Category: Africa

Source: APO

By Viv Muthan Pr Eng, Head of Export Sales and Operations.

When organisations talk about personal protective equipment (PPE), the conversation usually centres on the product. Specifications, certifications and proper usage dominate safety discussions. Yes, these matter, but they are not where safety integrity is ultimately determined. PPE only does the job if it is available, consistently supplied and trusted to perform at the exact moment of need. Integrity is created or destroyed upstream by the system that ensures that the product shows up, performs as expected and can be relied on without hesitation. That system is the supply chain.

If safety is determined upstream, where does it actually break?

The supply chain sets the boundary conditions for safety. It operates quietly in the background, but its impact is immediate and tangible on the ground. When it functions well, workers have uninterrupted access to the protection they need. When it falters, the absence is felt instantly, not as a logistical inconvenience, but as a direct threat to safety and operational continuity. The risks associated with weak supply chains are often underestimated because they do not always present themselves as dramatic failures. Instead, they emerge as small, compounding deviations. A delayed shipment forces teams to stretch existing inventory. A quality inconsistency introduces doubt about whether equipment will perform as expected. A stockout forces substitution under pressure with products that may not fully meet operational demands.

Each of these disruptions chips away at the certainty that safety systems depend on. What appears isolated is rarely contained. Research into PPE supply chains shows that disruptions propagate through feedback loops, where delays and shortages reinforce each other and persist, often surfacing at precisely the moment demand peaks. This erosion of certainty does not just affect safety outcomes but fundamentally changes the economics of the system.

The hidden cost of “efficiency”

Many PPE procurement strategies optimise for unit cost, which assumes a stable system. In reality, supply chains operate under variability where lead times shift, demand signals distort and quality drifts. Once variability enters the system, linear cost logic collapses. The amplification of variability across supply chains, widely described as the bullwhip effect, demonstrates how small demand or supply fluctuations expand upstream, creating both shortages and instability.  The cost is no longer just the product but the consequences of unavailability, some of which include downtime and lost productivity, forced substitution under pressure, and exposure to risk under uncertainty. Once those costs are accounted for, the economics invert and the lowest unit cost often produce the highest total system cost.

The constraint not being managed

Treating PPE as a commodity is common but structurally flawed. Commodities are optimised with the view that price is the governing constraint. Safety-critical systems are optimised for reliability under pressure. Those are not the same objective and they produce very different decisions. The constraint in PPE is not supply or cost but the system’s ability to maintain certainty of supply under conditions of variability. If that constraint is left unmanaged, variability will accumulate until the system fails. Typically, this will not occur at scale, but at the exact point where tolerance for error is lowest.

Reliability is an emergent property

If variability is what breaks the system, reliability must be engineered into it. You do not buy reliability through a supplier choice. It is a design choice and a property that either emerges or does not, depending on how the system’s boundary conditions are defined. The conditions for reliability to emerge must be established in the configuration of the supply chain – how sourcing is distributed, where buffers are positioned and why, how demand signals are generated and interpreted, and how quality is measured and controlled across the chain. Given the networked nature of these conditions, any variability that enters the system will propagate in unpredictable ways.

What high-performing operators do differently

Operators who understand certainty of supply as a governing constraint within the safety system design their supply chains differently. They segment risk rather than standardise blindly and introduce redundancy where the cost of failure justifies it, like engineers do at the higher automation layers. They include metrics for consistency and reliability and not just price. This is an anchor statement made by many procurement professionals in the first meetings across the table from potential suppliers. Security of supply is non-negotiable. Supplier relationships are built around performance over time, not transactional cost gains. Managing purchasing becomes engineering a system of supply.

The effectiveness of PPE is not determined at the point of use. It is determined by whether the system behind it can deliver the right product, at the right time, with consistent performance under real-world conditions of variability. If that system is fragile, protection is conditional and in industrial environments where the margin for error is already thin, supply chain reliability is not a luxury. It is a requirement.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of RS South Africa.

Further information is available via these links:
RS South Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4brRi8f)
RS Africa Exports (https://Africa.RSDelivers.com) 
DesignSpark (https://apo-opa.co/4aT4FhA)
RS Group plc (www.RSGroup.com)

PR Contact Person – RS South Africa:
Princess Tlou
Communications & Content Specialist
RS South Africa
Princess.Tlou@rsgroup.com
+27 11 691 9366

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PR Account Executive
thobile@ngage.co.za
+27 11 867 7763

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About RS:
RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably.

We operate in 33 markets, stock over 875,000 industrial and specialist products and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it is our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet and profit.

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2026 reported revenue of £2,881 million.

Source: APO

FINCA (www.FINCA.org) and Jackfruit Finance are expanding their education finance collaboration across East Africa following a successful pilot in Uganda that validated demand for tailored financing among underserved schools. The partnership has now launched in Tanzania while entering its next phase in Uganda under a commercial framework designed to prove the long-term sustainability of the operating model before broader expansion.

The collaboration builds on the successful initial pilot in Uganda, through which 42 schools, collectively serving approximately 10,000 children, accessed 184.5 million Ugandan shillings ($49,700 USD) in financing to strengthen operations, retain teachers, and improve school facilities. The pilot demonstrated strong demand for specialized education finance among schools with limited access to formal credit. To date, approximately 91% of the disbursed principal has been repaid.

The partnership was developed through FINCA’s Poverty Eradication Lab, which works with specialized partners to design and test financial solutions that address needs beyond traditional microcredit. By combining FINCA’s expertise in product development and human-centered design, lending infrastructure, and local regulatory presence with Jackfruit’s deep relationships in the education sector, the collaboration created a unique financing model tailored to the realities of low-fee private schools. Schools begin with working capital loans to support operations and teacher retention, with the opportunity to graduate to larger infrastructure loans that help expand classrooms, improve facilities, and increase student capacity.

“Access to capital remains one of the greatest obstacles for schools serving low-income populations across Africa,” said Jackfruit Finance CEO Robert Alhadeff. “By pairing Jackfruit’s education financing platform with FINCA’s reach and product innovation, we’re creating a model that gives schools the stability and resources they need to grow and deliver stronger learning outcomes.”

FINCA Uganda and Jackfruit have now moved to a revenue-sharing model designed to strengthen the program’s commercial sustainability as it enters its next phase of growth. Planned targets include reaching a total of 100 schools in Uganda, graduating eligible schools from working capital to infrastructure loans based on repayment history and assessed need, and launching a pilot targeting up to 70 schools in Tanzania.

“Innovation isn’t about creating more products; it’s about finding solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives and can be replicated at scale,” said Seth Spiro, Vice President and Chief Product Officer, FINCA. “Our partnership with Jackfruit has shown that education finance can strengthen schools, benefit students, and create a sustainable model that can reach many more communities.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FINCA.

ABOUT FINCA:
FINCA is an international organization committed to creating pathways out of poverty through sustainable, scalable solutions rooted in the needs of the people it serves. With a presence in more than 45 countries, FINCA provides innovative tools that help individuals and communities build resilience, generate income, and invest in their children’s education. FINCA’s work is driven by the belief that all people should have the opportunity to leverage their wisdom, talent, and effort to determine their own destiny, and aims to directly serve and support 40 million people by 2028 with proven solutions that spark lasting impact. Learn more at www.FINCA.org. 

ABOUT JACKFRUIT FINANCE:
Jackfruit Finance is a Nairobi-based education finance company providing technology-enabled capital and reward programs that expand access to quality education in Sub-Saharan Africa by offering affordable loans to private schools and related education providers. The company’s mission is to help schools build classrooms, improve facilities, and strengthen learning outcomes through accessible financing solutions tailored to the needs of low-fee and underserved educational institutions. Learn more at Jackfruit Finance (https://apo-opa.co/44ZcuyL)

Source: APO

Africa’s heads of government, policymakers, leading industrialists, and global partners will gather in Addis Ababa on 23 and 24 November 2026 for the Africa Trade Development Forum 2026. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration of the Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia and TradeMark Africa (TMA) (www.TradeMarkAfrica.com), the biennial summit arrives at a turning point for the continent’s economic integration and shifting global trade dynamics.

While much global trade conversation has focused recently on tariffs, the primary barrier to African trade lies in the technical, regulatory, financial, and logistical challenges of being able to export, often referred to as Non-Tariff Barriers.

These Non-Tariff Barriers – such as the measures and processes that allow African companies to show international offtakers that they are meeting critical safety and sanitary standards – currently add an estimated 15% to 30% to regional trade costs. UNECA suggests that eliminating these barriers alone could surge intra-African trade by 52%.”Compliance costs are often higher than the tariffs themselves including actual import duties,” notes UNCTAD, citing that technical measures now regulate two-thirds of global trade.

The 2026 Forum will focus on priority, collective actions to harmonise standards, looking at what is needed to reduce compliance costs, accelerate quality certification, and ensure diminishing rejections of African goods by the world’s most lucrative markets.

Commenting on the forum, H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, TMA Board Chair and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia said: “The next phase of Africa’s trade growth will depend on African firms showing that their products are as good as those of anywhere in the world. Businesses are up for the challenge – what we need to do, is to help assess and certify their goods, in a way that does not create a burden. ATDF 2026 offers an important opportunity to focus on these issues with clarity, seriousness and a shared sense of purpose.”

H.E. Kassahun Gofe (PhD), Minister of Trade and Regional Integration of the federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said: “Ethiopia is honoured to host the Africa Trade Development Forum 2026 at a time when the continent is placing renewed focus on the quality of its trade systems and the competitiveness of its markets. Standards and quality infrastructure are central to industrial growth, market confidence and the ability of African producers to compete within the continent and beyond. We look forward to welcoming leaders and institutions to Addis Ababa for a practical and forward-looking discussion on the reforms needed to strengthen trade in measurable terms.”

David Beer, Chief Executive Officer of TMA, added: “Africa’s trade ambitions will be realised by building the systems that allow African firms to compete better with the rest of the world, by showing their goods comply with the highest standards. Quality systems underpin that, as they build the trust that markets demand. ATDF 2026 will see leaders focus on how to help businesses make that happen.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TradeMark Africa (TMA).

Book your trip with ATDF 2026’s official airline partner, Ethiopian Airlines: 
https://apo-opa.co/4yi3ceC
Book your stay with ATDF 2026’s official partner Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa:
https://apo-opa.co/4aTFXO9 

Media enquiries / interview requests:
tdf@trademarkafrica.com

About the Africa Trade Development Forum:
Convened by TradeMark Africa with a host government, the Africa Trade Development Forum is a biennial continental platform that brings together decision-makers from government, business, regional and continental institutions, the development community and the technical field to make actionable decisions on trade reforms in Africa. The last forum was held in Kigali, Rwanda and resulted to building momentum on the No Stop Border model in Africa, of which TMA and it commercial subsidiary Trade Catalyst Africa (TCA) are partnering with governments and development partners to advance thought leadership and development of systems.

Attendance to ATDF is by invitation only or by accreditation.

About the Subject:
Technical measures are the standards, testing, inspection, certification, labelling and health safety requirements that determine whether goods are accepted in the market. These include sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which protect human, animal and plant health, and technical barriers to trade such as product regulations, conformity assessment and quality requirements. TradeMark Africa works with African governments to balance strict safety regulations with fluid economic growth.

For more information, visit www.TradeMarkAfrica.com

Source: APO

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Steve Bremner presided over a handover ceremony to the Government of Madagascar, represented by President of the Refoundation Col. Michaël Randrianirina, marking the delivery of nearly one million mosquito nets, over 900,000 pieces of critical laboratory equipment, and 33 internet connectivity systems.  The assistance – valued at more than $2.2 million – is part of a broader U.S.-Madagascar health partnership, outlined in our bilateral Global Health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in December 2025, totaling $134 million from the U.S. government from 2026 through 2030.

“This assistance is clear and disciplined – it is a tool of strategic engagement, not global charity,” said Chargé d’Affaires Steve Bremner. “Every U.S. taxpayer dollar must show measurable results, reduce long-term dependence on U.S. resources, and support greater self-reliance. Stronger health systems in Madagascar help detect and contain infectious diseases before they spread across borders, protecting American and Malagasy families alike.”

The assistance includes:

• 989,250 long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets - worth $2 million – will be distributed to 63 districts and 1,661 community health centers across Madagascar. Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death in the country, claiming the lives of children and women at an unacceptable rate. The third and final delivery of these nets arrived in late June and will be distributed starting this July until mid-October, ensuring that those most at risk of mosquito-borne disease now have access to this basic but life-saving protection. U.S.-funded Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project will ensure the distribution.
• 908,523 pieces of critical medical and laboratory equipment – valued at $180,000 – including personal protective equipment, laboratory supplies, diagnostic tools, and cold chain equipment – along with a modernized digital surveillance system to Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health. This support through the STRIDES (Strengthening Infectious Disease Detection Systems) program bolsters Madagascar’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks of diseases such as monkeypox, plague, rabies, polio, and Ebola before they become regional or global threats.
• Over $30,000 of funding for the full procurement, installation, and first year of service for 33 Starlink satellite internet systems at priority districts and regional health offices across the country. These systems will allow health workers in remote and underserved communities to transmit health data quickly to central decision-makers – enabling faster, better-coordinated responses when disease outbreaks occur. U.S.-funded Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) will implement this project.

As the country’s largest bilateral health donor, the United States remains committed to the principle that a stronger, healthier Madagascar makes for a stronger, safer world – and a stronger, safer America.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Madagascar.

Source: APO – Report:

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An intensifying El Niño weather pattern threatens to bring severe flooding, disease outbreaks, heatwaves and drought to communities across East Africa and Asia in the coming weeks, the International Rescue Committee warned today, with families in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan among the most impacted.

In Somalia, June data pointed to a 60% chance of above-average rainfall across the south and southwest, and forecasters are watching a July 15 update that will determine funding and planning for anticipatory action. Overlapping crises of drought and displacement have left 4.8 million people in Somalia in need of urgent aid, a number expected to climb as El Niño flooding compounds the drought in coming months. A flood in 2023 destroyed almost 13,000 tons of crops and damaged entire towns and cities, and experts warn that a similar storm would do more damage this time, as communities already worn down by drought and reduced humanitarian funding have fewer resources and coping mechanisms to rely upon. 

Heavy rain in the Ethiopian highlands combined with local Deyr season rains could send river levels rising quickly along Somalia’s two main waterways, contaminating water sources and raising the risk of cholera and acute watery diarrhea. The anticipated impacts are regional as Kenya faces an 80–82% chance of El Niño persisting through 2026, with dry conditions this summer giving way to a high risk of flooding and landslides later in the year, prompting the government to activate its national response framework. Uganda anticipates a similar shift from drier months to a flood-prone final quarter, raising fears of displacement and disease after more than 413,000 people were affected in the last El Niño cycle. 

“We’re watching several emergencies converge at once, and the places least equipped to absorb another shock are the ones in the crosshairs,” said Bob Kitchen, IRC Vice President for Emergencies. “Acting now, before the rain falls, is far cheaper and far more humane than responding after people have lost everything.”

The same El Niño pattern is expected to hit Asia on a different front, pushing seasonal rainfall below normal and temperatures higher across Pakistan even as northern mountain areas face sudden glacier-melt floods. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s monsoon season has already turned deadly this year, and landslides and flooding have killed at least 15 Rohingya refugees living in the Cox’s Bazar camps and displaced more than 10,000 people since the start of July. In Afghanistan, El Nino conditions are expected to result in above average rainfall, putting large swathes of the country at risk of flooding. In response to increased climate risk, the IRC’s anticipatory action model already delivers cash to at-risk families ahead of disaster, helping them buy food, pay for water and protect livestock rather than face impossible choices like pulling children from school or arranging early marriages for their daughters.

In the face of a strengthening El Nino, the IRC is calling on donors and governments to fund more anticipatory action activities across East Africa and Asia now, rather than waiting for disaster to strike. Early funding would allow the IRC and partners to reach families in impacted areas with cash, clean water and early warnings before the worst hits, thereby saving lives, preserving resources, and reducing suffering.

– on behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC) .

Source: APO

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• 1,926 and 702 deaths confirmed by Ministry of Health as of 11 July
• 5 provinces are now affected by the outbreak: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo and Haut Uele
• Operational constraints continue to limit response implementation, increasing the risk that undetected chains of transmission will continue to spread
• Contact tracing has increased to 78.3%, but remains below the 90-95% target recommended by WHO to contain an outbreak

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is worsening on two fronts: transmission is accelerating in locations already affected, while the virus is spreading into new areas, significantly increasing the risk of cross-border spread into South Sudan. 

Case numbers have continued to rise steadily, suggesting the outbreak has not yet reached its peak. There are now five provinces in the DRC affected by the Ebola outbreak, including Tshopo province where the town of Kisangani is situated – over 500km west of the current epicentre, Bunia. The Ministry of Health added ten provinces that are now considered at high risk, including Kinshasa, and are targeted with additional protocols and preparedness activities.

“The risk to South Sudan is particularly alarming. If Ebola crosses the border, it could spread silently before being detected, making the response far more complex and putting countless lives at risk,” said Bob Kitchen, Vice President of Emergencies for the IRC. “Weak surveillance systems, limited health infrastructure, ongoing conflict and a sparse humanitarian presence could delay detection and response.” 

The confirmation of two cases in Wamba, Haut-Uélé Province, near the South Sudan border has significantly heightened the risk of cross-border transmission. The WHO estimates a 70% likelihood that Ebola will spread into the country. The emergence of cases in Kisangani, is also deeply concerning, as the city sits on the Congo River, a major transport corridor linking eastern DRC with Kinshasa, raising the risk of wider geographic spread.

The IRC is supporting preparedness and response efforts in high-risk areas, strengthening infection prevention and control, surveillance, community engagement, and support for frontline health workers to help contain the outbreak and prevent further spread. 

Operational constraints, including border and airport closures and security challenges within the DRC, continue to limit response implementation. With response efforts not yet fully operational across all affected areas, undetected chains of transmission may continue to spread. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC) .