Villagers strike Gold in Malawi

Gold Found In Malawi

Reports coming from reputable media sources in Malawi claim that villagers in Ntcheu have struck Gold panning through the deposits along the Likhudzi and Lisungwi rivers.

The mining of the gold has been exciting villagers in surrounding areas who are viewing this as a solution to their poverty. The claims have been backed by village headman Banda whose people are reaping the benefits of their newfound wealth. Money has gone into various consumer products like Bicycles and sofas while others have invested in different forms of enterprise.

However the ministry of responsible for mining has denied any knowledge of the gold trade taking place in Ntcheu district. The ministry is in the process of reviewing the laws so that they are attractive to both foreign investors and that they should serve the interest of Malawians

Online Retail Set To Boom In Africa

As Africa’s retail market continues to grow at a fast pace, news coming from World Wide Worx indicates that there is likely to be an online retail boom in 2015 on the continent spearheaded by South Africa which already has 800 retail sites online.

Between 2000 and 2012, the number of Internet users on the African continent has grown at seven times the global average, to a total of 167 million users. The online sector has also got a huge boost as the banking sector in the region has embraced mobile payments and transactions in their operations.

One thing is for sure, Africa's Retail Industry is on the up, with International retail sectors successfully entering Africa's Retail space. According to Chris Gilmore a retail analyst at Absa Investments, retailers from the developed world have noted that Africa's 40% urbanisation level already tops the Indian rate which is 30% and is not far behind China's 45%.

Africa’s consumer spending is projected to reach 1.4 trillion dollars in 2020 according to the Mckinsey Global Institute.

How To Invest In Africa

Investing in emerging markets especially African markets requires a firm understanding of the continents economic and political landscape. The first thing to acknowledge is the diversity of the cultures (values and ideals) on this vast, natural resource rich continent with a population of 1.111 billion people according to 2013 figures.

According to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and UNCTAD, Africa, with its burgeoning economies, offers the highest return on foreign direct investment (FDI) globally for investors seeking to diversify their income and realize higher growth rates than those available in home markets.

A general lack of infrastructure and financing means that a large amount of Africa’s Gold, Uranium, Oil, Diamonds and rare earth elements remain untapped presenting serious investors with huge potential profits if they are willing to take on above average risks and make significant capital investments.

With approximately 14.27% of the global human population residing on the continent, the consumer goods markets for products and services from the telecommunications and banking sectors presents an exciting opportunity for realizing huge revenues and profits.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), capital markets are generally small and characterized with low levels of liquidity even though they deliver higher yields than in developed markets. In the region, the flow of capital is also vulnerable to many external shocks as was the case during the global financial crisis of 2008/2009 and the 2012 Euro crisis.  The most active and liquid stock markets in the region are South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius and Zimbabwe with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) representing 38% of all listed companies and 83% of total market capitalization in SSA in 2012.