Since AT&#038;T’s partnership with the NBA began, AT&#038;T (ATT.com) has been bringing the power of 5G to various events and activations across the country. In 2020, AT&#038;T deployed its AT&#038;T 5G HoloVision (http://soc.att.com/36j78QX) technology during the 2020 NBA Conference Finals and NBA Draft (http://soc.att.com/2MzoUZu), and brought 5G to NBA All-Star for the first time (http://soc.att.com/2NJdnHt), including at NBA Crossover and via the AT&#038;T 5G Courtside Cam which shared unique, live camera angles directly from the AT&#038;T Slam Dunk Contest as part of State Farm NBA All-Star Saturday Night.  AT&#038;T and the NBA were the first to broadcast a professional sports event in 5G (http://bit.ly/36iATl1) at the 2019 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League.  AT&#038;T also previously worked with Turner and the NBA during the 2019 NBA Tip-Off broadcast to deliver virtual side-by-side access to TNT’s broadcast of through a volumetric 3D experience powered by AT&#038;T 5G (http://bit.ly/3qQLMSS).

AT&#038;T is the Official 5G Wireless Network of the NBA and the WNBA.

About AT&#038;T Communications: We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. AT&#038;T Communications (ATT.com) is part of AT&#038;T Inc. (NYSE:T) (http://soc.att.com/36ezDzi). For more information, please visit us at ATT.com.
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NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T tips off Thursday, Jan. 28

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In solidarity with the Government of Cameroon’s efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the British High Commission in Yaounde led the British Business Community in Cameroon on a distribution campaign dubbed, “UK in Cameroon COVID-19 Relief Caravan”. The purpose was to handover personal protective equipment (PPE), to over 10,000 persons within semi-urban and rural populations, with focus on vulnerable communities, women and persons living with disability.

This outreach aimed at building resilience in communities through an inclusive strategy of community mobilisation, donation of personal preventive equipment and sensitising/ educating communities in an effort to support the national strategy to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Cameroon.
The British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Rowan Laxton said:

&#8220;The coronavirus pandemic is a global public health emergency. The disease is life-threatening for people of all ages everywhere in the world. To help save lives and provide support, the UK Government and the British Business Community in Cameroon, together with our implementation partner, Local Youth Corner (LOYOC), is organising a nationwide COVID-19 Relief Caravan&#8221;.

&#8220;The Caravan will reach out to some semi-urban and rural areas in the country and touch persons with disabilities. Women and girls will be particularly targeted. We hope the Caravan will also raise awareness on the importance of inclusion and solidarity towards those experiencing great difficulty in these trying times. Please stay safe!&#8221;
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission &#8211; Yaounde.

Coronavirus: UK in Cameroon COVID-19 Relief Caravan

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UNDP&#39;s &#8220;Peoples&#39; Climate Vote&#8221; reflects over half the world&#39;s population after results processed by the University of Oxford. Sixty-four percent of people believe climate change is a global emergency, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The results of the Peoples’ Climate Vote, the world’s biggest ever survey of public opinion on climate change are published today. Covering 50 countries with over half of the world’s population, the survey includes over half a million people under the age of 18, a key constituency on climate change that is typically unable to vote yet in regular elections. 
Detailed results broken down by age, gender, and education level will be shared with governments around the world by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which organized the innovative poll with the University of Oxford. In many participating countries, it is the first time that large-scale polling of public opinion has ever been conducted on the topic of climate change. 2021 is a pivotal year for countries’ climate action commitments, with a key round of negotiations set to take place at the UN Climate Summit in November in Glasgow, UK. 

In the survey, respondents were asked if climate change was a global emergency and whether they supported eighteen key climate policies across six action areas: economy, energy, transport, food &#038; farms, nature and protecting people.  

Results show that people often want broad climate policies beyond the current state of play. For example, in eight of the ten survey countries with the highest emissions from the power sector, majorities backed more renewable energy. In four out of the five countries with the highest emissions from land-use change and enough data on policy preferences, there was majority support for conserving forests and land. Nine out of ten of the countries with the most urbanized populations backed more use of clean electric cars and buses, or bicycles.  

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said: &#8220;The results of the survey clearly illustrate that urgent climate action has broad support amongst people around the globe, across nationalities, age, gender and education level. But more than that, the poll reveals how people want their policymakers to tackle the crisis. From climate-friendly farming to protecting nature and investing in a green recovery from COVID-19, the survey brings the voice of the people to the forefront of the climate debate. It signals ways in which countries can move forward with public support as we work together to tackle this enormous challenge.&#8221;

The innovative survey was distributed across mobile gaming networks in order to include hard-to-reach audiences in traditional polling, like youth under the age of 18. Polling experts at the University of Oxford weighted the huge sample to make it representative of the age, gender, and education population profiles of the countries in the survey, resulting in small margins of error of +/- 2%.

Policies had wide-ranging support, with the most popular being conserving forests and land (54% public support), more solar, wind and renewable power (53%), adopting climate-friendly farming techniques (52%) and investing more in green businesses and jobs (50%). 

Prof. Stephen Fisher, Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, said: “The survey &#8211; the biggest ever survey of public opinion on climate change &#8211; has shown us that mobile gaming networks can not only reach a lot of people, they can engage different kinds of people in a diverse group of countries. The Peoples’ Climate Vote has delivered a treasure trove of data on public opinion that we’ve never seen before. Recognition of the climate emergency is much more widespread than previously thought. We’ve also found that most people clearly want a strong and wide-raging policy response.”

The survey shows a direct link between a person’s level of education and their desire for climate action. There was very high recognition of the climate emergency among those who had attended university or college in all countries, from lower-income countries such as Bhutan (82%) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (82%), to wealthy countries like France (87%) and Japan (82%). 

When it comes to age, younger people (under 18) were more likely to say climate change is an emergency than older people. Nevertheless, other age groups were not far behind, with 65% of those aged 18-35, 66% aged 36-59 and 58% of those over 60, illustrating how widely held this view has become.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

World’s largest survey of public opinion on climate change: a majority of people call for wide-ranging action

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This ground-breaking multi-sector initiative, first launched in the Middle East five years ago, unites industry and sector professionals to provide an effective online platform to drive innovation, share ideas, gain insights &#038; experiences, and generate actionable solutions to existing challenges.

The African Frontiers of Innovation Series will run as a monthly online broadcast that explores the impact of the pandemic on individuals, sectors and economies.

Expert speakers and career professionals will share insights on key evolving trends and delve into how different sectors are meeting Covid-19 challenges, and setting the scene for a sustainable post-Covid world.

“Much like the previous editions of Frontiers of Innovation, the Africa series takes a deep dive into innovative technologies and operational efficiencies across a range of sectors, including music, photography, cinema and printing,” explains Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director &#8211; Canon Middle East and Canon Central and North Africa.

The first instalment, which tackles the tough subject of post-Covid education, is set to air on Wednesday, 27 January.

Research conducted by Human Rights Watch between April and August 2020 across nine African countries found that school closures caused by the pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, and that: “children who were already most at risk of being excluded from a quality education have been most affected.”

Headlined ‘Developing digital skills and literacy for students’, the first episode features distinguished guest speakers Dr Pius Egiolamhen (Dean of School, School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology); Julianna Lindsey (UNICEF Representative in Rwanda), and Professor Charles Ochieng’ Ong’ondo  (Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development), who will explore the challenges and opportunities inherent in a post-Covid, digitally-driven education landscape across Africa.  

Canon’s Africa Frontiers of Innovation series will be moderated by award-winning Kenyan journalist Victoria Rubadiri. A senior news anchor at Citizen TV and former host of Kenya’s top-rated talk show Victoria’s Lounge, Rubadiri is a recipient of the 2020 BBC Komla Dumor Award.

As a pioneer of innovation in the imaging business, Canon EMEA first launched the ‘Frontiers of Innovation’ Series in 2016, with the first edition focusing on Big Tech and the Internet of Things, while the second edition turned the spotlight on cyber security, entrepreneurship and smart cities. Both editions were held as in-presence events over one day.
In 2020, as a response to the pandemic, the Canon ‘Frontiers of Innovation Forum 2020’ launched a weekly online session that proved highly successful, with more than 3 000 attendees per session.

“Africa Frontiers of Innovation 2021 aims to expand on this, with a series of pertinent topics geared to inspire Africans from all walks of life on what can be achieved when a crisis is viewed as an opportunity, rather than just a challenge,” notes Youssef.

Attendees can look forward to a deep dive into various topical issues, including:
• Innovation in music: how digitisation has impacted the industry – and its challenges in Africa
• How Cinema is re-inventing itself in a COVID-19 world
• Content creation: the trends, challenges – and how consumer demand drives innovation
• How print can also act as a platform for augmented reality, elevating print beyond the paper
• How the pandemic has fuelled an even greater need for traditional print media – and what this means for the modern press
• Innovation in photography: exploring the application of modern photography – from personal to universal, and its cross-cultural implications; key trends in genres, from food styling to fashion photography.


About our guest speakers

Julianna Lindsey – UNICEF Representative, Rwanda. Julianna has over 20 years’ experience in leading child rights, women&#39;s empowerment, health, education, water/sanitation, child protection, social policy, and M&#038;E professionals in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.

Joseph Muteti Wambua, PhD – Acting Assistant Director, Kenya Education Cloud
Dr Wambua heads the operations of Kenya Education Cloud where he designs, develops and produces quality instructional media in Mathematics and Physics. He is also responsible for vetting and curating curriculum support materials and conducting action educational research.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).To view the recorded session: LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/3cfiUzD Facebook: http://bit.ly/39oWolW 

Media enquiries, please contact: Canon Central and North Africa Mai Youssef e. Mai.youssef@canon-me.com
APO Group &#8211; PR Agency Rania ElRafie e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com
About Canon Central and North Africa: Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2015 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region &#8211; by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.
Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.
Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.
For more information: Canon-CNA.com
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APO

The long-anticipated relaxation of the South African Exchange Control Rules relating to “loop” structures and investments (By Chido Pamela Mafongoya)

WHO Africa Online Press Briefing on COVID-19 in Africa

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); A key to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa (By Chido Pamela Mafongoya)

GE Secures Equipment Contract to Power the Biggest Power Plant in Senegal

African Development Bank’s climate resilient project in Zambia wins water change maker award

AstraZeneca launches Africa PUMUA Initiative to redefine asthma care in Africa

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Unique and more essential than ever

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Rwanda: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

Global pharma firm appoints South African MD to lead sub-Saharan Africa operations

Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

Coronavirus – Gambia: COVID-19 update (27 January 2021)

NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T tips off Thursday, Jan. 28

Coronavirus: UK in Cameroon COVID-19 Relief Caravan

World’s largest survey of public opinion on climate change: a majority of people call for wide-ranging action

Canon announces launch of Africa Frontiers of Innovation Series 2021

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