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<p>Governments on the continents have put forward strict measures in an effort to fight coronavirus of which, the impact will be greatly felt across the economies. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have stressed on the need to provide debt relief to developing countries. Grant Harris, CEO, Harris Partners LLC joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How African economies can survive the COVID-19 crisis

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<p>Analysts at UBS Global Wealth Management say the near term disruption in the financial markets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic presents potentially attractive entry points to the related longer-term themes.</p>


UBS Wealth on investment opportunities amid COVID-19 crisis

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<p>With over 100 COVID-19 cases, Rwanda is one of the countries in which the outbreak has caused significant disruptions to the economy. We seek to understand how the private sector is coping with the situation and its contribution in overcoming it. Spokesperson of the Private Sector Federation Rwanda, Theoneste Ntagengerwa spoke to CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How Rwanda’s private sector is dealing with COVID-19 shocks

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<p>Over the weekend South Sudan confirmed their first and second cases of COVID-19. The country&#8217;s much anticipated oil licensing round has been postponed and various measures are underway to control the spread of the virus, but with a country that has seen hard times in the recent past in the form of civil war and extreme weather, are these measures enough to protect the country&#8217;s most vulnerable and high risk people? And in a country whose economy depends heavily on oil, how will they afford to recover from this? Akol Dok, Africa Political and Economic Affairs Analyst joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


COVID-19: Can South Sudan afford to take on another crisis?

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<p>As Rwanda prepares for the Genocide Commemoration week while being in lock down, CNBC Africa is joined by Christian Ntwari, Managing Director of Our Past, to tell us more on this year&#8217;s plan for the event and how coronavirus pandemic is going to affect the event.</p>


How COVID-19 is impacting genocide commemoration events in Rwanda

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<p>Rwanda&#8217;s leading bank, the Bank of Kigali has announced their contribution to the country&#8217;s relief efforts in a statement outlining concessions they&#8217;re making for vulnerable clients, and the fund of over $296,000 that the institution will be handing over to the Government to oversee distribution of cash and supplied to families affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Bank of Kigali CEO, Diane Karusisi joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How the Bank of Kigali is tackling the COVID-19 crisis

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<p>South Sudan is the latest African country to confirm its first case of COVID-19. The virus is having profound and serious impact on the global economy and has sent policymakers looking for ways to respond. Parek Maduot, Director of Economic Development &#038;Regional Integration, at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


South Sudan confirms first case of COVID-19

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<p>The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted supply chain and trade and thereby restricting access to food. Now experts have warned that there is a risk of food crisis if measures to protect the vulnerable and keep food supply chains live are not taken. Agricultural Economist and Food Systems expert Dr. Kirimi Sindi joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How Africa can avert a COVID-19 triggered food crisis

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<p>In Rwanda, IMF has confirmed that it has approved $109.4 million in credit to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, The City of Kigali and Nyarugenge District Authorities have shifted some food trading activities from city markets to Nyabugogo Bus Park to decongest marketplaces, and RwandAir is working on launching cargo flights in the coming days to respond to demand in movement of good. CNBC Africa is joined by Hudson Kuteesa, Journalist with The Newtimes for more.</p>


Rwanda gets $109mn from IMF for COVID-19 fight

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<p>The US Trade Department has started negotiations on a comprehensive trade agreement with Kenya in a move that will extend Kenya’s preferential access as the current trade arrangement under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) closes in 5 years. If successful, the United States would forge its first bilateral trade accord with a sub-Saharan African country. Grant Harris CEO, Harris Partners LLC joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Kenya

Kenya, US start talks on trade agreement


<p>By: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/elliot-smith/">Elliot Smith</a></p>



<p style="color:#0071a1" class="has-text-color"><strong> KEY POINTS</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) established the Africa Taskforce for Coronavirus (AFCOR) as early as February 5, before the continent had reported a single case.</li><li>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced the deployment of 10,000 field workers to conduct door-to-door screening and contact tracing.</li><li>The strength and speed of measures deployed by most African governments reflects concern about the potential damage the virus could inflict if allowed to proliferate in high-density urban areas.</li></ul>



<p>As of Thursday morning, there were around 6,400 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the whole of Africa, and governments across the continent are implementing robust measures in an effort to get out ahead of the pandemic.</p>



<p>However, experts are calling for a more coordinated continental response in order to avoid a profoundly damaging outbreak of the kind sweeping through Europe and the U.S. in recent weeks.</p>



<p>In cooperation with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the WHO, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) established the Africa Taskforce for Coronavirus (AFCOR) as early as February 5, before the continent had reported a single case.</p>



<p>The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have this week called for debt relief for IDA (International Development Association) countries, including 39 African nations, in order to enable them to focus on ”ﬁghting the pandemic and its economic and social consequences.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">National responses</h2>



<p>On Monday, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, announced 14-day lockdowns of the states of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun and has deployed a 15 billion naira ($38.5 million) relief package to help mobilize public services to prevent the spread in areas with poor living conditions. As of Thursday morning, there were 174 confirmed cases in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.</p>



<p>Ghana’s two most populous cities, Accra and Kumasi, also went into lockdown on Monday, while some form of restriction to movement or dusk-till-dawn curfew is in place in almost every country in the subcontinent. Ghana has confirmed 195 cases so far.</p>



<p>Just a day after recording its first three cases, Botswana announced a state of emergency and a lockdown of 28 days, starting at midnight on Thursday.</p>



<p>The small landlocked state of Lesotho, an enclave within South Africa, on Monday implemented a nationwide lockdown despite having zero reported cases so far. The only other states yet to confirm cases are South Sudan, Comoros, Malawi and Sao Tomé &amp; Principe, though experts have suggested that a lack of reporting capacity could be a factor here.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/106451925-1584626497734gettyimages-1207623109.jpeg?v=1584626617&amp;w=678&amp;h=381" alt="GP 200319: Commuters make their way into the Nairobi Train Station."/><figcaption> NAIROBI, KENYA &#8211; 2020/03/18: Commuters make their way into the Nairobi Train Station as a security personnel stands on guard while wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against COVID-19. Kenya has so far recorded seven case of Coronavirus.Dennis Sigwe/SOPA Images </figcaption></figure>



<p>South Africa remains by far the hardest hit, reporting more than 1,300 cases. The country is already under a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/south-africa-deploys-police-and-army-for-3-week-coronavirus-lockdown.html">three-week nationwide lockdown</a>, but President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced the deployment of 10,000 field workers to conduct door-to-door screening and contact tracing.</p>



<p>However, Burundi and Sierra Leone both announced their first cases on Tuesday but have yet to deploy strict lockdown measures. Although restrictions are in place to control an inflow of people and cargo into Burundi, sporting events have continued unabated in the tiny Central African state. Meanwhile Tanzanian President John Magufuli has come under fire for refusing to shut down places of worship.</p>



<p>In many cases, lockdowns are being enforced by armed police and military personnel, which has led to instances of police brutality. On Tuesday, a 13-year-old boy was reportedly shot and killed by Kenyan police in the Mathare area of Nairobi. Videos have circulated this week of abuses of civilians by the South African National Defence Force, and police in Uganda have been accused of using their new powers to target LGBTQ people.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coordinated governance</h2>



<p>The strength and speed of measures deployed by most African governments reflects concern about the potential damage the virus could inflict if allowed to proliferate in high-density urban areas.</p>



<p>While demography is on the side of the subcontinent, with a median age of less than 20 and only 3% of the population aged 65 and above, nearly 43.0% of Africa’s population live in densely-packed urban areas, including in mega cities such as Lagos, where resources are already scarce or overburdened, and social distancing is not as readily attainable.</p>



<p>WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned on Tuesday that the “developing world” will likely be hit hardest by the pandemic unless it can successfully contain the spread early on.</p>



<p>“At this critical moment in history, broad agreement on debt relief will be key to allowing nations with fragile health systems &amp; economies to channel their resources into saving lives,” Ghebreyesus, who is from Ethiopia, said in a tweet.</p>



<p>Sub-Saharan Africa undoubtedly learned from the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and subsequently formed the Africa CDC, while many nations established National Public Health Institutes. However, the region averaged around 2.1 physicians per 10,000 people between 2010 and 2018, the lowest in the world by some distance, according to WHO data aggregated by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF).</p>



<p>The MIF on Tuesday launched a report calling for coordinated governance, improved health structures and better data across the African subcontinent to mitigate this crisis.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/106465856-1585511566900gettyimages-1208498757.jpeg?v=1585511618&amp;w=678&amp;h=381" alt="Coronavirus Emergency In Nigeria"/><figcaption> Commuters wearing a protective face masks walk on the street of Lagos, as a preventive measure against the spread of the new corona virus, COVIC-19, in Lagos, on March 26, 2020.NurPhoto </figcaption></figure>



<p>“Sound and coordinated governance is needed across the continent,” the organization, founded by Sudanese-British businessman Mo Ibrahim, said in the research paper.</p>



<p>“Any pandemic requires by nature a general coordination of efforts across national and regional borders, and with multilateral actors and partners, even more so in a globalized world.”</p>



<p>But the report also addressed what the MIF termed the “elephant in the room” of a lack of data coverage across the continent.</p>



<p>“The lack of statistical capacity thus represents a major obstacle to obtaining quality health data in Africa, consequently making the production of evidence-based policy and responses to health challenges more difficult,” it said.</p>


A security man administers sanitiser to a visitor to a state hospital in Lagos, on February 28, 2020. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI | AFP via Getty Images

Lockdowns, curfews and doorstep testing: Africa’s crackdown on the coronavirus


<p>By Irmgard Erasmus – Senior Financial Economist</p>



<p>Acutely aware of Ethiopia’s vulnerability to the health and
economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
urged “collective leadership and coordinated responses” to overcome the
challenges posed by the unprecedented shock. </p>



<p>The Ethiopian leader has taken a dominant position in the campaign
for comprehensive stimulus packages and debt relief for the African continent,
stressing that “we are not prepared to overcome the virus on our health systems
and the long-term impact on our economies”. </p>



<p>Echoing this concern, a consortium of African ministers of finance
emphasised in a communique dated April 1 that “urgent need” exists “for fiscal
stimulus to contain the crisis”.</p>



<p>On April 1, G20 leaders indicated that they are preparing a
response package for Africa that will include debt relief and financial aid.
The response package will incorporate “recent demands from President Cyril
Ramaphosa of South Africa and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia”, according
to Politico. </p>



<p>This also came after the United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa (UNECA) again requested the “urgent and immediate release” of a $100bn
support package to aid domestic response actions in the fight against the
health and economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. </p>



<p>While the ministers welcomed the IMF and World Bank’s call for
official bilateral creditors to “provide breathing space” to African countries,
the consortium believes that “such relief should be extended to countries
across the region and by other creditors during this exceptional period”. </p>



<p>A comprehensive $100bn support package for Africa will be
formalised for discussion and presentation at the World Bank and IMF’s
stakeholders’ initiatives on April 15.</p>



<p>For the public sector, disbursements will be utilised for the
servicing of public sector debt and interest payments, including on sovereign
bonds, in order to create “immediate fiscal space and liquidity” for
governments to focus their attention on domestic fiscal stimulus needs amid the
crisis. </p>



<p>The consortium proposes that the $44bn disbursement be pooled into
a global special purpose vehicle (SPV) to be used for external debt service
“for effective management purposes till economic recovery takes hold and
agreement can be reached with creditors”. The ministers stressed that this
measure would guard against default by countries. </p>



<p>The ministers requested the IMF to raise Special Drawing Rights
(SDRs) availability over the next two to three years. The consortium believes
that it would service the debt relief SPV facility and provide crucial
liquidity support.</p>



<p>Ethiopia has already rescheduled debt servicing agreements with
“some major creditors”, which will alleviate hard currency liquidity demands.
By September 2019, public external debt stock stood at $26.8bn, or half of
total outstanding public debt. </p>



<p>Public external debt comprised a 60:40 split between central
government and state-owned enterprises, according to official records. </p>



<p>Public external debt servicing costs amounted to $548.4m during Q1
FY 2019/20 (the fiscal year commences on July 8), of which $457.2m was due to
SOE debt servicing. </p>



<p>Ethiopia has been among the most vocal of African nations to
request debt waivers or debt relief – while African finance ministers called
for a $100bn stimulus package, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged G20 members to
provide $150bn under a proposed three-point action plan. The disbursal should
take the form of supplementary budgetary support, debt relief, and private
sector financing, according to the proposal. </p>



<p>The prime minister furthermore urged G20 nations to support the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in strengthening public health delivery and emergency
preparedness.</p>



<p>Cognisant of the fragility of the private sector, especially as
small- and medium-sized enterprises account for over 70% of the private sector
in Africa, the consortium stressed that liquidity relief should be extended in
particular to service and tourism sectors. </p>



<p>African finance ministers requested support from the G20, EU, and
all Development Finance institutions to support a proposal aimed at the
refinancing, rescheduling, and implementation of guarantee schemes and
liquidity facilities for the private sector. </p>



<p>In particular, African airline companies require preservation and
protection “given their significant contribution to the GDP of Africa”.
Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to 80 destinations in light of the
pandemic. </p>



<p>Demand for local flights, which are ongoing, dropped by at least
50% already. The airline estimates that it will lose at least $190m due to the
pandemic. </p>



<p>The Ethiopian government has ordered the central bank to release
Etb15bn ($460m) to private banks as it ramped up its fight against the economic
spillover effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The liquidity injection will enable
the banking sector to extend debt relief and additional loan facilities to
customers. </p>



<p>This came in addition to instructions to avail foreign currency to
importers, with priority given to importers of essential goods or the
manufacturing of essential goods. </p>



<p>In March, the World Bank granted a $500m grant and loan facility
(split evenly) to Ethiopia in support of its reform programme. </p>



<p>The prime minister voiced his gratitude to “the generosity of the
Ethiopian people” as local stakeholders contributed generously to the National
Resource Mobilisation Committee initiative.</p>



<p>NKC African Economics’ preliminary GDP forecast suggests that
Ethiopia will be hit particularly hard by coronavirus-related disruptions. </p>



<p>Absent comprehensive external support, a sharp slump in private
sector demand and investment momentum threatens an unprecedented plunge in
economic growth this year to 1.1% – down from a pre-virus forecast of 7.1%. </p>



<p>Crucially, the pandemic threatens to disrupt progress made under
the reform agenda towards policy overhaul, broad-based privatisation of state
assets, financial liberalisation, and the launch of a domestic bourse. </p>



<p>An uncomfortable reliance on grant relief amid strained domestic
fiscal capacity threatens to bloom into full-blown crisis in the absence of
comprehensive external financial support.</p>


Lion_of_Judah,_Addis_Ababa,_Ethiopia

Op-Ed: Ethiopia – Abiy leads African appeal for relief actions


<p>Rwanda has ordered a two week extension
of the current lockdown.</p>



<p>The decision to extend the current two week lockdown initially declared on March 21 to contain the spread of the coronavirus was reached during an extraordinary cabinet meeting held via video conference on Wednesday.</p>



<p>The following is an official statement on behalf of the Rwandan government:</p>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="724" height="1024" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rwanda-2-724x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-366578" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rwanda-2-724x1024.jpg 724w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rwanda-2-212x300.jpg 212w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rwanda-2-696x984.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rwanda-2.jpg 764w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px" /></figure>



<p>For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a></p>


Rwanda extends COVID-19 lockdown by two weeks


<p>DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) &#8211; Tanzania confirmed its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, health minister Ummy Mwalimu said in a statement.  </p>



<p>The 49-year-old Tanzanian male, who had pre-existing conditions, had been admitted to Mloganzila Hospital in Dar Es Salaam for treatment. Tanzania had 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Monday.   </p>



<p>(Reporting by Nuzulack Dausen in Dar Es Salaam; Editing by Alex Richardson)</p>



<p>This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21I1J3-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN21I1J3-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.</p>



<p>For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a></p>


Tanzania confirms first coronavirus death


<p>By Dr Victor Oladokun, outgoing Director of Communication &amp; External Relations at the African Development Bank Group</p>



<p><strong>Why
Africa Urgently Needs an Ubuntu Plan</strong></p>



<p>Africa urgently needs a globally
coordinated <em>Ubuntu Plan</em> in response to COVID-19, a fiscal stimulus that
recognises our shared and connected humanity, as we find ourselves in the midst
of an unprecedented crisis.</p>



<p>The
world&#8217;s largest cities are eerily silent. One virus has disrupted the whole
world in a manner never seen before in history.</p>



<p>COVID-19,
a term that did not exist in our vocabulary a couple of months ago, has brought
virtually everything to a grinding halt. It&#8217;s a surreal almost cinematic scene.
Except that we are all living through it.&nbsp;
</p>



<p>With governments balancing economies and
the welfare of their citizens, entire industries and institutional systems find
themselves fighting for survival in the midst of mandatory lockdowns. Food
supply chains, transportation networks, educational systems, governance and
judicial systems are either strained or barely functioning with medical
services being the worst hit.</p>



<p>Unlike
any other pandemic, COVID-19 will alter the way we live, work, and
socialise.&nbsp; The financial costs and the
economic devastation are already of epic proportions. This is why Africa in
particular urgently needs an <em>Ubuntu Plan</em>. A globally coordinated fiscal
stimulus plan that recognises our shared and connected humanity. </p>



<p><strong>The
case for an Ubuntu Plan</strong></p>



<p>This
past week, America passed a 2 trillion Dollar stimulus package that will keep
markets operational, support Americans out of work, and help reduce Federal
Reserve lending rates. It is the largest bailout in the history of the United
States. European economies likewise have announced stimulus measures in excess
of 1 trillion Euros. Chinese factories are ramping up again, backed by a $344
billion stimulus package.</p>



<p>In
contrast, Africa&#8217;s economies are already buckling. Global demand for oil and
gas and commodity products &#8211; the mainstays of Africa&#8217;s leading economies &#8211; has
stalled. Revenues which were already overextended have dried up and small,
medium, and large enterprises are at risk of total collapse.</p>



<p>Last
Thursday, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
estimated that the pandemic could reduce the growth of the region&#8217;s gross
domestic product (GDP) from 3.2% to 1.8% in 2020. On 27th March, The Secretary
General of the UN Antonio Guterres said: “Africa is a continent with very
little capacity to respond and I am extremely worried that in those situations,
we might have millions of cases with millions of people dying”.</p>



<p><strong>Lockdowns
are not equal</strong></p>



<p>Even
though the United States, Europe and many parts of Asia are better suited
economically and infrastructurally to a lockdown, they are struggling to cope
with the burden of this sudden pandemic. A situation that will likely will be
worsened by the duration and unpredictability of the pandemic.</p>



<p>If
these societies are struggling, the impact on Africa is best imagined.</p>



<p>Prior
to the crisis, 41% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population lived on less than $1.90
a day which is very little to survive on. Seven out of ten persons (70%) in
Africa are in vulnerable and precarious forms of informal employment eking
their living on a daily basis. Lockdown, homeworking and teleconferencing is
therefore not an option. Family support systems from blue and white-collar
workers and the diaspora, are themselves under threat. Job losses will&nbsp; strain these critical informal support
systems to breaking points.</p>



<p> In Africa, formal social safety nets rarely exist. Therefore, stockpiling food items for extended periods of isolation is out of consideration. Linked with this, Africa requires vast food supplies to meet the needs of the continent&#8217;s poorest who can barely afford a decent mmeal. </p>



<p>Recent
cyclones, <em>Kenneth</em> and <em>Idai</em>, and a&nbsp;
plague of locusts, have already put considerable pressure on&nbsp; immediate food supplies for the continent.</p>



<p>Which
is why an <em>Ubuntu Plan</em> is now critical in order to cushion the harsh
social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Such a plan
would include a fiscal stimulus package, the development of critical
infrastructure and support for the continent&#8217;s most vulnerable populations. </p>



<p>The
fact is that in the 21st century, clean water supplies and access to
electricity are the stuff of dreams for millions of Africans. Globally, almost
800 million people are without access to clean water. Of these, 40% live in
sub-Saharan Africa.&nbsp; The simple act of
hand washing which the pandemic requires for prevention is still not possible
for millions. Linked with this, less than 58% of Africa&#8217;s population has access
to modern healthcare facilities. </p>



<p><strong>A
race against time</strong></p>



<p>Africa
and its partners have already been striving hard to tackle the challenge of
eradicating poverty with measures such as the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals, and the African Development Bank&#8217;s High5 strategy. </p>



<p>The
COVID-19 pandemic however shines the spotlight on Africa’s&nbsp; poor healthcare delivery systems and
facilities and its vast challenges. Africa has one of the highest population
densities in the world. For people living in tens of thousands of informal
settlements, the idea of social distancing is inconceivable. Millions of
vulnerable low-income people live in cramped communal houses and rooms and
in&nbsp; areas that lack basic amenities,
especially water and sanitation. </p>



<p>In
the short term, to effectively combat COVID-19, we urgently need self-testing
kits, personal protective equipment (PPEs), makeshift living spaces and
hospitals, recovery units and inexpensive easy-to-operate ventilators. </p>



<p>The
World Health Organisation (WHO) has already issued a ten-point strategy that
calls for the creation of corridors on the continent to facilitate emergency
deployments and material shipments.&nbsp; The
plan also calls on governments and the private sector to help increase
supplies, medical equipment and care, and to strengthen surveillance and public
awareness, in order to prevent&nbsp;
continent-wide community transmission.</p>



<p>In
the short window available, global cooperation is imperative.</p>



<p>&nbsp;The African Union&#8217;s Vision Agenda 2063 and
action plan states among other things, that “We are part of the global drive
through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations to find
multi-lateral approaches to humanity’s most pressing concerns including human
security and peace, the eradication of poverty, hunger and disease &#8230;”&nbsp; </p>



<p><strong>Rethinking
the future</strong></p>



<p>In
the mid to long term, we must urgently rethink social life, urban and rural
planning and our budgetary priorities, if life is to be preserved. We must&nbsp; decongest informal settlements rapidly and in
their place&nbsp; develop&nbsp; affordable housing that is suitable for
isolation&nbsp; and quarantine, in the event
of future pandemics.</p>



<p>There
is no better time for a globally coordinated <em>Ubuntu Plan.</em> To stop the
global spread of COVID-19 and its global devastation, it must be stopped in
Africa. The world must pay attention and lend a helping hand by strengthening
global cooperation, now more than ever before.&nbsp;
</p>



<p><em>Ubuntu</em>
&#8211; The preservation of human dignity, health, lives and wellbeing, demands
nothing less. </p>


Victor

Op-Ed: Victor Oladokun on why Africa urgently needs an Ubuntu Plan

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<p>In a matter of months COVID-19 has changed how students are educated after numerous countries put forward strict measures and closed schools. Robert Stephanus Kleynhans, Director, SABIS International School Runda joined CNBC Africa to give insight on how the education system in Kenya is  responding to these changes and if the new solutions for education could bring much needed innovation in the sector.</p>


How COVID-19 is transforming the way students are educated

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<p>Kenya recently put in place a partial lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 with a full shutdown likely to be imposed in light of increasing number of infections. Risk Expert, Caroline Gathii joins CNBC Africa to discuss the economic implications of this curfew.</p>


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How African economies can survive the COVID-19 crisis

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COVID-19: Can South Sudan afford to take on another crisis?

How COVID-19 is impacting genocide commemoration events in Rwanda

How the Bank of Kigali is tackling the COVID-19 crisis

South Sudan confirms first case of COVID-19

How Africa can avert a COVID-19 triggered food crisis

Rwanda gets $109mn from IMF for COVID-19 fight

Kenya, US start talks on trade agreement

Lockdowns, curfews and doorstep testing: Africa’s crackdown on the coronavirus

Op-Ed: Ethiopia – Abiy leads African appeal for relief actions

Rwanda extends COVID-19 lockdown by two weeks

Tanzania confirms first coronavirus death

Op-Ed: Victor Oladokun on why Africa urgently needs an Ubuntu Plan

How COVID-19 is transforming the way students are educated

The economic cost of Kenya’s COVID-19 curfew

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