Collaboration is key to seizing opportunities in the changing payments environment The modern financial institution (FI) faces a challenging environment but compelling opportunities in Asia. Asia is the engine of global economic dynamics: according to the IMF, it will account for 60% of global growth in 2024 and is home to 60% of the world’s … Read more
Despite the recession and economic turmoil, Argentine technology startups are leading the way in Latin America. Few financial reports coming out of Argentina sound encouraging; The array of economic disasters that have plagued the South American country for much of the past decade can seem endless. However, Argentina continues to register as a bright spot … Read more
The winning party in November’s election will need to navigate growing social turmoil as the island nation seeks to become a global financial center. Elections in Africa are often contentious and disruptive to the socioeconomic order. Mauritius has evaded this rocky path and remains a beacon of democracy, hoping to maintain that pattern ahead of … Read more
Lenders remain cautious about backing risky climate projects. But blended finance deals are helping to open up opportunities in areas like renewable energy. Finding solutions to an ever-expanding climate crisis is a global dilemma, but especially in Africa. Despite contributing just 4% to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent is disproportionately impacted by global warming. … Read more
China solidified its position as Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner last year, as trade with the continent reached a record $282.1 billion, up 1.5% from 2022. But a 7.5% surge in Chinese exports, to $173 billion, was not matched by imports from Africa, which fell by 6.7% to $109 billion, widening Africa’s trade deficit with … Read more
Bhutan is banking on a unique mix of abundant energy, a clean environment, and wellness entrepreneurism to lure foreign investors. A constitutional monarchy of 800,000 people, Bhutan is nestled in a region that’s home to nearly 3 billion. Bordered by China to the north and India to the east, west and south, the Himalayan nation … Read more
Innovation and leadership are core to Awash Bank’s success, both in its legacy as well as its future. It is already a pioneering privately-owned bank in Ethiopia’s financial landscape. Among its 29 peers in the domestic market, Awash Bank dominates in terms of asset size, profitability, capital base, deposits, and loans and advances. The next step, for most of the rest of this decade, is a roadmap to transform the bank to reach greater heights. “Our vision is … Read more
After a half-century in which it embraced a doctrine of free trade, the industrialized West seems to be moving in the opposite direction: rolling out an expanding list of new tariffs on imports and placing increased reliance on industrial policy to promote domestic industries. In the US, with both parties in this November’s presidential election … Read more
After a bailout pulls Egypt back from the brink, new foreign investment and robust local banks sector suggest a return to growth. Last fall, as conflict erupted in Gaza, Egypt’s economy, already weakened by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic, teetered on the brink of collapse. By early 2024, the Arab world’s largest country … Read more
A $734 million initial public offering by Ola Electric Mobility Limited, an Indian electric two-wheeler (E2W) maker, surpassed expectations to emerge as the Mumbai market’s most successful-ever debut on August 9. Ola is a pure electrical vehicle (EV) brand with a leadership position in scooters and motorcycles, claiming a 49% market share in the E2W … Read more