Malawi Wire

Chinese investors are very interested to engage in various economic sectors in Ethiopia, Deputy Head of the Ethiopian Embassy in China, Ambassador Dawano Kedir said.

According to Ambassador Dawano, efforts are well underway to expand the participation of Chinese investors in various investment sectors in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Embassy in China is promoting investment options based on the needs of Chinese investors, Ambassador Dawano told ENA.

The embassy is focused on promoting investment options in the agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors, he said.

The ambassador also pointed out that efforts are well underway to maintain the strong relationship between Ethiopia and China, both in politics and people-to-people ties.

This will further strengthen Ethiopia’s strategic partnership and development cooperation with China, he said.

Legal reforms in the investment sector, incentives being offered to foreign investors and activities undertaken to bring lasting peace have been promoted by the embassy, he said.

He recalled that 107 Chinese companies participated in the international investment forum held in Ethiopia last April.

Therefore, Chinese investors engaged in manufacturing, cement, steel, mining and other sectors have managed to understand the current situation in Ethiopia, he said.

The modern Ethiopia-China diplomatic relationship started in the 1970s and is getting stronger by the day.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

New car sales totalled 1 004 units in April 2023, reflecting a 10 per cent year-on-year increase but an 18.1 per cent monthly decline.

This information was revealed by Cirrus Capital, a Namibian-owned financial services firm, in its vehicle sales report.

While this is fewer than the 1 226 units sold in March 2023 and the 1 103 units sold in February 2023, it is the third month in a row that new vehicle sales have surpassed 1 000 units, with commercial vehicle sales outnumbering passenger vehicle sales by 68 units.

It stated that for the second month in a row, commercial vehicles dominated new vehicle sales, which increased by 22.1 per cent year-on-year, but fell 17.7 per cent month-on-month.

Passenger vehicle sales increased little by 0.4 per cent year-on-year, but fell 18.6 per cent month-on-month.

It also reported that rental agencies purchased 52 units, a considerable decrease from the 113 units purchased in March, and that 37 of the 52 rental units were passenger vehicles, with the remaining 15 units being light commercial vehicles.

According to the report, new car sales are off to a great start this year, despite the challenges of much higher borrowing rates and continuous vehicle price increases. This, according to the report, is especially surprising given the difficulty consumers encounter in acquiring auto financing due to affordability issues.

‘With many disruptive public holidays in May (resulting in fewer trading days), this is likely to soften vehicle sales in May. Additionally, the severe Rand weakness in May could see the South African Reserve Bank hike more to protect the currency, placing further pressures on affordability for the remainder of the year,’ it said.

In April 2023, 536 commercial vehicles were sold, down from 651 units in March 2023 and 544 in February 2023. Nonetheless, this represents a 22.1 per cent increase year over year. Light commercial vehicles (LCVs) were sold in lower numbers, falling to 473 units in April 2023 from 580 in March 2023. According to the report, LCVs grew 20.7 per cent year-on-year but declined 18.4 per cent month-on-month.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Maua Town, known for its thriving agricultural sector, has recently witnessed a remarkable surge in the chicks and chicken selling business. This surge has propelled the local poultry industry to unprecedented heights, transforming Maua into a hub of poultry commerce and resulting in economic growth.

The once humble enterprise of raising and selling chicks and chickens has now evolved into a highly competitive and lucrative industry. Poultry farmers in Maua have embraced advanced breeding techniques and effective marketing strategies to meet the escalating demand.

Local farmers, renowned for their commitment to quality and excellence, have become the driving force behind the success of the chick and chicken business. These dedicated individuals have honed their skills over generations, passing down time-honored knowledge that ensures the production of healthy and robust birds.

Speaking to KNA, Mr John Smith, a poultry farmer and business person in Maua town has established himself as a prominent figure in the town’s thriving chick and chicken selling business.

Smith, a poultry enthusiast, has developed an impressive reputation for his commitment to providing top-tier chicks and chickens to Maua Town and its neighboring communities. The attention to detail and exceptional care he dedicates to his birds have earned him a loyal following of customers who are impressed by the quality of his poultry.

He maintains that Maua’s strategic location has also played a vital role in the industry’s flourishing success. Situated in the heart of the region, the town enjoys excellent transport connectivity, facilitating the distribution of chicks and chickens to neighboring towns like Laare, Kangeta, Muthara and Karama.

‘The economic impact of this thriving industry cannot be underrated since business has become a significant contributor to Maua’s local economy, generating employment opportunities and fostering sustainable growth. Local residents have found new avenues of employment, whether it be in hatcheries, farms, or delivering services,’ says smith who has so far employed two individuals who deliver the chicken and eggs to various customers including hotels and schools.

He adds that a one-month-old improved Kienyeji and white broiler chick goes at Sh250 and Sh300 respectively while a fully grown chicken sells between Sh800 to Sh1200 for hens and Sh800 to Sh1500 for a rooster.

‘In a good day I make a profit of Sh4000 to Sh5000,’ says Smith adding that he is capable of educating his three children, paying rent and other bills through his business which he began five years ago with a mere Sh5000.

Moreover, Maua’s chick and chicken sellers have leveraged the power of digital platforms to expand their customer base and amplify their reach. With the advent of e-commerce, these business owners have embraced online marketing including WhatsApp and Facebook, allowing them to connect directly with customers across a wide range of market.

‘I am happy about the positive impact of social media, especially in the business sector. I am able to link-up with most of my consumers through WhatsApp and Facebook where they make their orders,’ adds Selina Nkatha who is also in the poultry business in Maua town.

Furthermore, the ripple effect of this booming business has positively impacted other business sectors in the town including suppliers of poultry feed, equipment like feeders, drinkers, egg crates, and veterinary services which have also experienced a surge in demand hence creating a vibrant ecosystem of interconnected businesses that thrive on the success of the chick and chicken industry.

Nkatha noted that the business has thrived amid challenges like high feed costs, disease outbreaks, and unaffordability of vaccines due to steadfast commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction.

She urged residents to diversify from miraa business which has faced myriad of challenges including lack of international market and embrace poultry farming.

Nkatha however called upon the government to construct market shades to remedy losses incurred as a result of harsh weather conditions like strong winds, sunlight and heavy rains.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has said that 1,450 digital Libraries being set up will spur digital job opportunities across the country.

According to the CS each ward in the country will get one digital laboratory as part of the Government’s plan to put up a digital superhighway in conjunction with Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Centres (TIVETs) or even at the village level.

‘The purpose of this is to ensure that each youth gets adequate digital skills and secure digital jobs sourced by the government from global technological companies since there are no longer white-collar jobs,’ said the CS.

Mr Owalo said there are a lot of opportunities in the digital space and that a lot of money can be made from the jobs and even business opportunities.

In addition to the Digital hubs, the CS said the government is establishing 25,000 free public wi-fi spots in its plan to ensure there is an affordable or free internet across the country.

‘The Wi fi hot spots will start in the markets where our mothers and sisters are domiciled by way of itinerary trade, we want to move away from traditional way of doing business by harnessing technology,’ added the CS.

The CS said that the government is also digitizing its services and has so far digitized 4200 service from 350 services accessed online three months ago even as it moves to replace the physical national identity cards with an electronic identification system.

‘We are also going to unveil cheap smart enabled phone in the next two months which will retail at 40 dollars, this will be a game changer in this country as we are enhancing connectivity, access and leveraging on technology to increase number of people earning a gainful income,’ elaborated the CS.

Awed by a young man who made a fortune from online platform after undergoing online jobs training, the CS encouraged youths to embrace the program so as to earn a living and support their parents.

‘The online jobs will propel one from a learner to an instant earner able to gain huge income from online job platform,’ CS encouraged the youths.

The CS made the remarks at the Eldama Ravine Technical and Vocational College during the launch of the Jitegemee digital library at the institution.

The ICT Principal Secretary Engineer John Tanui said there are many opportunities in different economic sectors that can be harnessed through the digital space.

He said the country has a huge population of the youth that is well trained and vibrant that the world is desiring to get their services through labour exchange.

‘There are plenty of opportunities across world with talent gaps, we have the talent and you have seen in the recent past the number of presidents that are visiting our country, one of the key discussions they have is labour exchange, how to access our young people to be able to work for those nations from home,’ divulged the PS.

He said digital connectivity will allow people to work remotely and that there are a lot of jobs that are now accepting people to work remotely.

Tanui added that Business Outsourcing is also a key sector where our youths can work from home and support top tier one companies in the world, earning a gainful income.

He said the government is targeting 94 TIVET centres where each can train 300 youths on online jobs and that this will create a potential income Sh1.6 billion annually to the economy.

The PS said they have companies that have a lot of jobs currently and are being linked with the 94 TIVETS.

‘If we fully utilise up to a million young people on online jobs the income they will get will surpass the diaspora remittance we get annually,’ said the PS.

On his part Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi thanked the president for the effort they are doing to put the youths to employment saying they will greatly reduce the pressure on the grass roots from youths demanding jobs from their offices.

He called on the CS to connect the public health facilities with internet so as to make the health services efficient.

Eldama Ravine Member of Parliament Musa Sirma called on the Ministry of Information to connect police stations with the internet saying they were still being run in an analogue manner.

He said his Constituency Development Fund committee will ensure they amend the CDF act so as to allocate money to the digital hubs so as to assure its sustainability going forward.

He pledged to supplement the Ministry’s efforts by putting up 11 more digital hubs across Eldama Ravine Constituency.

The launch was also attended by Trans Nzoia senator and chair of Senate ICT committee, Allan Chesang who encouraged the youths saying he made money through digital marketing.

Also present was Baringo County Member of Parliament Florence Jematia, ICT authority CEO Stanley Kamanguya and his KONZA Technpolis Counterpart John Paul Okwiri.

The digital hub which is domiciled at the college received 100 computers last December and has so far trained 80 youths who are benefitting by earning income from online platform.

The College Principal Eric Tanui called for improvement of internet stability and more online work platforms to engage the youths on training.

Source: Kenya News Agency