16 fascinating facts about Africa

The facts below are taken from the Mic.com web site and have been compiled by Aubrey Hruby and Eliot Pence. The full article, with graphics, is available at 

http://mic.com/articles/97214/16-incredible-facts-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-africa

I have added a few comments in italics.

Here are 16 facts that prove why Africa is the continent everyone should be watching. 

1) In the 1970s, Africa's entire population was one-half of Europe's. Today, Africa's population is more than double the EU's. 

2) More transactions are done by mobile money in Kenya than in the U.S. Kenyans have done$12.5 billion worth of business in the first six months of 2014. 71% of Kenyans report having transferred money using smart phones. (Afrobarometer.org).

3) Over 100 incubators have been founded in the past 48 months in Africa. And you thought Silicon Valley was the future of technology. 

4) Rwanda ranks highest in the world for number of women parliamentarians at 64%. South Africa, Senegal and Mozambique are also well ahead of the world average of 22%

5) Africa has four wireless cities including Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Kigali in Rwanda. Wireless city does not mean completely free of land lines. In each case the city will provide free wi-fi service in certain areas and gradually expand. In Rwanda the annual internet access growth rate is 8900%, compared with 2450% in the rest of Africa and 444% worldwide growth. (Figures from AFKinsider.com)

6) In less than three generations, over 40% of the world's youth will be African.

7) Cell phones have changed everything (70% of Africans own one). An African kid with a cell phone has access to more immediate information than the president of United States did 15 years ago. The figures vary, as one would expect, across the continent. Algeria and Senegal report cell phone availability at over 90%, while Madagascar reports 44% availability. (Afrobarometer.org).

8) Nollywood, Nigeria's movie industry, is the second-largest movie industry in the world behind Bollywood, and puts out twice as many movies as Hollywood. Is this a positive or negative statistic? You be the judge.

9) Africa is now nearly as urbanized as China, and has as many cities of 1 million people or more — the same as Europe. By 2016 500 million Africans will live in urban areas and 65 African cities will have populations of 1 million or more. (populationconnecction.org)

10) Major Silicon Valley titans like Facebook and Google now battle it out in Africa, with both companies investing in projects to bring Internet access to isolated parts of the continent.

11) More Guinness is drunk in Nigeria than Ireland. I am not sure that the Ghanaian poster ad the reads "Drink at the table of men" would work so well in Ireland!

12) Africans and people of recent African descent are highly educated. Of the 300,000 educated Africans in diaspora, 30,000 of them have Ph.D.s.

13) Fifteen years ago, Tanzania's population was the size of California. In 2100, it will be 276 million, nearly the size of America's today.

14) In the next three years, the number of smartphone shipments to Africa will double. Some even predict that the majority of Africans will own a smartphone by 2017.

15) Champagne consumption is growing faster in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. It seems that Nigerians know how to party! But on the serious side, it shows how their buying power is increasing.

16) Also, Africans like us. Three of the top 10 countries with positive views of the United States are African!

All of which points to Africa as an area of huge potential and a driver of the world economy in the coming decades.

TW

This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.

Ghana - Import Information and Process

Ghana Import Process For Personal Effects.

This is the fourth in a series covering import/export requirements in Africa with detailed step by step description of the import process. 

All information courtesy of AGS Frasers.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME:

                          §   Sea shipments        à 7 to 12 working days*

                          §   Air shipments          à 5 to 7 working days*

     *providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Frasers Ghana

DOCUMENTATION:

Ghanaian Returning Citizen

                          §   Original passport

                          §   Self-introduction letter (to be signed in blue ink)

                          §   Tax Identification number

                          §   PUBD (personal unaccompanied baggage declaration) to be filled in at airport 

                of arrival.

                Failure to do so will attract penalties and delays in clearance.

  

                AGS can provide this document (extra fees applicable).

Expatriate

                          §   Detailed packing list (typed, showing if personal effects used or new) 

                + valued inventory

                          §   Valid passport (needed during the whole clearing process)

                          §   Work/resident permit

                          §   Original rated Bill of Lading (express release accepted) / AWB

                          §   Introduction letter from the employer stating that the client is returning/starting 

                a new contract in Ghana. It has to be signed in blue ink.

                          §   PUBD form

                          §   Invoices for all new items bought less than 6 months before the shipment’s arrival

                          §   Individual Tax Identification Number (available at the internal revenue office 

                 in Accra or AGS can provide this document)

Diplomat

                          § Copy of valid diplomatic passport

                          §   Copy of Bill of Lading + valued inventory (in advance to enable the embassy or 

                exempted organization to apply to exemption of duties to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

                          §   Certificate of exemption + letter of value

                          §   The diplomat must be in the country for the exemption process to start (2 to 5 weeks)

Step 1 1 to 3 days	Container is offloaded and transferred to clearing terminal
Step 2 1 to 2 days	Valuation and/or car assessment
Step 3 2 days	Documents are presented to Customs for approval
Step 4 1 to 2 days	Payment of the shipping line local fees and terminal fees
Step 5 1 day	Inspection (diplomatic shipments are not inspected)
Step 6 1 to 2 days	The shipment is released and can leave the port/ready for delivery

IMPORTANT §  Importation of vehicles: please check with our office §  It is forbidden to import used freezers / fridges / air conditioners (expatriates and returning citizens only) §  The following taxes must be paid for all non-diplomatic shipments: Custom fees (1% CIF value) / Ecowas Levy (0.5% CIF value) / Development levy (0.5% CIF value) Time-frame for export shipments from Accra: Sea shipments  à 10–12 working days Air shipments    à 5–6 working days                           AGS FRASERS GHANA §  Established in 1996 §  1,200m2 storage capacity §  14 fully owned vehicles §  42 staff members for service in English, French and Spanish Our Services §  Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves §  Packing and crating services §  Export and import customs clearance §  Short- and long-term storage §  Comprehensive relocation services

Positive vibes from the Africa-US Business Summit.

Some of the results of the Africa Business summit indicate that the US Government is seriously pushing assistance to US companies seeking to do business in Africa.

The White House announced specific initiatives following the recent Africa Business Summit last week on its web site. How US companies step up to make use of the available support remains to be seen, but one has to feel that this is a step in the right direction.

New U.S. Government Resources to Support U.S. Exports and Investment in Africa

Interagency Initiatives

• The Principals of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will mobilize private capital for Africa’s infrastructure through a series of at least three outcome-oriented roundtables in Africa that will advance project- and sector-specific investment opportunities and needed regulatory reforms.  These agencies will implement the initiative in coordination with DBIA Campaign agencies, African governments, and the U.S. and African private sectors.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce and USTDA launched the 20x20 Initiative to support a total of 20 trade and reverse trade missions by 2020, to promote U.S. industry engagement in Africa.  Working with federal, state, and local government partners, these missions will foster U.S. business partnerships with key African stakeholders.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Ex-Im Bank will collectively support 50 DBIA Campaign-themed activities and outreach sessions over the next two years to facilitate U.S. trade finance, provide counseling and training on their programs, and conduct business development to support U.S. exporters, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises.

U.S. Export-Import Bank

• Ex-Im Bank will commit up to $3 billion in financing to support U.S. exports to Africa over the next two years.  This is in addition to Ex-Im Bank’s existing commitments of $5 billion for Power Africa and a planned commitment of $1 billion to support U.S. exports in connection with new and ongoing Angolan infrastructure projects (through the Angolan Ministry of Finance).
• Ex-Im Bank will commit $563 million in financing to support the sale of General Electric locomotives to Transnet, South Africa’s largest integrated freight transport company. Major components of the locomotives will be manufactured at GE’s facilities in Erie, PA and Grove City, PA supporting an estimated 2,500 American jobs.

Millennium Challenge Corporation

• MCC will commit up to $2 billion in funding for new compacts in Africa that facilitate private sector-led economic growth and poverty reduction, creating potential opportunities for U.S. companies.  This commitment includes $498 million over the next five years to support the turnaround of Ghana’s electricity sector and stimulate private investment.  This Compact represents an example of the catalytic impact of Power Africa interventions which will help create the enabling environment to catalyze billions of dollars of private investment in Ghana.
• MCC will also lead its first ever investment mission to Africa to introduce U.S. businesses to the opportunities for investing in and around its Compacts.  In addition, MCC will hold at least eight Procurement Promotion sessions with U.S. companies to promote Compact contracting opportunities and developing five Trade and Investment Prospectuses, one for each new Compact in Africa, that outline the specific business opportunities that are expected to arise from MCC’s investments. 

Overseas Private Investment Corporation

• OPIC will commit up to $1 billion in financing and insurance support to catalyze private sector investments in Africa.  This is in addition to OPIC’s existing $1.5 billion Power Africa commitment.  OPIC reaffirmed its plan to place personnel on the ground in sub-Saharan Africa to help facilitate increased U.S. trade and investment and will support an investment mission to the region, with a focus on the power sector.
• OPIC will coordinate approximately a dozen U.S. government meetings on August 6, 2014, for U.S. and African private sector investors and project developers to discuss discrete transactions for financing support consideration to OPIC, as well as other DBIA investment agencies.

U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)

• USTDA, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Transportation, hostedtwo African Leaders Visits in association with the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.  These reverse trade missions highlighted the United States’ experience fostering economic growth through strategic infrastructure investments in the energy and transportation sectors. 
• USTDA announced it will partner with the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company of South Africa to evaluate satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast across the African continent, the implementation of which will improve air traffic safety and create over $100 million in U.S. export opportunities.
• USTDA reaffirmed its plan to have local representation in Nigeria for the first time.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation will make available up to $1 billion in financing guarantees available for agricultural exports to Africa over the next two years.  USDA also will conduct outreach seminars to Africa in 2015 to promote the use of its credit guarantee program for the export of U.S. agricultural products.

U.S. Department of State

• The U.S. Department of State intends to commit $10 million toward the expansion of the U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance Initiative (US-ACEF), which aligns USTDA’s project planning expertise and OPIC’sfinancing and risk mitigation tools in new ways, to support private sector investment and increase support for U.S. businesses and exports in sub-Saharan Africa’s clean energy sector.
• The U.S. Department of State will sponsor a medical technology trade mission to sub-Saharan Africa led by a senior State Department official.

U.S. Department of Commerce

• The U.S. Department of Commerce reiterated its commitment to double its presence in sub-Saharan Africa by opening new offices in Angola, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, while expanding its operations in Ghana, and re-establishing a position at the African Development Bank. 
• The U.S. Department of Commerce will host its next Trade Winds Conference and Mission in Africa in 2015.  The Trade Winds program brings hundreds of U.S. companies to a region to hear about opportunities, meet one-on-one with Africa businesses, and get counseling from U.S. Commercial Service officers.  Past Trade Winds have been held in Asia and Latin America and resulted in over $100 million in deals at each event.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce launched a One-Stop-Shop website (www.trade.gov/DBIA) to offer American businesses and entrepreneurs a convenient instant access to critical African market information, financing tools available to them, projects to consider, key contacts, and much more.
• To celebrate the second anniversary of the DBIA Campaign, the U.S. Department of Commerce will host a “Discover Sub-Saharan Africa” conference in Atlanta on November 4-6, 2014.  Its Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) will join the Constituency for Africa in hosting a “Doing Business in Africa” workshop in October to promote business and trade opportunities in Africa and resources for reaching the African marketplace.  MBDA also committed to host a U.S.-Africa Investors Forum on August 6, 2014, in association with the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
• Through its Global City Teams Program, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in partnership with the U.S. private sector, will target at least 25 African metropolitan areas to join their counterparts worldwide in an interactive platform to accelerate smart city and smart grid goals.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

• USAID will commit to a bond guarantee through its Development Credit Authority that will allow Dakar, Senegal, to issue the first ever non-sovereign backed municipal bond in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa (with technical assistance support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).  The guarantee will enable the city to raise $41.8 million on the regional stock exchange.  In addition, USAID guaranteed transactions are expected to mobilize $381 million in new private sector lending to small and medium enterprises across the continent. 
• USAID will launch the Africa Private Capital Group – a platform in South Africa to mobilize U.S., South African, and international private sector investment in key sectors to development, including agriculture, energy, trade, infrastructure, and health.
• USAID will upgrade its existing African Trade Hubs into “U.S.-African Trade and Investment Hubs” that will now create new opportunities for U.S. investment in and exports to Africa.  These hubs are located in Accra, Ghana, Nairobi, Kenya, and Gabarone, Botswana, and cover the West Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa regions, respectively. 
• USAID will roll out its Benchmarking the Business of Agriculture (BBA) project this fall, to assesses the ease of doing business and investing in Africa’s agriculture. The BBA provides businesses worldwide with objective information on a country’s ease of doing business in agriculture.

U.S. Department of Transportation

• The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Secretary Anthony Foxx will lead a transportation mission to Africa in early 2015, to discuss opportunities for improving regional connectivity, promoting safety and efficiency, and sharing best practices on increasing investment in transportation infrastructure.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation launched its Tomorrow’s Transportation Leaders initiative, which will include up to five workshops over the next two years to engage 100 young African transportation professionals on adopting U.S. best practices.  The workshops will address transportation policies and regulatory framework, transportation investment planning, and the efficient management of transportation systems.

• The U.S. Department of Transportation intends to direct $1 million toward strengthening civil aviation safety through the Safe Skies for Africa program.

U.S. Department of Energy

• The U.S. Department of Energy will support the “Clean Energy Solutions Center,” a multilateral initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial to connect policymakers in Africa with clean energy experts and best practice resources.  The Clean Energy Solutions Center is a web-based resource that draws on knowledge from global experts to help governments design and adopt policies and programs that support the deployment of clean energy technologies.  Through the partnership, the Solutions Center will provide expert policy consultations free of charge to Power Africa countries in response to requests received.

Office of the United States Trade Representative

• On August 5, USTR signed at its headquarters a new Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to provide a coordinated mechanism for engaging on trade and investment issues with the 15 West African countries that are part of ECOWAS.

TW

This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.

Madagascar Import Process.

Madagascar Import Process For Personal Effects.

This is the third in a series covering import/export requirements in Africa with detailed step by step description of the import process. 

All information courtesy of AGS Frasers.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME:

                          §   Sea shipments        à 9 to 15 working days*

                          §  Air shipments          à 3 to 5 working days*

*providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Frasers Madagascar

DOCUMENTATION:

Main documents

                          §   Passport + 2 certified copies + Certificate of Residence

                          §   BSC certificate / (cargo tracking note)

                          §   Change of Residence Certificate (from origin country)

                          §   Detailed valued inventory / packing list / list of audio-video items and books

                          §   3 OBLs or SeaWaybill – AirWaybill / copy of customs export manifest

Additional document for Malagasy Returning Citizen

                          §   1 certified copy of National Identity Card

Additional documents for Expatriates

                          §   Long term visa OR visa deposit slip

                          §   Job attestation

                          §   Malagasy Employer authorization (provided by the ministry and to be submitted by the shipper’s employer)

Additional documents for Diplomats

                          §   Passport copy / Change of Residence Certificate (from origin country)

                          §   Packing list / detailed valued inventory

                          §   MIDAC (exemption certificate) / Attestation of Destination

IMPORTANT

§  RHD vehicle cannot be imported to Madagascar

§  Exemption is only given 6 months after client’s arrival or obtainment of his/her long term visa

§  Some effects exceeding one unit (ex.: 2 TVs, 2 microwave ovens…) may be taxable depending on the Customs officer in charge

Timeframe for export shipments:

Sea shipments  à 7 to 10 days (18 days for a vehicle)

Air shipments    à 1 day

DETAILED PROCESS FOR SEA SHIPMENTS:

Step 1 3 to 5 days	Request logged with Customs office + shipping line (at this stage Customs will confirm the shipment is tax exempted / the shipping line will confirm if the BSC is in order)
Step 2 1 day	Once the above is confirmed all documents are submitted to Customs
Step 3 1 day	D3B is Customs Inspection + CIVIO (vehicle inspection)
Step 4 up to 3 days	Inspection report is being issued + Payment of inspection fees (AGS)
Step 5 1 day	Container is loaded on AGS truck + Scan + Second customs inspection
Step 6 1 to 2 days	The shipment can leave the port to the AGS Warehouse
Step 7 1 to 3 days	The shipment arrives at our warehouse / delivery is scheduled with the shipper

NEED A QUOTE?

rates@agsafrica.com

 AGS FRASERS      MADACASCAR

§  Established in 1994

§  1,000m² storage capacity

§  7 fully owned vehicles

§  14 staff members for service in English, French and Malagasy

Our Services

§  Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves

§  Packing and crating services

§  Export and import customs clearance

§  Short- and long-term storage

§  Comprehensive relocation services/records management