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In a webinar discussion hosted by TagPay (www.TagPay.fr/en) and moderated by Omar Ben Yedder from African Banker; Yves Eonnet (TagPay), Djiba Diallo (Ecobank Group), Obinna Ukwuani (Bank of Kigali) and Carl Manlan (VISA), discussed how the digitalisation of banks is a huge opportunity across Africa and partnerships with fintech would address the challenges of financial inclusion and the rapid scaling up that is needed across the continent.

Banks have to be equipped with the tools that enable them to pre-empt the market and respond quickly to customer demands in a secure and cost-effective way. For the banks to stay relevant Djiba Diallo, Senior Fintech Advisor, Ecobank Group said that it is important to understand fintechs and leverage the opportunities. Banks are still there and still needed but need to adapt to what is happening on the continent and partnering with fintech companies is key to doing that.
Many banks are partnering with Fintech companies to help them digitalise, enabling them to expand their services and reach more customers at the same time.
Obinna Ukwuani, Chief Digital Officer, Bank of Kigali said, “We see digital transformation as a necessity, so the bank has invested in transitioning the bank into this new era”. “All companies are becoming technologies companies, whether a bank or not”.
Cash currently leads the way in the majority of Africa, but to increase financial inclusion, which is increasing already through financial technology, digital banking will need to have continued growth. Financial inclusion also enables banks to feed new businesses and entrepreneurs, and hence builds the economy at the same time. Using the technology of mobile telephones, digital banking will have a significant role to play now and in the future.
Carl Manlan, Vice President, Head of Social Impact, CEMEA, VISA said, “Because we are cash dependent the opportunity to introduce digital payments to help promote financial inclusion is critical and to that we need to ensure that there is adequate financial literacy and skills building along the way to make it work for more people.”
Partnership between banks and fintech’s will not only help reach more customers but also build financial literacy amongst consumers. In addition, the industry will need to develop the talent and skills, and this can be done across Africa ensuring the industry continues to grow.
Banks no longer see Fintech’s as disruptors but partners. More often, as a key part of their business with a shared responsibility for delivering to customers
Banks are going into a new world and need new platforms, new technology and a new architecture, the old core banking system is being surpassed and a new core banking system is needed. FinTech’s will help banks provide a better service to customers, working together and within the same regulatory framework. Digital banking helps with financial inclusion and formalising the economy and banks, globally, need to react to the digital revolution and customer demand.
Yves Eonnet, Chairman of TagPay, summed up the event by saying, “The time we are entering is very exciting for us [FinTech’s] and for you [banks].” “The expertise that we have opens up banks to new ventures and new capabilities, especially due to the low cost and speed of deployment.” 
“Systems are designed to target new customers, financial inclusion, or new sectors that are poorly served. This is exciting in Africa because this for me, is the beginning of a new era for banks, and all banks in the world are looking at what is happening in Africa. Because in Africa you have this situation, which is unique, with the financial inclusion issue where banks need to attract new customers, therefore you have customers to serve, have the technology to do it, have the dynamism of the culture that makes it possible and that is where we are to build the bank of the future. I often say the Silicon Valley of banking is not in California but in Africa, it is where it is happening.”
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TagPay.
Contact media: leila@bluejaycommunication.com
Contact TagPay: nicolas.pinto@tagpay.fr
To listen to the webinar in full: https://bit.ly/3xb0Pu6

Banks must partner with fintech to accelerate the digital banking transformation

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The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-idb.org), a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB), granted a Euro 10 Million Murabaha financing to Bridge Bank Group, Cote d’Ivoire (BBGCI). The facility represents a significant portion of BBGCI’s remaining 2021 trade financing requirements and enables BBGCI to support the Bank’s growing private sector clients as well as small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

BBGCI, Cote d’Ivoire’s nineth largest bank by total assets, will make the funding available to the Bank’s growing client-base, especially importers operating in sectors such as energy (petroleum), foodstuffs, agribusiness, and construction.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Nazeem Noordali, Chief Operating Officer of ITFC, who signed on behalf of ITFC said: “ITFC is committed to supporting private the private sector and SMEs in all our member-States. This is not only to help their economies recover better from the challenges created by the covid-19 pandemic but also to power their growth and enable the creation of sustainable jobs. Our partnership with BBGCI forms part of our overall strategy to support SMEs and the private sector support in Côte d&#39;Ivoire and in the African region by providing funding through ITFC’s West Africa SME Program.”
The West Africa SME Program aims at improving SMEs’ access to financing in eight West African Countries through the provision of Capacity Building and Advisory Services to partner banks, in addition to training SMEs and supporting them in their credit application process. The Program supports the SME sector growth in the WAEMU zone, which in addition to Côte d’Ivoire, includes Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The Program enables entrepreneurs to strengthen business viability by accessing capacity development training in the crucial areas of accounting and finance, business plan development, and management best practices amongst others. Furthermore, the Program deploys assistance to banks to strengthen SME lending practices to modernize assessment tools and lending processes.
On his part, Mr. Ehouman Kassi, Chief Executive Officer of BBGCI added that: “We are delighted by the signing of this first Murabaha financing facility with ITFC which will boost our capacity to support our clients during this tough time due to Covid 19 pandemic across the globe. This facility is in line with our strategy to increase our trade financing books in order to support mostly the SMEs trading internationally. We believe this to be the first step in our long-lasting relationship with ITFC 
as we are looking forward to provide access to the ITFC’s West Africa SME Program to our selected customers.  This program as well as the Trade financing facility will strengthen the overall capacity of the Bank towards its core customer base (SME) allowing it to take advantage of the expected rebound in our economies.”
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).
Contact Us: Twitter: @ITFCCORP Facebook: @ITFCCORP LinkedIn: International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) Tel: +966 12 646 8337 Fax: +966 12 637 1064 E-mail: ITFC@itfc-idb.org
About the International Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC): The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with the primary objective of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving socioeconomic conditions of the people across the world. Commencing operations in January 2008, ITFC has provided US$55 billion of financing to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for these member countries’ needs. With a mission to become a catalyst for trade development for OIC member countries and beyond, the Corporation helps entities in member countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.

ITFC’s Signs a Euro 10 Million Murabaha Financing Agreement with Bridge Bank Group, Cote d’Ivoire (BBGCI) to Support Private Sector and SME Funding

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The world continues to look for ways to negotiate the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions have lost their livelihoods and individuals and companies still face uncertainty. The world’s largest market, the forex market, has also been affected by the pandemic and seen trading volumes up to 2.4 quadrillion. Dany Mawas, Regional Director at INFINOX (www.INFINOX.com) gives his views and explains the effects on forex traders.

“Although stock markets and bank deposits were depressed during the onslaught of COVID-19, many opportunities arose for forex traders. Any currency changes can be used to make a profit and a falling market is as profitable as a developing one. Examples of trading volume increases which positively affected trade recently include a global increase of +18% and +725% in Africa when comparing May 2020 to May 2021. Furthermore, trade volumes increased by +85 % globally and +354% in Africa when comparing Q1 2020 versus Q1 2021,” he adds.
With this in mind, Mawas lists the most noteworthy forex trends that occurred as a result of the crisis:
All markets were impacted
Volatility in the financial markets increased as governments and central banks tried to combat the impact of the pandemic. Macro-economic data releases such as a decrease in interest rates or increases in unemployment resulted in increased trading opportunities as they caused the increased volatility.”
Cyclical stocks and markets were impacted according to whether their industry was positively or negatively affected by the pandemic. For example, sectors such as hospitality, which gain the majority of their business in the summer, lost huge portions of revenue as the pandemic spanned over one summer, and potentially two for some countries.
No matter what cycle a stock or market best performs in, all have been affected as the pandemic has lasted over a year.
Trade in Africa increased
Trade in Africa was stimulated as low transaction costs attracted African traders with a low capital basis. Furthermore, many African currencies stabilised and performed well against the US dollar, making them attractive to traders.
Forex grew in popularity
Although markets varied, some traders focused specifically on safe-haven currencies and commodities, which generated profits during the disruption. “Other traders leveraged opportunities, including the fluctuating demand for crude oil.
“Many traders dealing in crypto-currencies moved to forex, because of its greater stability. While crypto currencies provided the volatility and excitement craved by traders before the pandemic, they appeared far too risky during current uncertainty,” he explains.
New traders entered the market
Sociological trends related to people being confined to their homes had a major impact on trading and the number of traders. Greater numbers of traders worked from home, allowing them to focus to a greater extent on trading. New entrants to the market emerged as people had more time to research trading, and the looming financial crises encouraged people to consider trading as a new income channel. They also identified current global events as a unique opportunity to use forex trading for profit.
When it comes to the company’s outlook going forward, Mawas says INFINOX keeps its eyes firmly on global trends, because they affect its business and the service it offers clients. “We constantly survey the global environment and use our skills, knowledge and technology for clues that alert us to various crises that influence and present opportunities for forex trade.
“We also provide clients with techniques to help them trade successfully, for example, planning for the unpredictable by using diversification where appropriate,” he adds.
Steep increases in trading activity have placed substantial pressure on forex brokers, he says. “Thus, it’s critical to choose a reliable forex broker or brokerage if you wish to start trading during volatile times.”
Before making your decision, he explains that it’s important to check and recheck reviews and recommendations to ensure that one’s chosen broker is trustworthy, and suits their individual trading personality.
There are many fake brokers out there, Mawas adds. “Ensure your broker is licensed and offers you a trading platform that includes sophisticated analytical tools and options which are easy to use. Also, make sure you choose traders who are passionate about who they are and what they do, as they are most likely to be the best.”
The future remains uncertain as there is too little data available to make solid future predictions, he says. “There will be further “wave” outbreaks in the upcoming months and years and many underlying causes affecting currency will remain in effect or re-emerge as soon as COVID-19 cases increase. Lockdowns and social distancing mean market volatility will remain high, and remote work will keep traders focused on forex markets,” Mawas concludes.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of INFINOX Capital.
Contact details on behalf of INFINOX: Mondli Hadebe mondli@eclipsepr.co.za Tel: +2721 023 0440 Cell: +27 78 640 6457

About INFINOX: INFINOX is an award-winning and market leading online trading platform.

Founded in 2009, with the vision of delivering a customer-focused trading experience, INFINOX has been offering its clients premium service in a range of asset classes. We empower investors and help them gain access to markets so they can trade forex, stocks, indices, commodities, and futures; using our fast, efficient and reliable trading technology.

We are committed to providing our clients with outstanding service, and offer a dedicated multi-lingual support team that’s available 24 hours a day 5 days a week. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced trader, INFINOX provides the relevant tools to help you get started and improve your trading strategies. We offer instant funding options and the ability to withdraw your money swiftly.

INFINOX Capital Ltd SA is an authorized Financial Services Provider and is regulated by the Financial Services Conduct Authority under FSP No 50506 (INFINOX Capital Ltd SA acts as an intermediary for INFINOX Capital, which is Authorised and Regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas).
INFINOX Capital is a registered trading name of IX Capital Group Limited, authorised and regulated by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (‘the SCB’) under Registration Number SIA F-188.
INFINOX Limited is authorised and regulated as an Investment Dealer by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius under License Number GB20025832.

INFINOX is a trademark belonging to INFINOX Capital Ltd, a registered company in the United Kingdom under company number 06854853. INFINOX Capital Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Registration Number 501057.

Forex Trading Trends in a Time of Uncertainty

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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (www.IsDB.org) has selected two crowdfunding platforms as winners of the IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics for the year 1442H (2021), in recognition of their innovative and impactful roles in funding projects that advance the principles of Islamic Economics.

LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform that harnesses technology to bring the Islamic tradition of charity into the contemporary and digital space, has won the first prize, while the second prize has gone to Seed Out, a micro-entrepreneurs crowdfunding platform that addresses economic problems with a focus on solving individual financial challenges. The prize for a third-place winner was withheld.
The prize will be awarded to the two winners during the IsDB Group Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held on 3 &#8211; 4 September 2021 in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.
In a statement on this occasion, IsDB President, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, congratulated the winners on their notable accomplishments, commended them for their contribution to the development of Islamic Economics, and wished them greater success in all their endeavors.
The two winners were selected by the IsDB Prize Selection Committee, comprising eminent experts and scholars from within and outside the IsDB Group, through the coordination of the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).
In his comments, Acting Director General of IsDBI and IsDB Group Chief Economist, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, congratulated the winners and expressed appreciation to Dr. Bandar Hajjar for his invaluable support and guidance to the Institute in coordinating the Prize award.
Below are excerpts from the citations for the two winners issued by the IsDB Prize Selection Committee.
LaunchGood 
LaunchGood is a very innovative crowdfunding platform which is harnessing technology to bring the 1,400-year-old Islamic tradition of charity into a contemporary and digital space. Operating at the intersection of faith and tech, it provides a decentralized and accessible way for nearly any Muslim in the world to raise money for important projects and have a direct and positive impact on their community. Since launching over seven years ago, LaunchGood has proven itself to be highly scalable, having supported over 28,000 campaigns and raised over $200 million. The platform goes beyond just charity: every campaign is itself a statement of all the good Muslims are doing and are capable of, taking control of the narrative of who Muslims are and their role in the contemporary world. These success stories are seeds of hope planted into the hearts and minds of people across the world who want to believe in and build an inspired future.
Seed Out 
Seed Out is very different from many microfinancing businesses. It does not take the position that poverty is cured by making all the poor into entrepreneurs. Instead, it identifies prospective or existing entrepreneurs, and then selects them for support. Seed Out’s original innovation is to provide financing in kind. This gives Seed Out absolute control over the proceeds and allows for the buyer / beneficiary to focus on her or his business, which is better than most existing solutions which pay cash to the beneficiary. Like other crowdfunding platforms, Seed Out allows donors to select specific beneficiaries to support. These features of deeper involvement and in-kind assistance are very impactful, but difficult to manage in wider geographies to achieve wider global impact. However, given the technology, the Seed Out is expected to expand considerably fast globally in few years.
The IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics is a reformulated version of the IsDB Prize in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance that was first instituted in 1988.
In its new form, the IsDB Prize has an expanded scope to reward outstanding achievements in two categories, offered in alternate years, namely (i) Development Achievement and (ii) Knowledge Contribution. The 1442H (2021) Prize cycle is for the Development Achievement category, which called for successful projects solving development challenges in IsDB member countries and Muslim communities worldwide.
Learn more about the winners by clicking on their weblinks below:
 	LaunchGood (www.LaunchGood.com) | USA | Crowdfunding platform—Building an Inspired Future. 	Seed Out (www.SeedOut.org) | Pakistan | Micro-entrepreneurs crowdfunding platform. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group).

Innovation-driven Platforms Win 2021 IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics

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Ben O&#39;Connor won stage 9 of the Tour de France, a brutally tough 144km mountain stage in the rain, through the Alps. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) held onto the overall race lead going into tomorrow&#39;s rest day.

Stage 9 of the Tour de France was always going to be an incredibly tough stage as there was almost zero flat kilometers in the 144km stage, which had a summit finish to Tignes.
Minding the fact that the riders have already dealt with 8 consecutive days of tough racing, today was made that much more treacherous as the peloton had to deal with a torrential downpour, from start to finish.
For Team Qhubeka NextHash, and for many other teams, it was purely a day of survival. After the first major climb of the stage there was less than half the 170 rider remaining at the front of the race. A brief slowing by the yellow jersey group allowed most riders to come back and a break to go clear up the road.
Ben O&#39;Connor, Nairo Quintana and Sergio Higuita proved to be the strongest for most of the day, until the two Colombians faded on the final climb and O&#39;Connor soloed to a magnificent victory.
Back down the road, there were small groups of riders all over the Alps. The descents were just about as difficult as the climbs, as the cold rain made it difficult for riders to brake, some even stopping to change into dry clothing.
Unfortunately Nicholas Dlamini was a victim to one of the fast descents and crashed while riding in the grupetto. It was a long a lonely battle for Dlamini from that point, as the race rode away from the 25-year-old South African.
While the rest of the Team Qhubeka NextHash riders would finish within the time limit, Victor Campenaerts by only 7 seconds, Dlamini would not make the time cut.
The young South African crossed the line 1hr 24mins after O&#39;Connor, to huge applause as onlookers admired the courage shown by Dlamini to not give up.
Nicholas Dlamini
It was a hard stage and there were some honest climbs; the nature of the stage and the weather didn’t make it easy. It was just a bad day to have a bad day. I was already unlucky to also crash and lost contact and after that I was on my own, so it was really difficult to just ride a good pace and get to the guys on my own. 
I would have loved to finish the race but it is sad to finish this way but for me the most important thing was not to stop and ride until the finish regardless of being out of the time limit. It’s a special race and it’s always been a dream of mine to ride the Tour de France and I think just getting off my bike and into a car wouldn’t be an option.
I’m glad that I  finished even though I finished an hour and half from the winning time &#8211; it was hard, bad day.
I’d really like to thank everyone for the great support, from when the Tour started up until this point. The support has been amazing and that was the reason that I wanted to really finish today and not get off my bike and into a car. 
This is a race that I wanted to honour, and honour my dream. It was my first Tour de France and I knew it would be hard but I’ve honoured that dream; I am disappointed but at this point there’s not much I can do.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.
Note to Editors: Rights-free video, audio and image content is available via the following link here (https://bit.ly/36eIhgY).
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka NextHash: Team Qhubeka NextHash is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go.
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.

Dlamini fights to “honour” brutal Tour de France stage despite missing time cut

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The UK is pleased to announce they have committed £500,000 (over $708,000) to UNICEF Uganda’s COVID-19 appeal – vital support that will benefit over 1.8 million people across Uganda.

The funding will support an increase in oxygen production and delivery and improve the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at selected health facilities, to keep health care workers safe. Immediate benefits include the purchase of one hundred 7,500-litre oxygen cylinders for Mulago National Referral Hospital; Namboole COVID-19 Treatment Centre; Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and Moroto Regional Referral Hospital and the provision of operational support to 4 oxygen plants for 3 months. UK support will also enable the procurement and installation of a new oxygen plant, in Kayunga Referral Hospital, boosting Uganda’s oxygen production capabilities.  In addition, funding will provide Personal Protective Equipment to Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, and support the training of health care workers in PPE and oxygen use.
The British High Commissioner, H.E. Kate Airey OBE, said “This outbreak of COVID-19 is a huge challenge globally and the UK continues to be at the forefront of global efforts to tackle the pandemic. As one of the largest supporters of the COVAX vaccines programme I am delighted that UKAid will continue to help Uganda cope with the ongoing wave of cases, through this funding for oxygen and essential supplies. I pay tribute to the brave and dedicated healthcare workers in Uganda who are tirelessly battling this disease, it is imperative they have the protection and supplies needed to stay safe and save lives.”
The UNICEF Representative in Uganda Dr. M. Munir A. Safieldin said, “COVID-19 has severely impacted on all spheres of life of everyone in Uganda &#8211; particularly children and their families. This contribution from the UK Government is very timely. With this partnership, UNICEF will continue supporting the Government of Uganda to respond to the immediate health needs following the current resurgence of COVID-19. It will support critical actions needed to reduce the spread of infection, provide support to those who need medical assistance and, at the same time, measures that will maintain essential health services.”
This support is just one way the UK is helping countries respond to COVID-19. In Uganda the UK has also donated test kits and supplied PPE, upgraded water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at health centres, provided training and helped deliver messaging on COVIID-19 prevention, helped children continue learning through the provision of distance learning lessons, provided media training to help counter misinformation and ensure accurate COVID-19 reporting and funded two COVID-19 Isolation rooms at home for children suffering from cancer in Kampala. The UK was also one of the first countries to back COVAX and to date has committed £548 million to ensure global access to vaccines and has consistently called on other donors to step up their support. Through the COVAX equitable access facility Uganda has received over 1 million Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Uganda.

UK responds to UNICEF Uganda’s Oxygen appeal with life-saving support benefiting over 1.8m people

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Kenya started their 2021 Rugby Africa Cup campaign with a shock 20-19 defeat to Senegal at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday 3 July 2021. 

Senegal center Georges Mendy barged over at the death, Saibo Sakho converting to the 54th ranked West Africans a famous win over their more illustrious opponents, Kenya who were ranked 32nd in the world heading into this clash.
Fijian born Jone Kubu, one of seven debutantes for Kenya got the proceedings underway, drilling home two penalties as the hosts took a 6-0 lead.
This match continued to be a cagey affair, the bigger Senegalese electing to keep it tight and bully the Kenyan forwards. Mamadou Ndiaye soon halved the deficit with a penalty kick before Kubu played in the evergreen Darwin Mukidza who scored in the corner. Kubu converted from a tight angle to give Kenya a 13-3 lead  before Sakho drilled home a penalty for Senegal, the scores 13-6 to Kenya at the interval.
The Senegalese grew in confidence, thriving in contact play, an aspect of play that Kenya simply could not cope with. They inevitably drew level when Demba Koine scored off the rolling maul, Ndiaye converting for a 13-13 score. 
Senegal were soon down to 14 men after Mendy was sent to the sin bin, Kenya unable to capitalize on the extra man advantage despite a penalty and a drop goal from Kubu. 
Everything fell apart for the hosts in the final seven minutes, first losing Kubu to injury, Davis Chenge OKto the sin bin and conceding the converted try that condemned them to their first home defeat since 2019 when they lost 16-13 to Uganda in Elgon Cup action in Kisumu.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Senegal stun Kenya in Rugby Africa Cup opener

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The 2019 Women’s Premier Division finalists, DHL Western Province and the Border Ladies, proved once again why they deserve to battle it out for the title this season after further victories in the penultimate pool round of the competition.

DHL Western Province delivered a strong second-half performance against the Cell C Sharks Women at a soaking wet Newlands in Cape Town for a 29-5 victory, while the Border Ladies scored a try at the death against the Boland Dames in Wellington for a nail-biting 24-22 victory.
In the Women’s First Division, the Valke outclassed the Limpopo Blue Bulls with an impressive 61-12 victory in Brakpan to move into second place on the standings in Group 2 behind the Mastercard Golden Lions Women, while Griquas held their nerve for a 27-22 win in a tightly-fought Group 1 encounter against the Griffons in Kimberley.
Premier Division
Break-away second half steers DHL WP to ninth win
A second half break-away steered DHL Western Province to their ninth consecutive Women’s Premier Division victory of the season against the Cell C Sharks Women, with the team earning a 29-5 victory at a soaking wet Newlands on Saturday.
The KwaZulu-Natalians got off the mark quickly with a try by Springbok Women’s loose forward Sizo Solontsi in the fourth minute, and that proved to be the only points in the half as a combination of handling errors and solid defence kept both teams at bay.
The Capetonians – who will be hoping to defend their title in the final two weeks – created try-scoring opportunities in the first half, but crucial errors close to the tryline denied them from capitalising on them.
The hosts, however, found their rhythm in the second half and improved their finishing, which allowed them to score four unanswered tries, while Bok Women’s utility back Zintle Mpupha kept the scoreboard ticking with her fine form all around.
Mpupha scored a try and kicked three conversions and a penalty goal to contribute 14 points in the match. She put her team on the scoreboard with a try in the 49th minute and then added the extra two as well as a penalty goal shortly after to push them into a 10-5 lead.
This bolstered their confidence and they did particularly well to make use of the space out wide, and the rewards followed with Simamkele Namba (wing) touching down twice in the 60th and 79th minutes and Donelle Snyders (fullback) in the 74th minute.
The Cape Town team backed this up with a solid defensive effort, which denied the Cell C Sharks Women from adding to their score, and this saw the home side seal the convincing 29-5 victory.
Scorers:
DHL Western Province 29 (0) – Tries: Zintle Mpupha, Simamkele Namba (2), Donelle Snyders. Conversions: Mpupha (3). Penalty goal: Mpupha.
Cell C Sharks Women 5 (5) – Try: Sizo Solontsi.
Border Ladies burgle unlikely win in Wellington
An injury time try by their inspirational captain, Lusanda Dumke, secured the Border Ladies a hard-fought 24-22 victory over Boland Dames in an entertaining Women&#39;s Premier Division clash in Wellington on Saturday.
With time up on the clock, Border were awarded a scrum just outside the Boland 22 and after five minutes of keeping the ball alive, Dumke finally raced away for their fourth and match-winning try.
It was heart-breaking for Boland, seemed to be firmly in control after two brilliant tries from clever tactical kicks – by Theresa Ruiters and Amber Meiring – coupled with rock-solid defence saw them lead by 22-12 with less than 10 minutes on the clock.
But Border dug deep, first with a 76th minute converted try by Yandisa Nobanda, before Dumke scored the match winner.
The first half was a proper arm-wrestle on the wet field, with Border taking a 12-10 lead into the break courtesy of two tries, by Asisipho Plaatjies and Nqatyiswa Lufutha, in the final 15 minutes of the half.
The opening exchanges belonged to the home team as their powerful pack had the visitors on the back foot and after a number of Border transgressions on their own try-line, it wasn&#39;t surprising to see Boland given a penalty try for a superb scrum.
The ever-reliant Demi Nel added a penalty goal a few minutes later as the Dames took a 10-0 lead, before Border took their opportunities to score, which they repeated late in the match for the win.
Scorers:
Boland Dames 22 (10) – Tries: Theresa Ruiters, Amber Meiring, Penalty try. Conversion: Demi Nel. Penalty goal: Nel.
Border Ladies 24 (12) – Tries: Asisipho Plaatjies, Lusanda Dumke, Nqatyiswa Lufutha, Yandisa Nobanda. Conversions: Lufutha, Nobanda.
First Division
Valke outclass Limpopo Blue Bulls in Brakpan
The Valke were in sublime form against the Limpopo Blue Bulls in Brakpan as they registered their second big victory in a row, with the team running in 11 tries for a memorable 61-12 victory.
Centre Mosa Mphahlele was in top form scoring a hat-trick, while Awethu Stonga (flanker) and Bodmas Sithole (wing) each earned a brace in the match in which seven different players crossed the tryline. 
Scorers:
Valke 61 (10) – Tries: Anelisiwe Mxabo, Awethu Stonga (2), Juanine Jacobs, Bodmas Sithole (2), Mosa Mphahlele (3), Lifters Moremi, Sinelitha Noxeke. Conversions: Thato Molefe (2), Edwaline Dickson.
Limpopo Blue Bulls 12 (5) – Tries: Kolobe Makgoka, Jibrine Dube. Conversion: Valencia Mthembi.
Griquas hold their nerve to shut out Griffons
Griquas held their nerve in a nail-biting encounter against their neighbours, the Griffons, at Tafel Lager Park on Saturday for a narrow 27-22 victory, with their five tries to four by the opposition sealing the win.
It was a tight affair from the outset with the teams entering the break tied at 12-12, but the home side fought through for a valuable home win.
Scorers:
Griquas 27 (12) – Tries: Jane Beukes, Simone Cloete, Bullie Mayongo, Tiffany Visagie, Antoinette Kotze. Conversion: Lana Hendricks.
Griffons 22 (12) – Tries: Gina Moya, Nomonde Gama, Danele Schutte, Mella Smith. Conversion: Queen Nkhabu.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby Union.
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Women’s Premier Division R9 and First Division R4 Review

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Kenya Lionesses suffered a shock 27-15 defeat in the hands of Madagascar in their first of two Rugby Africa Women’s Cup played at the Nyayo Stadium on Saturday 3 July.

Madagascar arrived in the country on the evening of Wednesday 30 June with the aim of winning both matches and improving on their World Rugby ranking.
The win came as a surprise to many including the Makis Head Coach Rafalimanana Joseph Berthin. “The win came as a surprise to all of us; we know the history of the Kenyan team and their profile. They are more physical and athletic and that is why the win against them was surprising.”
The last time these two sides met Kenya ran out 35-5 winners in the opening fixture of a Rugby World Cup qualifying tournament that also doubled up as the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup. The tournament was held in South Africa in August of 2019.
Berthin believes that the only difference between then and now is how they interact as a team. “Since that loss we have become more of a family. We are close-knit and the players play for each other,” says Berthin.
In most African nations, the sevens teams, and the fifteens teams are more intertwined and Madagascar is no different. Their sevens team qualified for the Olympics repechage in Monaco last month but did not qualify for the global showpiece set to be held in Tokyo, Japan later this month.
“Our failed Olympics qualification sparked some sort of a competition between the sevens team and the fifteens team. What we are seeing is the fifteens team trying as much as they can to reach the same heights as the sevens team did in Monaco,” adds Berthin.
Madagascar will now look to make it two out of two when they take on the Kenya Lionesses in the second match of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup on Sunday 11 July at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Madagascar shock Kenya in women’s international

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Ivory Coast dominated Namibia in the inaugural match of the &#8220;Rugby Africa Cup&#8221; (www.RugbyAfrique.com) Pool A Qualifiers at the Alassane Ouattara High School Stadium in Grand Bassam.

In front of his audience, the Ivory Coast managed to tame the Namibian ogre. The Elephants defeated the Welwitschias of Namibia by a score of 24-13.

With three converted tries and a penalty, Côte d&#39;Ivoire thwarted the predictions of this match where Namibia was given favourite.

This first success of Edgar Babbou’s men came at the 5th minute in the beginning of the game, with the try of captain Meïté Baky. The ensuing penalty is converted by Ezer Kosse. 5min later, Paul Diallo scored the second try of the Ivorians, which will be converted again by Ezer Kosse. The same player will convert another penalty. Before the break, the Ivorians scored a third converted try.
The Welwitschias, dominated in the game, managed to reduce the score gap with a penalty kick at the 20th minute signed by Helaruis Kisting. Shortly before the break, Gino Wilson scored the first try for the Namibians, which was not converted. At half time, the scoreboard was 24-08.

Returning from the change room, Namibia scored a second try which will again was not converted. Re-motivated by this try, the Namibians tried to reverse the trend but were unable to destabilize the Defense of the Pachyderms. The final score will remain 24-13 in favour of Côte d&#39;Ivoire.

The Namibians will have the opportunity to redeem themselves in this pool on Wednesday July 7, 2021 where they will face the Malagasy in the 2nd day of the Rugby Africa Cup pool A.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Ivory Coast gains victory on home turf against Namibia

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Dylan Teuns made it back-to-back wins at the Tour de France for Bahrain-Victorious as he soloed to victory on today’s 8th stage, the first mountain stage of the race. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) rode into the overall lead of the race, leaving behind the other GC contenders in commanding fashion.

Stage 8 of the Tour de France was the first mountain stage of the race, with 5 cetogorised climbs packed into just 150km between Oyonnax and Le-Grand Bornand. An uphill start and consistent rain throughout the stage also added to drama that soon followed.
Once again it was big battle to make the breakaway which only went clear after 70km of racing. Sergio Henao was very attentive during all the early attacks and managed to pick the right moment when 18 riders eventually went clear.
The peloton was greatly reduced by the time the break did go clear, with more than half the peloton resigned to ride in the grupetto from half way to the finish.
Henao’s lead group was able to build up a 6-minute lead before the first of three category 1 climbs. The race then exploded as the climbing began, both upfront and from what was left of the peloton, as Pogacar put in a big attack on the Col de Romme.
Henao fought bravely to stay with the best but it was Teuns who was the strongest out of the breakaway riders today, just summiting the final climb ahead of a charging Pogacar. Henao was caught be Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) on the final descent to Le Grand Bornand, and by a select group of GC contenders in the final kilometer of the stage.
This saw our Colombian climber finish the stage in 19th place, but importantly, made a big leap up the overall classification to now sit in 11th place. For the grupetto, it was a tough race to make the time limit on such a difficult stage but all Team Qhubeka NextHash riders were able to do so.
Lars Michaelsen – Head Sports Director We knew that this is his (Henao) terrain, in the Alps today and tomorrow before we head across to the Pyrenees.
Sergio was alert to the moves of the day and managed to be up there when it was important. We had racing from the start; the first 5km was uphill and he was already there and it just kept on coming and he was still there. So there’s big respect for the way that he’s racing; and of course the whole team strategy was to support him today which the team did for as long as they could.
We are looking at big differences in the GC and some people will go up and some down which we will have again tomorrow; perhaps he went too deep today but that we will only know tomorrow.
Sergio Henao Today was a very hard stage, particularly after yesterday&#39;s incredibly long stage while today was the first stage in the Alps, and then it also rained for most of the day. For me at the beginning I was very focused for the breakaway but the start was very fast and it wasn&#39;t possible at first to get away but finally a group of 20 riders made it, which I was also in.
It was a very difficult stage to win with a group of super strong riders like that but I&#39;m very happy to have good legs and to get close to that top 10 position in the GC. Mentally I feel good too and will focus on tomorrow as we have another very hard day, thankfully followed by the rest day.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka NextHash: Team Qhubeka NextHash is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go.
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.

Sergio Henao climbs to 11th on GC with big breakaway effort on stage 8 of Le Tour

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On 2 July 2021, in Jamestown, Accra, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Delegation of the European Union to Ghana, the Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Project (www.SEEDProject.org) and DUNK Grassroots, together with some 200 youth, inaugurated the newly renovated basketball court at the GaMashie Development Agency.

The renovation and inauguration are part of a project titled “Playground” that was created to empower young people to create viable alternatives to irregular migration. It leverages the educational power of basketball to equip the youth with life skills and self-resilience.
“Using basketball as a vehicle to foster life skills, is a fantastic approach that will be beneficial for the youth of Jamestown and neighbouring communities. Our youth has a lot of potential, and they need safe spaces to grow and thrive. This is an opportunity to allow them to create their own alternatives to irregular migration,” said the Mayor of Accra, Honourable Mohammed Adjei Sowah.
The Playground project is a partnership made possible through the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
“Playground has the youth and community at its heart. We work with our partners to inform about safe migration options as well as the dangers of irregular migration,” said Abibatou Wane-Fall, Chief of Mission IOM Ghana. She added: “Together, we bring the vision of an open and inclusive space to life – a space for girls and boys, young women and young men, from all walks of lives and backgrounds, migrants, returnees, neighbours, and locals. Everyone is invited to play and learn and grow together.”
The Playground project partners work together to empower young people to make well-informed migration choices, to decide on their own futures and to build their dreams. Together with local partners, it builds a culture of self-development and pride on and beyond the court.
“Ensuring youth have access to safe places to play is fundamental, as it’s the place where all the life skills programmes, games and community outreach occur – it all begins on the court,” explained Mactar NDiaye, Director of Operations, SEED Project. “This is why we at SEED are incredibly honored to have worked on the ground with the community of Jamestown to refurbish this basketball court, which also helps better secure their actual needs and ownership.”
This inauguration event concludes a series of youth engagement initiatives designed to empower young people. Implemented under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative since 2017 in 12 countries in the region, these activities mostly happen in public spaces using sports and art. IOM has supported over 1800 Ghanaian migrants to voluntarily and safely return home. Over 700 returnees have completed their reintegration to date, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Overall, over 300 awareness-raising sessions have taken place in communities and schools across the country, while radio and TV broadcasts have reached approximately 1,100,000 Ghanaians nationwide.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Project.
For more information: Visit: https://yenna.org/playground

Juliane Reissig Public Information at IOM Ghana jreissig@iom.int +233 (0)302 742 930

Begay Downes-Thomas Global Partnerships SEED Project begaydt@seedproject.org +221 78 292 93 44

Playground – Empowering young people in Ghana to build their dreams

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Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) won stage 7 of the Tour de France, the longest stage of this year&#39;s race at over 249km, from a breakaway that also featured Team Qhubeka NextHash&#39;s (www.TeamQhubeka.com) Victor Campenaerts.

Stage 7 of the Tour de France was the longest stage of the race, measuring in at just over 249km. The route from Vierzon to Le Creusot also including a significant number of climbing meters, including the first category 2 climb of the race which peaked with 17km to go.
As the nature of the course suited a breakaway, there was a big fight from the gun for teams to try and get their men into the decisive move. Team Qhubeka NextHash were very active and in fact, the first attacker of the day was Victor Campenaerts.
However the battle went on for over an hour, with Michael Gogl, Max Walscheid and Simon Clarke all also getting involved. Eventually a strong 29-rider group broke clear of the main pack and Campenaerts was on the right side of the split.
There was a big chase from the peloton as the yellow jersey Mathieu Van der Poel was also in the front group together with big names like Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) and Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-Quickstep) among others. Slowly the front group was able to break the spirit of the chase from the peloton with gap growing to just over 6-minutes.
With roughly 80km to go, the first attacks came from within the lead group and Mohoric went clear with Brent van Moer (Lotto-Soudal). With still most of the climbing to come, Campenaerts went on the offensive once more with 55km to go and had Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) in his wheel. The duo worked well together to bridge a 1-minute gap to the 2 leaders, making it 4 up front for the finale.
However, Campenaerts soon had to pay for his efforts when they hit the Cote de la Croix de la Liberation climb, with 30km to go, and was distanced by the trio. It was then on the following climb that Mohoric made the final stage defining move, going solo over the top of the category 2 climb.
Back in the general classification group, the fast start and tough course had taken its toll on many with a reduced group of just 30 riders left. Sergio Henao, the best placed on GC for Team Qhubeka NextHash, was part of this group.
Mohoric went on to claim a brilliant stage win with the main GC group coming home just over 5-minutes down. After Campenaerts had been caught by the chasing group, Henao would be our teams first finisher of the day, crossing the line in 27th place and maintained his 24th place on GC.
After such an arduous day, all Team Qhubeka NextHash riders completed the stage and will be focused on another opportunity that awaits tomorrow.
Victor Campenaerts This year I&#39;m focusing on classic races and breakaway stages and today was a breakaway. I&#39;ve made a lot of improvements in these things but for me it&#39;s quite clear what I&#39;m still missing and it&#39;s the endurance for a very long stage.
Today was hot and the pace was quite high all day and I just felt that I had to do something before the climbs and I came in quite a good position to get a good result as both Mohoric and Stuyven were there. They did an incredible ride and I felt just that I was lacking in the end but I know what to improve on.
Nicholas Dlamini It was quite a hard stage given the weather conditions as well. It was really hot and the crucial part was the final 50km and by the time we got there was a lot of tired bodies in the bunch.
It was great to have Victor up in the breakaway, it changed the dynamics a bit for us but that was our plan; it&#39;s not often we do such long races &#8211; it was a hard day.
I think that for the first week the easy days are now over. Tomorrow is about 3500m of climbing and then over 4000m on Sunday so it&#39;s definitely going to be a hard weekend but I think everyone is starting to settle in nicely to the race and we&#39;re still going to have a lot of surprises coming up which we look forward to.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Rights-free video, audio and image content is available via the following link here (https://bit.ly/3wcaa3F).
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033
 About Team Qhubeka NextHash: Team Qhubeka NextHash is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. 
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.

Victor Campenaerts gives it his all on stage 7 of Le Tour

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Brothers, Daniel Sikuta and Stephen Sakari start in the back-row as Kenya take on Senegal in Rugby Africa Cup Pool B action at 1300GMT at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday 3 July 2021.

There is also a start for Kabras Sugar utility back Jone Kubu, the Fijian born Kenyan who headlines a list of seven debutantes in the Simbas squad to face Senegal in Rugby Africa Cup Pool B action at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday 3 July 2021.
This will be the third meeting been the two sides. Their first meeting ended in a 22-7 win for Kenya during the 2009 Africa Cup in Safi, Morocco.
They last clashed in 2017, Kenya winning that Rugby Africa Gold Cup encounter 45-25 at the RFUEA Ground.
There are also debuts for former Kenya U20 internationals Andrew Siminyu and Bonface Ochieng, the Kabras duo of Brian Tanga and Bryceson Adaka, Top Fry Nakuru&#39;s Thomas Okeyo as well as  Kenya sevens international Dan Sikuta’s younger brother Sakari.
This will be the Simbas first clash since defeating Zimbabwe 36-14 in the 2019 Victoria Cup in Nakuru.
Simbas match day 23
1. Andrew Siminyu (University of Johannesburg, South Africa &#8211; 0 caps)2. Griffin Musila  (KCB- 5 caps),3. Ephraim Oduor (Kabras Sugar – 6 caps),4. Thomas Okeyo (Top Fry Nakuru &#8211; 0 caps),5. Davis Chenge (KCB &#8211; 26 caps),6. Joshua Chisanga (Kenya Harlequin &#8211; 31 caps) ,7. Daniel Sikuta (Kabras Sugar, Co-Captain &#8211; 15 caps),8. Stephen Sakari (Mwamba &#8211; 0 caps),9. Samson Onsomu ( Impala Saracens, Captain &#8211; 27 caps,10. Charles Kuka (Mwamba &#8211; 6 caps),11. Brian Tanga (Kabras Sugar &#8211; 0 caps),12. John Okoth (Top Fry Nakuru &#8211; 3 caps),13. Bryceson Adaka (Kabras Sugar &#8211; 0 caps),14. Darwin Mukidza (KCB &#8211; 28 caps),15. Jone Kubu – Kabras Sugar -0 caps)  REPLACEMENTS 16. Bonface Ochieng (Kenya Harlequin &#8211; 0 caps), 17. Ian Njenga  (Nondescripts- 2 caps),18. Patrick Ouko (KCB &#8211; 14 caps),19. George Nyambua (KabrasSugar &#8211; 22 caps),20. Elkeans Musonye (Impala Saracens &#8211; 16 caps),21. Samuel Asati  (KCB- 1 cap),22. Dominic Coulson (University  of Exeter &#8211; 1 cap), 23.Isaac Njoroge (KCB &#8211; 4 caps).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Kenya names seven debutantes for Senegal clash

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The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) on Friday launched its Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa (SEGA), aimed at fostering transparent and accountable governments and institutions to secure inclusive, sustainable development.

The strategy proposes bold reforms in the management of public finances to eliminate revenue ‘leakages’ and ensure an efficient, productive, and transparent use of scarce resources. The paper comes amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has  exposed African countries’ weak public financial management and service delivery, as well as vulnerability to exogenous shocks.
“This event comes at a crucial time as African countries look to recover from the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is difficult for Africa to take off without transparent and accountable governments and strong institutions capable of driving a prompt, sustainable and inclusive recovery and ensuring economic resilience,” said Vera Esperança dos Santos Daves, Angola’s Minister of Finance at the virtual launch of the strategy, attended by government ministers, and representatives of the private sector, academia and international institutions.
In a speech read on her behalf by  Secretary of State for Treasure and Finance, Dr. Ottoniel Santos, the minister described the Strategy as &#8220;a milestone.&#8221;
“We are very delighted that it will contribute to promoting public sector effectiveness at national and subnational level, thus stimulating structural transformation in our throughout the continent, and ensuring that our people participate in public sector governance,” she said.
SEGA also proposes tougher anti-corruption measures in the public and private sectors. This includes the establishment of systems to monitor and hold governments accountable for the delivery of public service and the elimination of corrupt practices.
&#8220;The African Development Bank is itself uniquely positioned to implement this new strategy, building on its unparalleled knowledge and understanding of the African context, and also on the Bank&#39;s credentials in the area of good governance,&#8221; said Swazi Tshabalala, the African Development Bank’s Acting Senior Vice President.
Tshabalala hopes that  governments will embrace the reforms recommended in SEGA “at this critical time the African economy is gearing itself to build back better and greener.”
“The quality of life of our citizens depends on it. The future of our continent depends on it,&#8221; she said.
The strategy document also outlines interventions to strengthen African governments&#39; domestic mobilization of resources, even as pandemic responses have increased debt levels and harmed economic productivity.
Better governance is expected to enable countries to strengthen macroeconomic stability, foster a business enabling environment, and improve the efficiency of public spending and investments, according to the strategy document. SEGA will cover the 2021-2025 period.
Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the Bank&#39;s Director of Governance and Public Financial Management said the Strategy document refocuses the Bank’s fundamental priorities on the most effective areas for improving African economic governance.
“With SEGA, we are consolidating on our past successes and leveraging the lessons learned from our experience working on governance,” he said.
SEGA was developed through consultation with governments and non-state actors across Africa. It replaces the Bank’s Governance Strategic Framework and Action Plan (GAP-II), which covered the 2014-2020 period.
Approximately a fifth of the Bank&#39;s loan portfolio covers governance projects, including macroeconomic and public financial management, sector governance, and enhancing the business climate.
In the last three years, the Bank has approved 80 governance projects totaling $7.85 billion.
The Strategy for Economic Governance in Africa is available here (https://bit.ly/3jCpROU).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Emeka Anuforo Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: e.anuforo@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) 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 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: j.mp/AfDB_Media.

African Development Bank’s new economic governance strategy advocates bold public finance reforms

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Halting an increasing trend of COVID-19 cases in Africa will require additional funding. This was announced by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), amid a worrying surge of cases in Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa.

National Red Cross teams in these seven countries are stepping up surveillance, testing, healthcare and hygiene activities. They have also scaled up their COVID-19 awareness campaigns in public places such as markets and border points.
However, efforts like these ones, aimed at containing the spread of the virus, have been strained by insufficient funding. With a third wave looming large, there are increasing concerns that the impact will be more devastating, especially if the shortage of funds persists.
Mohammed Mukhier, IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa said:  
“Since the outset of this pandemic, not enough attention has been paid to the evolution of this virus on the African continent. Lower levels of transmission data have created the perception that this region has not been so affected by the pandemic. The upward trend in the number of infections that we are now seeing, is partly as a result of insufficient funding to address several gaps in the response. These include weak surveillance mechanisms; weak testing capacity; insufficient protective gear and medical equipment including hospital beds, oxygen and ambulance services. If these gaps are not addressed, cases will continue to soar, followed by a peak in fatality rates, which is already being observed.”   
IFRC Africa has so far only received about half of the funds it requires to support 48 countries in their response to COVID-19. Crucially, these funds are almost depleted.
Red Cross Red Crescent teams across Africa have been on the frontline of the response to COVID-19 since the outset. They are providing ambulance services, conducting contact tracing, promoting, and ensuring adherence to public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus and supporting in Infection Prevention and Control measures at treatment and isolation facilities and point of entry screening. They are also tackling stigma and the spread of misinformation by providing educational materials, running radio campaigns and informational hotlines for the community and providing psychosocial support to people in need. To address the secondary impacts of COVID-19, Red Cross Red Crescent teams have been providing cash to vulnerable families. Many of these vital prevention programmes are at risk, if more funding is not urgently secured. 
Mukhier said: “Without adequate funding, we are unable to respond to the needs of the communities we serve or address the gaps and challenges of this response. The gains that have been made over the last year are at serious risk of being lost, if funding is not made available to help us continue to reach the most vulnerable and affected communities in Africa.” 
The average number of new daily infections reported in Namibia and Zambia has reached a new high with 1,600 and 2,719 daily cases, respectively. This is by far the highest rate of infection (over 100 per cent increase) observed in these countries. Mozambique is recording 400 daily cases, a 10-fold increase in comparison with previous months, Uganda is now detecting over 900 daily infections, and South Africa close to 18,000 daily cases.
In addition to lack of funding, there is the challenge of availability and access to COVID-19 vaccines: just over 1 per cent of Africa’s population has been fully vaccinated. Most of the countries experiencing increasing trends have reported less than 5 per cent of their population receiving at least one vaccine dose.
Furthermore, the response to COVID-19 in Africa is complicated by the existence of other parallel and mutually exacerbating emergency situations.
Rui Alberto Oliveira, IFRC’s Operations Manager for Africa said:
“Responding to COVID-19 in countries facing multiple crises, such as DR Congo, Sahel, Lake Chad, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Sudan or Somalia, is extremely challenging, meaning the disease may continue to circulate unchecked.  
“We cannot wait for the situation to deteriorate further before taking action. We must ensure that enough resources are made available, now, to halt the progress of the imminent, and potentially catastrophic, third wave of COVID-19 in Africa.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

As COVID-19 cases surge in Africa, Red Cross warns that insufficient funding is impeding the response

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With the Rugby Africa Cup kicking off on Saturday, African teams and unions are gearing up for entertaining competition as they travel through Africa to stand a chance to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in 2022.

With a number of countries and unions facing border closures due to the pandemic, Rugby Africa has been assisting a number of countries in travelling to match days, while adhering to local and host country processes and protocols.
With a collective effort to restart competitions, strict Covid-19 risk mitigations protocols have been communicated to all stakeholders in collaboration with unions.
The Rugby Africa Cup is an annual rugby union (https://bit.ly/362MTql) tournament involving African nations, organised by Rugby Africa (https://bit.ly/3jCgZJo). The tournament was first held in 2000 and has since been contested on an annual basis.
This year the top 14 teams based on the African ranking will compete in a single coordinated competition until the last two face each other in the final in 2022.
Starting with the Rugby Africa Cup Repechage which was hosted by the Burkina Faso Rugby Union in the capital Ouagadougou at the Stade 4 Août stadium, from the 5 – 13 June 2021, till the last game to be played in Kampala, Uganda on 18 July, a total of 27 matches will have been played. About 40 match officials from 11 African countries have been deployed from Rugby Africa across the continent to support the hosting unions’ workforce.
Speaking about the qualifying rounds Vice President Rugby Africa and President of the Rugby Committee, Andrew Owor explained: “The stakes could not be higher for our unions. The second round of the Rugby Africa Cup will be played across four pools of three teams each in July in three different venues, namely Kenya, Côte d’ivoire and Uganda, the fourth one remains to be confirmed. The top two teams of each pool will progress to the third and final round of the Rugby Africa Cup in 2022. An 8 teams knock-out tournament played with quarterfinals, semi-finals and a grand finale will see the winner qualify directly for RWC 2023 and the runner-up compete in a global repechage tournament.”
Initially Tunisia was also meant to host the tournament. However due to the rapid escalation of Covid-19 in the country, Rugby Africa is reviewing their viability and assessing options.
Rugby Africa President, Khaled Babbou applauded all unions in their massive preparation and effort to get their home teams ready.
“There has been huge commitment from all of our hosting countries – Burkina Faso, Kenya, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire. We are extremely grateful to local authorities in making these tournament possible and availing resources to local and out of country games. We appreciate the efforts made by all match officials who are dedicating their time to support the tournaments. I would also like to thank APO Group, Société Générale and World Flair for partnering with us.”
Kenya will automatically qualify and also host the 2022 Junior World Rugby Trophy at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, where the Barthes U20 Trophy is currently being played with the Kenyan, Senegalese and Malagasy U20 teams.
It is also the occasion to launch the matches of the Rugby Africa Cup Women, Kenya will face Madagascar twice in Nairobi; Uganda will meet Zimbabwe twice in Kampala while matches between Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Senegal are once again under consideration. The Cameroonians had defeated their Burkinabe sisters twice in Ouagadougou on June 9 and 12.
With the announcement of the new Global W15 annual competition, women’s 15s is high on the agenda and Africa needs to fast-track the development of competitive women’s teams, says President of Women’s Rugby, Paula Lanco.
“The annual WXV competition, starting in 2023, will have three tiers and is aimed at raising competitiveness in the build-up to an expanded 16-team World Cup in 2025. The objective with the 2021 series of matches is to assess teams, give an opportunity to as many teams as possible to showcase their talent before an adequate competition format is designed for next year’s qualification to the W15 competition.
By establishing a unified international 15s calendar and introducing WXV we are creating a platform for the women&#39;s international teams to compete in more consistent, competitive and sustainable competitions at regional and global level.&#8221;
The schedule of games are as follows:
In Nairobi, Kenya – Nyayo National stadium 26 June : U20 Kenya v Senegal @15h00 EAT 3 July : Women Kenya v Madagascar @ 11h00 EAT 3 July : U20 Senegal v Madagascar @ 13h30 EAT 3 July : Men Kenya v Senegal @ 16h00 EAT 7 July: Men Senegal v Zambia @15h00 EAT 11 July : Women Madagascar v Kenya @ 11h00 EAT 11 July : U20 Kenya v Madagascar @ 13h30 EAT 11 July : Men Zambia v Kenya @16h00 EAT
In Abidjan, Côte d’ivoire – Stade Excellence Alassane Ouattara 3 July : Men Namibia v Côte d’Ivoire @ 16h00 GMT 7 July : Men Madagascar v Namibia @ 16h00 GMT 11 July : Men Côte d’Ivoire v Madagascar @ 16h00 GMT
In Kampala, Uganda – Kyadondo Rugby Grounds 10 July : Men Ghana v Uganda @15h00 EAT 14 July : Women : Uganda v Zimbabwe @13h00 EAT 14 July : Men Algeria v Ghana @15h00 EAT 18 July : Women Zimbabwe v Uganda @13h00 EAT 18 July : Men Uganda v Algeria @15h00 EAT
Pool D – location, dates and order of fixtures under review Men Tunisia v Burkina Faso Men Burkina Faso v Zimbabwe Men Zimbabwe v Tunisia
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

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