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Secretary-General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Source: Government of Qatar

Astana | November 20, 2025

HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi met on Thursday in Astana with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev.
During the meeting, cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them were reviewed, in addition to a number of topics of common interest.
The meeting was attended by HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Kazakhstan Abdullah bin Hussein Al Jaber, HE Director of the Asian Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Al Johara bint Yousef Al Obaidan Fakhro, and the accompanying delegation.

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Qatar Affirms that Israeli Occupation Constitutes Blatant Violation of Principles of International Law, the UN Charter, and Relevant Resolutions

Source: Government of Qatar

Doha | November 20, 2025

The State of Qatar affirmed that the decades-long Israeli occupation constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of international law, the UN Charter, and relevant UN resolutions. It also reiterated its welcome of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Dec. 2024.
This came in the statement delivered by Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, before the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly during its 80th session under item (50) on the Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani noted that the Court affirmed that Israel is obligated to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and East Jerusalem, and clarified that the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza constitute a single territorial unit whose unity, continuity, integrity, and respect must be preserved.
He added that the reports submitted to the General Assembly under this item document Israels ongoing actions in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories that violate international law and infringe upon the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arab populations under occupation, including settlement expansion, forced displacement, confiscation of civilian property, home demolitions, and other practices that violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
He further noted Qatars condemnation of settlers storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the attack on the Hajjeh Hamida Mosque in the Palestinian village of Kifl Hares last week, considering both acts blatant violations of international law and relevant UN resolutions.
He noted that, as part of the State of Qatars intensive efforts to spare the blood of the Palestinian people, alleviate their humanitarian suffering, and secure the release of prisoners and detainees, Qatar has continued over the past two years of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip its mediation efforts in partnership with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America. He affirmed that despite challenges and obstacles, Qatar succeeded in achieving tangible progress in reaching humanitarian truces that helped ease part of the suffering by enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people and facilitating the release of prisoners and hostages.
He pointed out that Qatari efforts, jointly with the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Turkiye, and the United States, recently succeeded in reaching a ceasefire agreement signed on Oct. 13 in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, aimed at ending the bloodshed and humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip.
He stressed that the only guarantee for achieving sustainable peace in the region is reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, as well as the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State solution.
The conference, held last July under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Sept. 12. Such a solution would restore the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination, return, and the establishment of their independent, sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

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South Africa congratulates Iraq on successful parliamentary elections

Source: Government of South Africa

Thursday, November 20, 2025

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has, on behalf of the South African government and its citizens, congratulated Iraq on the successful conclusion of its parliamentary elections held on 11 November 2025.

Reports indicate that a coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, won the parliamentary election. 

According to Al Jazeera, the Independent High Electoral Commission reported that al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Change coalition received 1.3 million votes, approximately 370 000 more than the closest competitor.

DIRCO believes that these elections reflect the dedication of the Iraqi people to uphold democratic governance and ensure national stability.

“South Africa looks forward to the formation of a new government in Iraq and reaffirms its commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, as well as various sectoral spheres of engagement. 

“We also remain committed to collaborating with Iraq on matters related to global governance as well as promoting shared goals in pursuit of global and regional peace, security and development.

“We wish Iraq every success and will continue building and strengthening our bilateral partnership to advance the mutual interests of our two nations,” the department added. – SAnews.gov.za

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TikTok, en partenariat avec AfricTivistes, renforce ses liens avec les parties prenantes lors de son Sommet sur la Sécurité en Afrique de l’Ouest à Dakar, façonnant les politiques et la sécurité en ligne dans la région

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

Hier, TikTok (www.TikTok.com), en partenariat avec AfricTivistes, a organisé son tout premier Sommet sur la Sécurité en Afrique de l’Ouest à Dakar, au Sénégal, réunissant des représentants de haut niveau des gouvernements, des experts en politiques publiques, des ONG, des régulateurs, des médias et des leaders de l’industrie provenant de divers pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest et de la région du Sahel.

Des délégués du Nigeria, du Sénégal, du Mali, de la Côte d’Ivoire, du Burkina Faso, du Tchad et même d’Éthiopie ont assisté à l’événement afin de consolider des collaborations visant à renforcer la protection des utilisateurs et à améliorer les cadres de modération de contenu adaptés aux défis régionaux.

Ce sommet marque un moment clé dans les efforts de TikTok en matière de sécurité dans la région et dans son engagement à maintenir des normes mondiales de sécurité à travers l’Afrique subsaharienne (SSA). En accueillant ces discussions essentielles, TikTok a réaffirmé son profond engagement à promouvoir un écosystème numérique sûr et responsable. La rencontre a créé un espace collaboratif où les experts ont pu aborder de façon conjointe les défis liés à la sécurité en ligne, partager des perspectives locales et discuter des stratégies pour renforcer les structures de sécurité dans le cadre de l’initiative #SaferTogether de TikTok.

La responsable du programme Outreach & Partnerships pour l’Afrique subsaharienne chez TikTok, Duduzile Mkhize, a souligné l’engagement de la plateforme à améliorer la sécurité des utilisateurs en recueillant les idées et retours des parties prenantes.

« Bien qu’ayant une étendue globale, chacune de nos actions quotidiennes conserve un ancrage résolument local », a insisté Mkhize.

 « Le dialogue au sein de ce sommet est d’une valeur inestimable, car ce n’est qu’à travers le partage d’informations et la collaboration avec les décideurs et partenaires locaux d’Afrique de l’Ouest que nous pouvons éviter un environnement numérique fragmenté et vulnérable. Une action synergique nous permettra de poursuivre nos efforts pour offrir à notre communauté un espace sûr où découvrir, créer et se connecter de manière responsable.

L’une de ces partenaires essentielles est Aisha Dabo, activiste sénégalaise pour la démocratie et les droits humains, et membre du Conseil consultatif pour la sécurité de TikTok en Afrique subsaharienne (SSA SAC). Spécialiste du numérique avec plus de 20 ans d’expérience, Dabo milite pour une citoyenneté numérique active comme moyen de promouvoir un environnement en ligne sécurisé à travers le continent, notamment via l’organisation qu’elle a cofondée, AfricTivistes. Évoquant son rôle au sein du Conseil consultatif de TikTok et l’importance de l’expertise locale, Dabo a déclaré :

 « J’ai pu constater de mes propres yeux l’impact tangible des connaissances locales sur l’élaboration de politiques globales. Ce sommet représente un moment important pour mettre en lumière des solutions africaines aux défis numériques et garantir que nos besoins et perspectives régionales uniques soient au cœur des discussions sur la sécurité, afin de soutenir un internet libre, inclusif et sécurisé dans toute l’Afrique. »

 Afrique de l’Ouest en chiffres : suppressions de contenus

Dans son dernier Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, TikTok a démontré la force combinée de sa technologie de modération automatisée et de ses équipes humaines expertes, qui travaillent ensemble pour détecter et supprimer rapidement les contenus nuisibles avant qu’ils n’atteignent les utilisateurs.

Depuis janvier 2024, TikTok a supprimé plus de 34 millions de vidéos en Afrique de l’Ouest pour violations de ses politiques, couvrant différents types d’infractions. Les capacités de modération de la plateforme s’améliorent continuellement, avec 8,3 millions de suppressions au deuxième trimestre 2025, soit une augmentation remarquable de 132 % par rapport au premier trimestre 2024. Cette progression démontre la capacité de la plateforme à adapter à grande échelle ses politiques et ses méthodes de détection, alors que la base d’utilisateurs dans la région est en pleine expansion.

À noter : la proportion de vidéos violant les règles représente en moyenne 0,6 % de l’ensemble des contenus publiés dans la région. L’investissement de TikTok dans la technologie garantit une modération proactive : 87 % des suppressions ont été réalisées via des systèmes automatisés avant que tout signalement utilisateur ne soit effectué.

En mars 2025, TikTok a également détecté et démantelé des opérations d’influence clandestines ciblant les discours politiques en Afrique de l’Ouest et en France.

Ce réseau, opérant depuis le Togo et composé de 129 comptes, créait des profils inauthentiques visant à saper les politiques étrangères de la France en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Au Sénégal, la plateforme a supprimé plus de 2,5 millions de vidéos entre le premier trimestre 2024 et le deuxième trimestre 2025. Plus de 16 000 sessions TikTok LIVE ont été interrompues au cours de la même période.

Taux mondial de suppression au deuxième trimestre 2025

Au cours du deuxième trimestre 2025 :

  • 189 millions de vidéos ont été supprimées dans le monde (0,7 % de tout le contenu publié)
  • 99,1 % de ces suppressions ont été détectées de manière proactive
  • 94,4 % ont été retirées en moins de 24 heures
  • 163,9 millions  ont été supprimées automatiquement par des systèmes d’IA
  • 76 991 660 comptes fake ont été supprimés
  • 25 904 708 comptes suspectés d’appartenir à des utilisateurs de moins de 13 ans ont été retirés

En combinant technologies avancées de modération automatisée et expertise de milliers de professionnels de la sécurité, TikTok garantit une élimination rapide et cohérente des contenus violant ses règles.

Cette approche est essentielle pour limiter les effets néfastes de la désinformation, des discours de haine et d’autres contenus préjudiciables.

TikTok LIVE : renforcer la sécurité en temps réel

Pour la première fois, TikTok partage des données concernant l’application de ses directives de monétisation pour TikTok LIVE.

Ces directives permettent de récompenser les créateurs diffusant un contenu sûr, authentique et de qualité, tout en empêchant les diffusions qui ne respectent pas ces règles.

Au deuxième trimestre 2025, TikTok a pris des mesures — avertissements et démonétisation — concernant :

  • 2 321 813 sessions LIVE
  • 1 040 356 créateurs LIVE

Les avertissements visent à éduquer les créateurs lorsque leur contenu risque de violer les politiques de monétisation, leur donnant l’occasion d’ajuster leur comportement.

Apportant son soutien au sommet et à ses priorités, (Nom du représentant gouvernemental et son rôle), (Nom du département), Sénégal, a déclaré :

 « Nous saluons les résultats du Sommet sur la Sécurité de TikTok à Dakar. Ce forum collaboratif est essentiel pour doter nos gouvernements des outils nécessaires afin d’équilibrer innovation numérique et protection indispensable de nos citoyens. L’engagement partagé en faveur de la sécurité et de la transparence, exprimé ici, établit un précédent solide pour les futures politiques numériques dans la région. »

Pour plus d’informations sur les politiques et initiatives de sécurité de TikTok, visitez notre Centre de Sécurité.

Distribué par APO Group pour TikTok.

Contact medias :
Keagile Makgoba
Keagile.m@tiktok.com

Media files

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TikTok in partnership with AfricTivistes Strengthens Ties with Stakeholders at Summit in Dakar, shaping policy and online safety for the region

Source: APO – Report:

Yesterday, TikTok (www.TikTok.com), in partnership with AfricTivistes hosted its first West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together senior government officials, policy experts, NGO’s, regulators, media and industry leaders from varying West African nations and Sahel region. Delegates from Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Chad and even Ethiopia attended the Summit to collaborate on strengthening user safety and content moderation specific to the region’s challenges.

TikTok’s Outreach and Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Duduzile Mkhize, emphasised the platform’s commitment to enhancing user security by gathering stakeholder insights and ideas.

“While global, we remain hyper-local in our every day efforts,” Mkhize stressed. “The dialogue at this Summit is invaluable because only through insights sharing and collaboration with policymakers and local partners across West Africa can we prevent a fragmented and insecure digital environment. United action can help us drive continued efforts for a safe space for our community to discover, create, and connect responsibly.”

One such pivotal partner is Senegal’s very own Aisha Dabo, a member of TikTok’s Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council (SSA SAC). As a digital specialist with more than 20 years of experience, Dabo advocates for active digital citizenship as a means for building a secure online environment across the continent through the organisation she co-founded, AfricTivistes. Reflecting on her influence on the TikTok Safety Advisory Council and local expertise, Dabo said:

“I’ve seen firsthand how local knowledge can shape global policy in meaningful ways. This summit is an opportunity to highlight African-led solutions to digital challenges and ensure that our regional realities and perspectives are central to global safety discussions. It’s about building an open, inclusive and secure internet—one that truly reflects the diversity and resilience of our continent.”

West Africa in Numbers: Content Removals

In its latest Community Guidelines Enforcement Report (https://apo-opa.co/4r8GfHp), TikTok demonstrated the combined strength of its automated moderation technology and expert human teams, which work closely to swiftly detect and remove harmful content before users are impacted.

Since January 2024, TikTok has removed more than 34 million videos across Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone. This proportion of violative videos averages 0.6% of all content published across the region. In TikTok’s latest report, covering April to June 2025 (Q22025), removals alone totalled 8.3 million. TikTok’s investment in technology ensures proactive moderation, where 87% of all removals during this period were made through automated detection systems.

In March 2025, TikTok proactively identified and disrupted covert Influence operations (https://apo-opa.co/4ie94hw) with accounts targeting political discourse in West Africa and France. This network operated from Togo, consisting of 129 accounts. The individuals behind this network created inauthentic accounts in order to undermine France’s foreign policies in West Africa.

In Senegal specifically, the platform has removed over 2.5 million videos between Q1 2024 and Q2 2025, highlighting its dedicated local enforcement efforts. Over 16,000 TikTok LIVE sessions were interrupted in the same period.

Global Removal Rate for Second Quarter of 2025

In the second quarter of 2025, over 189 million videos were removed worldwide, representing just 0.7% of all content uploaded. 99.1% of these removals were detected proactively, 94.4% were taken down within 24 hours, and 163.9 million videos were automatically removed by AI-driven moderation systems. To help protect TikTok’s integrity, in this quarter, the platform has removed 76,991,660 fake accounts, along with the additional 25,904,708 accounts that were suspected to be under the age of 13.

By integrating advanced automated moderation technologies with the expertise of thousands of trust and safety professionals, TikTok enables faster and consistent removal of content that violates its Community Guidelines (https://apo-opa.co/4r9L2rT). This approach is vital in mitigating the damaging effects of misinformation, hate speech, and other violative content material on the platform.

TikTok LIVE : Strengthening Real-Time Safety

For the first time, we’re sharing data related to our actions to enforce our LIVE monetization guidelines. These guidelines help reward creators who stream safe, authentic, and high-quality content, while preventing streams that go against these guidelines. In the second quarter of 2025, we took action, including warnings and demonetization, on 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators for violating our LIVE monetization guidelines. Warnings serve as an opportunity to educate creators when their content may breach LIVE monetisation policies (https://apo-opa.co/4rbze8u), allowing them to make necessary changes.

For more information on TikTok’s safety policies and initiatives, visit our Safety Centre (https://apo-opa.co/480Arbz).

– on behalf of TikTok.

Media Contact:
Keagile Makgoba
Keagile.m@tiktok.com

Media files

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Nzimande hails Prof Motaung’s legacy, calls for ethical and people-centred science

Source: Government of South Africa

In a heartfelt tribute, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, called on scientists to always put humanity at the heart of their work – a principle that defined the life and legacy of Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung.

“This means that our scientists and researchers must uphold the principle that scientific knowledge must be used responsibly and ethically,” he said on Wednesday. 

The Minister delivered a speech at the memorial service in Pretoria for Motaung, who passed away last week.

Motaung served as the Chair of the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship at the Financial Research and Entrepreneurship Foundation – Nelson Mandela University Research Chair in Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion, where she led transformative research that connected innovation, commercialisation, and entrepreneurship.

She was the founder and CEO of Global Health Biotech, which is best known for developing La-Africa Soother – a plant-based anti-inflammatory ointment made from indigenous medicinal plants. 

The ointment effectively relieves muscle and joint aches, offering athletes and women a natural alternative for anti-inflammatory relief.

“The first lesson we learn from Prof Motaung’s life is the need for our scientists and researchers to always remember the question: what problem does my knowledge seek to solve?”

He told mourners that one of the driving forces behind Motaung’s founding of Global Health Biotech was to address graduate unemployment, a mission she advanced by making her PhD students shareholders in the company.

“She did not just identify the problem or lament about it. She ventured to find a solution. Not the professional lamenters who are forever complaining and never provide any solutions.”

Even though she had risen to the highest levels possible and had earned a variety of national and international honours, the Minister said Motaung made time to mentor thousands of young, black, and female scientists and entrepreneurs. 

Nzimande also remembered Motaung for her commitment to placing indigenous knowledge at the centre of research and development.

“We also learn that research must be responsive to the lived reality of ordinary people. This means that the research that is produced by our public research institutions must be deliberate about addressing our immediate development challenges as a country.”

Nzimande took the time to urge all public research institutions to concern themselves with proactively finding sustainable solutions for such issues as poverty, inequality, unemployment, gender-based violence, energy security, the deleterious impact of climate change and the growing problem of cancer in South Africa. 

In addition, the Minister said Motaung’s life demonstrates that not only can black people and in particular black women, do science, but they are more than capable of breaking new ground in the various fields of science. 

“We are also paying tribute to someone who was driven by a deep commitment to change the lives of the young people of our country through education, science, and entrepreneurship.”

Nzimande believes that the best tribute to Motaung would empower marginalised young girls and boys to pursue their dreams of becoming scientists, academics, and entrepreneurs.

“On behalf of our President, His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, I wish to convey our deepest condolences as government to the children and family of Prof Motaung and also express our country’s gratitude to her for her selfless service to our country and its people.” – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Farmers in Nqanqarhu receive major water, production support boost

Source: Government of South Africa

The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture has delivered critical water infrastructure and production support to rural communities in Nqanqarhu, bringing long-awaited relief to vegetable-producing farmers who have struggled with limited irrigation.

The handover of the spring-water projects, production inputs and gardening tools — delivered under the Ilima/Letsema Lokulima Programme, was met with enthusiasm from local farmers.

The programme promotes the productive use of arable land and supports household-level food security.

Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe officiated the handover of the Sigoga and Saqhuthe village spring-water scheme, which provide clean water for domestic use and irrigation. The infrastructure includes 26 new water points supplying 205 households.

To strengthen the link between water access and food production, the MEC also distributed production inputs to 120 beneficiaries. The support aims to reduce food insecurity, boost local agricultural output, and enable small-scale farmers to begin aggregating produce for potential markets.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony this week, Kontsiwe emphasised that the Ilima/Letsema Lokulima Programme is designed to advance community cohesion and strengthen food security across rural areas.

“The programme aims to bring people together to work their gardens, produce food and fight poverty with government support. The new spring water infrastructure ensures that people will no longer face the challenge of fetching irrigation water from distant locations, which is critical in areas where rainfall is scarce. The happiness of the community here is deeply encouraging to us,” said Kontsiwe.

Resident Ntombizanele Sonkwenye from Sigoga Village welcomed the investment, noting that the community had long struggled to access water, often walking “long and dangerous distances” to fetch it.

“The areas where we previously fetched water were overgrown and dangerous, creating fear, especially when sending our children during these times of high crime. The government has now provided us with water straight from the mountain. Today we are drinking clean, healthy water. We are truly overjoyed and grateful for this support,” Sonkwenye said.

Sonkwenye added that irrigation had previously been difficult because fetching water for consumption alone was an eventful and tiring exercise.

“We are also engaging local youth struggling with substance abuse, encouraging them to join us so we can combat poverty together,” she said.

Simthembile Folotyi of Upper Tsitsana Village also expressed appreciation for the production inputs.

“The seedlings, fertilisers and tools we received will not only assist us in fighting poverty but will also help us grow and develop. We are thankful to the department for the assistance, which will enable us to produce diverse vegetables to fight hunger and poverty,” Folotyi said.

During the visit, Kontsiwe also handed over 32 industrial sewing machines to 16 women-led enterprises in Lower Tsitsana Village, benefiting groups across three local municipalities in the Joe Gqabi District. The initiative is aimed at boosting local economic development.

The MEC stated that the goal is to enhance the quality of garments produced by the local women. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Government calls on e-hailing operators to register vehicles for operating licences

Source: Government of South Africa

Thursday, November 20, 2025

The Department of Transport has urged e-hailing operators to convert their charter permits and meter taxi operating licences to e-hailing operating licences.

This comes in the wake of a concern regarding a snail’s pace of e-hailing platform companies and individuals registering their platforms with the National Public Transport Regulator – an entity of the department. 

“The department has therefore urged all providers of e-hailing platforms working with e-hailing operators to register their digital platforms with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR), as a matter of priority.

“Without a registered app no operator will be able to convert to e-hailing operating licence or apply for a new e-hailing operating licence. This means after 180 days [from 12 September 2025], those who have not converted will automatically become illegal operators,” the department said on Thursday.

The National Land Transport Amendment Act, 2009 (Act No. 5 of 2009), along with Regulations, requires e-hailing platform providers to register their digital applications with the department through the NPTR.

“Providers who are not registered with the NPTR will not appear in the databases maintained by the provincial regulators in the nine provinces. Consequently, this will impact e-hailing operators seeking to apply for an operating license at the provincial level using their digital platforms,” the department said.

According to the department’s e-hailing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), applications should be submitted using Form 9A, which can be obtained from the department’s website (www.transport.gov.za) under the NPTR link. 

Applications can be submitted in person, via email, by post. The application fee is R5 000 for a period of 7 years.

Additional details regarding the registration process for e-hailing app providers and contact details for the NPTR office are as follows: 012 3093752/ 3093237/ 3093024 email: NPTR@dot.gov.za. –SAnews.gov.za

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Acting Police Minister to welcome over 3 000 newly trained constables

Source: Government of South Africa

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, together with Deputy Ministers, Dr Polly Boshielo and Mr Cassel Mathale, will on Friday, welcome 3 558 newly trained constables into the ranks of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

SAPS National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, will join Cachalia, who will preside over the largest parade featuring 2 036 graduates at the SAPS Academy in Tshwane, Gauteng.

“This initiative forms part of the organisation’s broader efforts to bolster crime combatting efforts at the grassroots level of policing,” the SAPS said in a statement.

The passing out parades will take place simultaneously on Friday from 9am, with the main event taking place at the SAPS Academy in Tshwane. – SAnews.gov.za

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Agricultural exports from Africa are not doing well. Four ways to change that

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Lilac Nachum, Visiting professor, Strathmore University

Africa is the world’s most endowed continent in agricultural potential, yet it remains a marginal player in global agribusiness. This paradox lies at the heart of Africa’s development challenge.

Africa’s land accounts for nearly half of the global total. Most of it can be used for growing crops. It is also largely unprotected, and not forested, with low population density. The continent’s climate supports the growth of 80% of the foods consumed globally. Economic theory would predict that these conditions would lead to strong export performance. Yet Africa’s share of global agricultural exports is the lowest worldwide. It fell from about 8% in 1960 to 4% in the early 2020s, according to World Bank data.

Policymakers have largely neglected agribusiness export performance, with a few exceptions, such as Kenya and Ghana. Agribusiness refers to the entire range of activities in producing, processing, distributing and marketing agricultural products.

Despite being the largest contributor to GDP and employment, agribusiness receives a disproportionately small share of government spending (on average 4%), far below its economic significance. There are variations across the continent, ranging from 8% and 7% respectively in Mali and South Sudan to less than 3% in Kenya and Ghana. Many governments have instead chosen manufacturing as the pathway to global integration.

Based on insights from over three decades of research, consulting and teaching on global markets and development, I argue that agriculture could lead Africa’s integration into the world economy. Four reforms would be necessary: improving access to capital; documenting land; designing targeted cross-border policies; and strategically employing trade policy.

In these ways, Africa could use its natural assets to secure broad-based economic growth and a stronger position in global value chains.

Four reforms to support agribusiness

1. Improve access to capital

Capital scarcity remains the most serious constraint on African agribusiness. Financial institutions are reluctant to lend due to high risk, long investment horizons, poor collateral, and profits being vulnerable to price shocks. The World Bank estimates that agriculture receives only about 1% of commercial lending despite contributing 25%-40% of GDP (up to 6% in Nigeria and Ethiopia). Lending rates are often double the economy-wide average, as UN Food and Agriculture Organization data show for Uganda.

Governments can help close this financing gap. In 2024, Kenya allocated US$7.7 million for developing its tea production. Domestic investment can generate savings by cutting food import bills. Nigeria’s Tomato Jos project, for instance, reduced annual tomato paste imports by US$360 million.

Governments should expand public lending while also enabling private sector participation through risk-sharing mechanisms. South Africa’s Khula Credit Guarantee Scheme illustrates how government-backed guarantees can unlock finance for collateral-poor farmers. This model has been reproduced in Kenya and Tanzania with EU and development bank support.

Private finance sources such as venture capital have also grown rapidly. In 2024, Nigeria and South Africa each attracted about US$500 million in venture funding. Funded African startups have grown six times faster than the global average. Micro-lending platforms now exceed US$8.5 billion in loans.

2. Document the land

Over 80% of Africa’s arable land is undocumented and governed by customary tenure systems poorly integrated into formal law. Weak land administration deters investment and limits land’s use as collateral. Transfers cost twice as much and take twice as long as in OECD countries (the world’s 38 most developed countries). That constrains access to credit and economies of scale needed for exports.

Several land tenure reforms introduced in the last decade demonstrate the benefits of formalisation. Ethiopia issued certificates to 20 million smallholders, boosting rental activity. Malawi’s redistribution of 15,000 hectares raised household incomes by 40%. In Mozambique, Uganda and Liberia, governments legally recognised customary institutions to facilitate formal land contracts. Rwanda’s comprehensive land mapping further improved transparency and investment incentives.

3. Design focused cross-border policies

Regional and global markets need different strategies for export success. Intra-African trade benefits from proximity and regulatory harmonisation. The East African Community’s trade facilitation measures increased intra-regional dairy exports 65-fold within a decade.

Most African agricultural exports, however, go to non-African markets, requiring infrastructure and logistics investments to ensure speed and quality. Senegal increased exports by 20% annually after investing in high-speed shipping, while Ethiopia’s flower growing boom owes much to its air transport and cold-chain systems.

Policies must also be crop specific. Kenya’s targeted avocado export strategy transformed it into Africa’s largest exporter, with double-digit annual growth. Mali’s mango export policy built a competitive value chain serving European markets.

4. Use trade policy as a tool for upgrading

African exporters primarily sell raw, low-value materials. Nigeria, a top tomato producer, exports nearly all production unprocessed – and imports paste. Less than 5% of Kenyan tea, the nation’s leading export, is branded. Trade policy can reverse this imbalance by encouraging domestic processing.

The East African Community’s differentiated tariff structure successfully encouraged value addition by lowering duties on intermediate goods while protecting local food processing. Governments could similarly tax or restrict unprocessed exports to motivate upgrading. At the same time, it’s necessary to invest in processing capacity. Several countries, including Botswana, Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire, have attempted raw export bans with limited success because the enabling conditions are missing.

A decisive shift

Africa’s agribusiness sector embodies the continent’s untapped potential for structural transformation. With abundant land, favourable climate and rapidly growing domestic demand, Africa possesses clear comparative advantages. Africa is also becoming more capable of addressing the challenges that have arrested the development of the agribusiness sector in the past. This article develops a policy agenda designed to reverse Africa’s declining share of world agricultural trade by amending institutional failures that have constrained competitiveness.

This agenda is based on enhancing access to finance, formalising land rights, implementing targeted cross-border initiatives, and using trade policy for upgrading. A decisive policy shift towards an agriculture-led development agenda is essential. Implementing this agenda will enable African countries to improve their economic position at home and in the world.

– Agricultural exports from Africa are not doing well. Four ways to change that
– https://theconversation.com/agricultural-exports-from-africa-are-not-doing-well-four-ways-to-change-that-268780