Ethiopia: The Dragon’s Quest in Africa

By Teshome Abebe

No discussion of the resurgence of China and its relationship with African countries would be complete without a review of the China-Africa policy which began decades ago, and which appeared in at least three phases. This article provides an executive review of the development of the China-Africa policy, and attempts to shed some light on the ongoing controversy that China is simply a twenty-first-century colonizer. The applicability or utility of a totalitarian capitalist system to the African experience is not part of this piece. That requires another article. As a consequence, the aim here is not to provide a slew of policy alternatives—that should be left to policy experts of each country. Rather, the aim is to provide a synopsis of the genesis of the Sino-African development policy along with the conditions and outcomes that ensued. Thus, what follows is a review based upon pre-eminent previous work by others.

The Three Phases of the China-Africa Policy Development:

In 1955, in the city of Bandung, Indonesia, a conference was held giving birth to the first phase of the China-Africa policy. This conference was dubbed the South-South Conference. At this conference, five principles of co-existence were spelled out and agreed to by the participants. These principles were: a) respect for territorial integrity; b) rejection of aggression against other states; c) non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries; d) the principles of equality and mutual benefit; and e) peaceful co-existence. For China itself, the undergirding principle of these factors was their focus on, f) The One-China Policy. This emphasis would become critical in the ensuring development and other forms of cooperation between China and African states. (For a detailed observation and assessment of the policy development phases, please see the pre-eminent work by Asayeghn Desta, 2009)

The Bandung conference would eventually be followed by the Non-aligned Movement in 1961, and gives birth to the following practical outcomes, including, a) the delinking of the South from the advanced countries of the North; b) to pursue collective development; and, c) envisage initiatives for cooperative exchanges of knowledge, skills, resources and technical knowhow. It is worth noting here, that in 1962, China had a record low GDP of merely $47.2b—an amount equal to what Tanzania produced in 2016.

The first phase of the Sino-African policy—prior to the 1970's, could be rightly categorized as being ideologically driven. If one were to look at relations between China and African countries' relations, what emerges here is an ideological connection or influence. The situation in Algeria, Angola, Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Guinea, etc. including inter-party relations of ZAPU (Nkomo) and ZANU (Mugabe), the African National Congress (ANC) are all examples of the ideological influences of the Sino-African relations.

The second phase heralded in the 1970's and 1980's was a Sino-African relationship that partially got eclipsed because of the cold war. Even during this period, China's connection to the continent, while quieter, was not completely extinguished. It was during this period that the emergence of China took an urgent and focused tone leading to Deng Xia Ping's "Economic Transformation" push. Toward the end of this period, China renews its South-South Cooperation referred to since as the "Beijing Consensus" (posing China's economic development model as an alternative, especially for developing countries—and rejecting the universality of the Washington Consensus.

Phase three of the Sino-African relations policy heralds the emergence of the current China policy regarding the continent and is punctuated by: a) the Beijing Consensus; b) continued South-South dialogue, and c) the formation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation or FOCAC.

This third phase heralded the self-acknowledgement by China that the country needed several conditions to be fulfilled if it were to move forward in its push for economic transformation as envisaged in the second phase of this Sino-Africa development trajectory. By its own assessment, China needed:

Resources for its blossoming economy, namely, oil, minerals, timber, and other raw materials

A market for its manufactured goods

Reliable political allies for its "One China Policy"

To accomplish these goals (and satisfy the needs), China saw Africa and began propagating the continent as being rich in: a) culture, b) religion, c) social dynamism, d) energy, and e) as being a great opportunity for business. One needs to contrast this view to that of the West's, which saw Africa, in most cases and justifiably, as: a) chaotic, b) conflict ridden, c) corrupt, and d) poor in wealth as well as in governance.

As a consequence, and in the main, China began to encourage the following industries to invest in Africa (Asayeghn Desta, 2009):

Processing industrial products in the fields of electronics, machinery making, textiles and garments

Investing in agricultural products in order to add value to Africa's exports and improve Africa's terms of trade

Extracting natural resources, including petroleum and high valued minerals

Investing in: infrastructure (such as roads, power plants, dams, oil/gas pipelines, telecommunication and water projects); power supply; and real estate development

A period characterized by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) made possible by and through: government backed FDI (for example in 2007 alone, 700 firms collaborated with government firms in Africa); preferential finance; tax concessions; and political backing to "go global" (for 2007 alone, 180 companies benefited from these) (Alden and Davies, 2006).

Based on the available evidence, an objective view of this is that the Chinese FDI motive in Africa was, in the main, two pronged: 1) to securing new markets; and 2) to securing raw materials, such as crude oil, iron ore, steel, copper, magnesium, diamonds). There are other objectives as well, namely, 3) raising the efficiency of domestic firms; 4) obtaining cheap labor, securing defensive or offensive strategic advantage; and 6) securing development cooperation (Asayeghn Desta, 2009). It is notable that China's development cooperation has always been exclusively project based. For instance, these included, giving grant aid (non-payable) to schools, hospitals, housing African Union Headquarters and hotels; interest free loans (for infrastructure projects); and preferential credits (at below market interest rates). It would not be lost in the mind of the reader that infrastructure projects are critical for extracting and transporting energy and mineral resources. In the year 2005 alone, China spent $6.5 billion on 260 projects in 36 countries. That same year, China spent $12.5 billion on preferential credits.

In general, for example, since 2000, Africa's exports to China have grown over 56%, even if oil and mineral exports accounted for 85% of that growth. In terms of raw numbers, that amounted to: $10.0b; $20.4b; $39.6b; $55.5b; and $100.0b for 2003; 2004; 2005; 2007; and 2010 respectively. China today has the second largest world economy in purchasing power parity at $11.2t. This figure accounts for 18% of the world economy. For comparative purposes (2016 data), the US GDP was $18.57t; the entire Euro area was $11.9t; Japan at $4.94; Germany at $3.47t; and India at $2.27t. In 1962, China had a record low GDP of only $47.2b! China is also on the verge of becoming the second largest trading partner for Africa, if not already, next to the European Union, overcoming the United States. China imports over 40% of its oil, and a third of that comes from Africa (Angola, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan, in that order).

As others have also concluded, these figures show that China does matter in Africa, and that China's trade and investment will have far more consequential impact than provided by traditional non-Chinese partners. This is partly because the impact of the China boom has been a degree of buoyancy in commodity prices. A major beneficiary of these is Africa in which China's presence has expanded substantially. One consequence of the rise in the volume and unit value of commodity exports from Africa, are signs of the current reversal of the long-term deterioration of net barter terms of trade faced by developing countries dependent on primary products for their export revenues which in turn finance the imports of manufactured products (C.P. Chandrasekhar, 2008).

What Does All This Mean?

Based upon a review of the existing evidence, an objective observer could conclude, and in summary form, that China's "state-centric" engagement with Africa is based on the principle of sovereignty and non-interference, and is driven by and to:

Acquire the needed natural resources: energy supply, and export market for a growing economy

Ascertain its belief that its development model is instructive to Africa

Strengthen diplomatic alliances essential to support its global ambitions which are becoming more aggressive. "As China's economy has skyrocketed in recent decades, it has shored up its efforts in Africa. China has expanded trade and infrastructure projects, increased its commitment to peacekeeping missions and strengthened its military presence on the continent." (Gaby Galvin, 2017). (The Silk Road initiative, and China's acquisition of a military base in Djibouti are just two examples).

To facilitate these objectives, China continues to employ a mix of strategies, including:

The use of public diplomacy (FOCAC)

The pledge of large amounts of aid and investments with no political strings attached except "The One China Policy" (withdrawal of diplomatic relations with Taiwan)

The use of aid donations for Chinese companies to acquire African assets as a strategic ground for learning and experience for their companies

The identifiable benefits for the African continent of this Chinese quest includes:

Chinese investments; trade, and assistance in infrastructure helps diversity African exports

Chinese companies usually operate on profit margins of less than 10% (as opposed to 15-25% of local and other foreign companies

As Corkin & Burke (2008) attest, strangely, private sector competition has improved and helped improve African lives (imagine the recently built standard gauge railways in Ethiopia and Kenya)

China makes no value demands, and most African governments are quite happy with that. "Many African governments like to work with the Chinese because it's traditionally been a strictly business-to-business relationship. There's been less conditionality in types of support that the Chinese – especially the state-backed companies – [have] offered to governments." (Gaby Galvin, 2017).

The transfer of significant know how even if African governments are reluctant to embrace laborsaving technologies (as a means of providing employment to the masses of the unemployed) (Asayeghn Desta, 2009).

On balance then, it would be reasonable to conclude that the Chinese involvement and policy towards Africa can be accurately characterized as:

Having contributed to a significant level of economic growth, but

Having very little impact on the broader human development factors in the continent

Is China a Modern-Day-Colonizer?

The alarm about China-Africa relationship mostly comes from Europe and the United States, and is centered mainly on two factors: economic and geopolitical. The question usually asked of Chinese influence in the continent takes the form of a 'burden' or of 'new colonialist' or 'friend and benefactor'. While these are questions of both an empirical nature and values oriented, they ignore a very important factor: that the Africans and African institutions should be held accountable for their decisions as well. What is undeniable is this: in 2016, China was, engaged in considerable trade with what I will call the Africa Five (Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, and Sudan, with GDPs of $405b, $336b, $295b, $101b, and $96b, respectively) as it was with the Sub-Sahara Five (Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana, with GDPs of $90b, $72b, $71b, $47b and $43b, respectively).

Arguing against the notion that China is simply another modern-day imperial colonialist, Hannah Ryder (2017), in a Project Syndicate opinion page, proposes three arguments as contrary evidence to the charge. First, unlike the usual methods of colonialism, the Chinese state-owned as well as private companies prefer to do business in African countries that already have formalized ties with China. Second, the Chinese do not avoid countries with governments that champion their own citizens' interests. Whether these interests are expressed in the form of strong labor laws or stiff requirements of domestic inputs, the Chinese have been willing to accommodate the host government conditions in the projects that they undertake. And finally, third, Chinese investment destinations have focused on maximizing returns, and that implies seeking fast-growing economies in the continent. Investment destinations in countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya show the complexity of Chinese i nvestment decisions in search of high growth countries; while investments destinations to countries such as Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and even Zimbabwe and Sudan exhibit a willingness to take economic and political risks as well.

Teshome Abebe, Ph.D., a former Provost and Vice President at two institutions, is University Faculty Laureate, and Professor of Economics; and may be reached at: teshome2008@gmail.com

 

 

 

References and Further Reading

Asayeghn Desta, For a pre-eminent investigation and detailed reading on the role of China in Africa, please read the beautifully documented and referenced work by Asayeghn Desta, presented in three parts, and titled, "China's South-South Cooperative Investments", http://aigaforum.com/articles/Chinese_Investment, accessed 1/26/2009.

Asayeghn Desta, "Chinese Investments in Ethiopia: Political Warfare Operations or South-South Cooperation?" http://aigaforum.com/articles/Chinese_Investments, accessed 12/5/2008.

Didrik Schanche, "China's Rising Power in Africa", http://npr.org/templates/story/ accessed 1/23/2009.

Princeton N. Lyman, "China's Rising Role in Africa", Council on Foreign Relations, http://cfr.org/publication/8436. Accessed 1/23/2009

P. Chandrasekhar, "China's Role In Africa", People's Democracy, http://pd.cpim.org/2008.0217, accessed 1/23/2009.

Ellen Lammers, "How Will the Beijing Consensus Benefit Africa?" The Broker, http://thebrokeronline.eu/en/layout/set, accessed 1/13/2009.

Wilfried Bolewski and Candy Rietig, The Cultural Impact on China's New Diplomacy, The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, Summer/Fall 2008.

Corkin and C. Burke, "Constructive Engagement: An Overview of China's Role in Africa's Construction Industries" A Publication of the Center for Chinese Studies (CCS), Stellenbosch University, South Africa, 2008 (also cited in Asayeghn Desta.

John S. Saul and Colin Leys, "Sub-Saharan Africa in Global Capitalism" Monthly Review, July-August, 1999.

Hannah Ryder, The Imperialist People's Republic of Africa?" Project Syndicate, July 13, 2017.

Alden and M. Davies, "A Profile of the Operations of Chinese Multinationals in Africa", South African Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 13, Issue 1, Summer/Autumn 2006, 83-96.

Gaby Galvin, " 'America First' May Put Africa Last", US News & World Report, 7/19/17.

Source: Ethiopia: The Dragon's Quest in Africa

Where Can You Live the Luxurious Life in South Africa?

South Africa is the go-to destination to purchase a home.

The country's richest city, Johannesburg, is home to many of South Africa's most expensive suburbs, while Cape Town is home to the most expensive suburb in the country, Clifton. Over 900 multi-millionaires live the luxurious life in Johannesburg's most expensive suburbs, with over 300 residing in Cape Town.

Can you picture yourself living the luxurious life in one of these suburbs? We've selected 10 homes from each location to spark your imagination. Get ready to dream!

Sandhurst emerged as a suburb in Johannesburg over 50 years ago. It's well known for being a residential area of opulence, with tree-lined streets that are devoid of any traffic, except during peak hours, and huge grounds on which beautiful mansions with high walls are built. The suburb enjoys high security as streets are heavily patrolled and all entrances to the suburb are boomed and closed to public thoroughfare.

Sandhurst is home to approximately 120 multi-millionaires, with the average price of a home being over R16 million ($1,217,600 USD).

Westcliff, Johannesburg

The suburb of Westcliff in Johannesburg was home to Johannesburg's rich and famous in the city's early days, and it has remained a prime suburb since then. With its close proximity to the Johannesburg Zoo, some residents are able to hear the roars of lions while enjoying some of the best views of the city.

It is home to over 40 multi-millionaires, with the average price of a home being over R10 million ($761,000 USD).

Dunkeld is an upmarket suburb that is sandwiched between Hyde Park, Melrose, Rosebank and Sandton, all which are equally as high-end. It is also one of Johannesburg's older suburbs, with tree-lined streets, large properties and eateries, namely the popular Fournos Bakery.

The average price for a home in Dunkeld is over R10 million ($761,000 USD).

Clifton in Cape Town is South Africa's prime affluent residential area that has the most expensive real estate in the country. Mansions are nestled on cliffs, and homeowners are treated to the beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. The suburb has a set of 4 beaches which are frequently used destinations for both locals and tourists.

Clifton is home to approximately 30 multi-millionaires. The average price for a home in Clifton is over R33 million ($2,511,300 USD), which is the highest average price for a home in South Africa.

Bantry Bay is one of Cape Town's affluent suburbs located on the slopes of Lion's Head by the rocky coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. It is best known for its wind-free status because of its location, which is significant given Cape Town's windy climate.

It is home to over 30 multi-millionaires, with the average price of a home being over R16 million ($1,217,600 USD).

Camps Bay is a popular tourist destination for both locals and overseas tourists and is one of Cape Town's affluent suburbs. It was home to the San and Khoikhoi before the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. It is located on the slopes of the Twelve Apostles.

Camps Bay is home to over 60 multi-millionaires, with the average price of a home being over R15 million ($1,141,500 USD).

The suburb of Fresnaye in Cape Town is located along the Atlantic Seaboard on the slopes of Lion's Head between Sea Point and Bantry Bay. It is sheltered from the notorious south-easterly and is close to tourist attractions such as the V&A Waterfront, restaurants and beaches in Camps Bay and Clifton.

About 20 multi-millionaires call the suburb home, and a house goes for an average of over R14 million ($1,065,400 USD).

Llandudno, which was named after Llandudno in Wales, is a stretch of countryside on the west slopes of Table Mountain. It was also home to the San and Khoikhoi before the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. The suburb is different from others in Cape Town in that it has no street lamps and no retail outlets, the beach remains unspoilt and the fynbos countryside stretches off untouched in each direction.

The average price for a home in this suburb is over R11 million ($837,100 USD).

Bishopscourt is a leafy suburb located on the slopes of Table Mountain in the Constantia Valley in Cape Town. It is well known for beautiful gardens, large family homes and quiet streets. It is close to the Constantia Wine Route, Kirstenbosch Gardens, the city centre and St James and Danger beach.

A house in this suburb will cost you over R11 million ($837,100 USD).

The affluent suburb of Constantia is one of the oldest in Cape Town, having being established in 1684 by the Dutch Colonial Governor of Cape Town Simon Van Der Stel. It is located about 15 kilometres south of the centre of Cape Town by the foot of the Constantiaberg Mountain.

Approximately 30 multi-millionaires live in Constantia. The average price of a home in the area is over R11 million ($837,100 USD).

What South African suburb would you most like to live in? Which one of these 10 homes fits your style? Leave your comments below to let us know.

Enjoyed this article? You may also like this one: Top 10 Most Sought After Suburbs in Africa

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Source: Where Can You Live the Luxurious Life in South Africa?

5 Least Visited Countries in Africa

São Tomé and Príncipe

The island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, located off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa, is the second smallest African country after the Seychelles, and the smallest Portuguese-speaking country with a population of just over 190,000 people.

In 2015, the nation welcomed 34,000 visitors, which is relatively low compared to the number of visitors other island nation countries received, including Seychelles (277,000) and Mauritius (over 100,000), this according to the African Statistical Yearbook of 2016. Factors contributing to the low number of visitors include the country's fragile and volatile economy, which is still heavily reliant on international financing, absence of roads and communication in good condition, and underdevelopment of many travel and tourism-related infrastructures.

Many tourists that visit the island nation, mostly Portuguese tourists, enjoy unspoiled landscapes and a warm, tropical climate. Interesting things to do include a visit to Obo National Park, which has over 700 species of flora and fauna, as well as white and black sandy beaches, a visit to various plantation houses that showcase the island's colonial history, as well as various beaches that are far from being crowded and busy.

Here's more on the country's tourism industry:
Source: 5 Least Visited Countries in Africa

Africa has the potential to be the new Europe

The migrant flow from Africa into Europe has been a significant problem for a long time, and the never-ending wars and poverty in parts of Africa only exacerbate the situation.

These people, who have as much right to live dignified and high-quality lives as Europeans, risk dangerous journeys towards an unknown future, with the hope finding a better life. However, conflicts continue and as poverty spreads, the problem will likely grow and more downtrodden and impoverished people will look to Europe in the hope of finding a safe haven and a dignified life.

Yet it is clear that the entire population of Africa or the Middle East cannot be accommodated in Europe. Therefore, after providing temporary relief for urgent cases and especially for vulnerable people, the solution should focus on improving the living conditions of the lands in question.

Today we know that apart from the millions who wish to take refuge in other countries owing to an imminent threat to their lives and dignity, there is also a significant group of people that want to do the same to achieve higher living standards. And they surely deserve to live high-quality lives just like everyone else. Every person is born equal and a person's birthplace should not decide if they will be respected, valued and live a humane life. However, since it is impossible to fit the entire population of the world in certain areas only, we should work to achieve the desired living standards everywhere.

In other words, the solution to the refugee and immigrant problem should focus on two main points:

- Providing immediate shelter and relief to people that urgently need protection and help.

- Improving sub-par living conditions in problematic regions so that people do not feel the urge to leave their countries and seek a better life elsewhere.

It should not be forgotten that the European colonial powers played an important role in the current impoverished and strife-ridden state of Africa. While Europe developed, prospered and built a civilisation of rich culture, art and science, certain European leaders of the time, in pursuit of their colonial dreams, breached every human right and moral value and terribly exploited Africa. So much so that between 1881 and 1914, in now what is called the "scramble for Africa", 90% of the continent came under European control. Over time, despite its natural resources, beauties, culture and art, the continent became impossibly impoverished. Today, despite its rich natural resources, 75% of the world's poorest countries are to be found in Africa. In 2010, 414 million people were living on $1.25 or less a day in sub-Saharan Africa and almost one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished and 589 million people in the same area live without electricity. And traces of those days still linger in certain areas. For instance, France still receives a so-called colonial tax from its former African colonies, which amounts to around $500 billion (R6.5 trillion) a year. Many sources in Africa are still under the control of certain European countries. Furthermore, never-ending clashes, civil wars and conflicts continue to destroy the continent and force millions to look for shelter and help.

However, it is possible to make Africa a new centre of culture and civilisation. It is possible to make Lagos another Paris, Dar es Salaam another Rome or Addis Ababa another London. The continent has more than enough potential and culture to make this happen. For instance, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa: "Africa accounts for three-quarters of the world's platinum supply, and half of its diamonds and chromium. It has up to one-fifth of the world's gold and uranium supplies and it is increasingly home to oil and gas production, with over thirty countries now in this category."

Also, these wonderful lands were home to impressive civilisations in the past. For example, while Europe was struggling in the darkness of the Middle Ages, Timbuktu was home to world's first university. In the 12th century, in a city of 100 000 people, this school had 25 000 students who came from all around Africa to excel in knowledge and a variety of talents. Today, it is perfectly possible to make it again a centre of education and culture, a hub of art and music, a safe haven that promises a good, dignified life to both its residents and visitors.

We have seen this transformation many times in the past. For example, until the 1960s and 1970s, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Portugal were primary sources of emigration and millions of people migrated to countries like the US and Australia. However, as living standards rose in these countries, the trend reversed and the sources of emigration turned into magnets of immigration.

There is no reason why Africa cannot achieve this, given its potential, its natural resources, its cultural background and diversity, coupled with the willingness of the world to help. But first, the modern colonisation should stop immediately.

After that, under the auspices of the UN, each country, proportional to their GDP, can contribute to a fund reserved for the development and improvement of living standards in Africa. When this happens, not only the inhabitants of this beautiful continent, but Europeans will benefit as well. They will finally be relieved of the social and economic challenges brought about by mass immigration and will have a new destination, almost a new version of Europe, where they can enjoy a good life amid a different and exciting culture. Until this is done, the immigration influx will clearly continue.

So let's take concrete steps to solve the root causes of the problem and make every place of human settlement in the world a desirable location, where people live quality lives befitting their human dignity.

* Harun Yahya is a Muslim intellectual, and the author of 300 books on science and faith topics.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

The Cape Argus

Source: Africa has the potential to be the new Europe

Is Caf neglect killing women's football in Africa?

Despite on-field improvement, African women's sides continue to suffer underfunding across the continent

COMMENT       

Seven months ago, the 12th African Women's Nations Cup took place in Cameroon. The women's game appeared to have made a huge leap on the pitch, but with prize money negligible, the players are still competing for little more than pride.

African players are still facing stigma and misogynistic abuse. Players abandon the African leagues for overseas' clubs owing to cultural factors and neglect, and that "the problem is lack of sponsorship, motivation, poor welfare, and belief that we can never make a difference with our talents," says Tobiloba Windapo, an Equatorial Guinea International based in Nigeria.

African female sides hardly attend local, let alone international, friendlies due to lack of funds, and it's little wonder that many ultimately fail to impress at major tournaments. The decline has had its consequences, with a drop in participating nations - from 24 to 19 - for the U20 Women's World Cup qualifiers this term.

The participants of the African Women's Nations Cup in Ghana gets a paltry $250,000 – in contrast to the $16,400,000 the men's winners will receive for the next Afcon in Cameroon in 2019.

It's an ugly trend which, as South Africa's Hilton Fran Smith told Goal, could be best fixed by "making it a [yearly] event, not every two years, and the organising of the women's club championship - where the best clubs in each country can compete like the men's [Caf Confederation Cup and Caf Champions League] - for attractive prize money.

"Fifa gives Caf a lot of money for the development of women's football which should be used to support national teams, national leagues, and continental women championships."

Seconding Smith, Nigeria Women Football League chairperson Aisha Falode told Goal that Africa's football organising body must fulfill their broader responsibilities towards the women's game. 

"Caf can greatly help the women's game by creating a distinctive version of Africa's U17 and U20 tournaments - as is the case with the men's - and [there must be an] expansion of the Awcon beyond the present eight-team tournament.

"Caf must work hard to reverse the trend that has seen no African country host a Women's World Cup at any level to date, and we are the only continent without any age-grade championships for women."

In addition to the shortage of investment, alleged looting at the FA level also appears to be a problem.

The state of grassroots football is nothing to write home about, with a Cameroonian magazine - to cite one example - arguing that the stagnation of their women's game was due to internal wrangling within Fecafoot officials over the use of Fifa's $250,000 (120 million CFA) annual grant.

Like Cameroon, Nigeria, considered to be the destination for players in the sub-Saharan region, has endured years of financial starvation over the last decade.

This is one major reason for the decline of the women's game in Nigeria, as a "lack of appropriate funding and sponsorship appear to be at the heart of the impediments to run a virile women's league in the country," added Falode.

There is one ray of hope on the horizon, however, with Falode's board recently securing 10-million naira's worth of Aiteo sponsorship for the women's Federation Cup

"Transparency and proper process, as well as well-defined league calendar and structure, are now in place and we're convinced that, with sponsors, the league's rebirth will be completed."

Likewise, Isha Johansen, Sierra Leone FA president and chairperson for Africa women's football committee, is leading by example. 

Apart from reviving the neglected age-grade national teams and domestic league, she has pledged to lead the campaign for gender equality on the continent.

Like Lewes FC of England, Johansen, the only female Caf executive member, is fast banishing gender inequality by disbursing 30million leone to each regional FA for the inauguration of a regional women football league.

"[I want] to use the next few years to actually place women at the forefront of decision-making in the game, in a manner that will acknowledge the impact and potential that women have," Johansen said during the 2017 International Women's Day. "I want to pioneer that voice.

"Fifa has given us a voice. Caf is giving us a voice. A voice is good, but an effective, meaningful voice is what I crave," she added. "Isha Johansen stands for a loud voice for the interests of women en route to building a veritable football culture in Africa." 

Ultimately, as some of the aforementioned figureheads demonstrate, women's football stakeholders ultimately desire respect, more sponsorship and key administrative roles from Africa's patriarchal continental and national football bodies.

Source: Is Caf neglect killing women's football in Africa?

South Africa Tourism targets Kolkata's HNI market as growth area

Kolkata, Jul 19 (IBNS): Kolkata is the only city where she was asked about South African literature, about major art galleries and museums, on her multi-city tour in India, said Hanneli Slabber, Country Manager India, South Africa Tourism, at a recent meeting in Kolkata.

Here people seem keen to make the maximum use of their time while visiting South Africa, she said. 

South Africa Tourism concluded the seventh edition of its annual travel trade training session in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Aimed at equipping travel agents with relevant tips to sell the destination, 'Learn South Africa' (Learn SA) was a 17-city training programme covering urban metros as well as tier II and III markets.

According to reports, Indian leisure visitor numbers to South Africa surged 21.7 per cent during 2016 to close at an arrivals figure of 95,377 78,385 in 2015) and eighth among South Africa's international source markets.

Overall spend by Indians (only in-country on-tour spends) in 2016 crossed 1,2 billion ZAR (South African Rand).

"2016 was a milestone year for us at South Africa Tourism in India and we are determined o set new benchmarks for the industry as well as ourselves by making 2017 bigger and better," said Slabber.

According to Slabber, South Africa Tourism has seen a substantial increase in the number of visitors from Kolkata over the past five years.

Kolkata has been one of the most rapidly growing source markets driving tourist traffic to South Africa, said Slabber.

Going by the 2017 New World Wealth Report, Kolkata localities Ballygunge and Alipore alone have emerged as the most affluent in India with the total wealth in Kolkata amounting to nearly $290 billion.  Kolkata is also home to 9600 millionaires – which is more than Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai or Gurgaon.

The report has encouraged South African Tourism to tap into the HNI (High net worth individual) market of Kolkata through travel agent training programme.

Devesh Kumar Agarwal, Chairman - Eastern Region, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said that besides West Bengal, their member travel agencies from Assam and Odisha have also seen an increased interest among customers regarding travelling to South Africa.

"Some of our members from Odisha have successfully marketed MICE travel to South Africa," he said. 

Said Bettaiah Lokesh, Hon. Secretary General, TAAI, "With South African Tourism,  this is the second time that we have undertaken this training. We are happy that the trade is getting exclusive marketing tips from the SAT team and stakeholders from SA who have come to India."

"Learn SA helps ensure that Indian travel agents know how to choose the best quality hotels for their customer's budget and needs. It also teaches them how to choose the best in-destination partners to escort the traveler while on holiday. It also gives them updates about new things to see and do in South Africa and basics like visa and logistical know-how to ensure that travelers are catered to efficiently," said Slabber.

South Africa is the perfect destination for the well-travelled Kolkatite with its variety of distinctive attractions, unforgettable experiences, world-class facilities and excellent infrastructure, said Slabber.

Apart from regular destinations such as Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Kruger National Park , South Africa Tourism is keen to promote  lesser-known destinations such as Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth and the Drakensberg region.

One of the key problems as many agents pointed out was connectivity.

According to Hanneli Slabber, efforts are on to increase seat capacity on relevant flight routes ex-Kolkata. Presently, Kolkata is connected to South African cities by Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways and Air Seychelles which fly via their respective hubs and domestic India connections.  The Rand (ZAR)-Rupee exchange rate has been relatively favorable for the India market. Since the South Africa product quote comes in ZAR and not US dollars, Indian travelers are able to buy more experiences and activities for less money thus, making South Africa a value-for-money destination, emphasised Slabber.

(Reporting by Uttara Gangopadhyay)

Source: South Africa Tourism targets Kolkata's HNI market as growth area

Cape Town Marathon a 'must run' for Africa's elite

CAPE TOWN - The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, scheduled to take place in September, is starting to play a decisive role in opening the elite marathon world to Africa athletes with its newly acquired IAAF Gold Status likely to prove a strong magnet to the continent's best distance running talent.

And with a faster-than-ever revised course, details of which are due to be revealed shortly, Cape Town could become the destination of choice for many looking to post bronze, silver or gold standard marathon times on their athletics CV.

An elite entry ticket into the world's leading marathons is hard to come by for many potential future super-stars who have not yet made their mark on the world stage, and Cape Town, the continent's first and only gold-status standard marathon, is the ideal place to catapult them to stardom.

"We are very proud that the Cape Town Marathon has assisted several African athletes by providing a springboard for their international careers," said former leading middle-distance star and current race director Janet Welham. 

"And now we have gold status, we can anticipate that more and more runners will be looking to Cape Town to help them on their way."

Ethiopian Asefa Negewo raced to a personal best in winning in Cape Town last September in the fastest time on South African soil on a certified course of 2:08:41. Negewo's time met the IAAF gold standard qualification, and earned him a place in the elite field in this year's London Marathon, where he ran a credible 7th in 2:10:04 in April.

Cape Town resident and British athlete, Tish Jones, won an elite entry at London with her 2:36:13 victory in Cape Town last year, a time she improved by a further three minutes in London where she was the third British athlete to finish.

Khayelitsha marathoner Lungile Gongqa's life was changed in September 2015 when he finished second in the Cape Town Marathon to winner Shadrack Kemboi of Kenya, clocking his lifetime best of 2:11:59, enough to secure his place on the marathon team to compete in the Rio Olympics.

While running below par in Brazil, Gongqa bounced back to win this year's Two Oceans Marathon, the first Cape-based runner to succeed since Don Hartley in 1973.

Winner of the women's competition at Cape Town in 2014, Ethiopian Meseret Mengistu, used the Mother City's achievement to lay the platform for her excellent win at the Paris Marathon in 2015, where she clocked a superb lifetime best of 2:23:24, while Lesotho's Motlokoa Nkhabutlane also tasted Parisian success after his 4th place in Cape Town, running to a top ten place and best time of 2:09:46 at the French event.

"I'm so pleased that the world is now taking notice and that athletes are using the Cape Town marathon to get opportunities to compete against the world's best in international competition," Marathon ambassador and former South African world-beater, Elana Meyer remarked. 

"Of course it helps that Cape Town is an iconic city, making the Marathon even more highly regarded, but the athletes must also run the times. The fact that they are doing so already is excellent and I'm certain this year's race will be better than ever."

Welham echoed Meyer's view. "Having received IAAF Gold Label accreditation after being promoted from Silver Label status last year, the race will offer local and African athletes the chance to compete at an elite international marathon on home soil," explained Welham.

Increasingly, aspirant African marathoners looking for career breaks will be following the Cape Town Marathon's slogan rather than looking to Europe: "Africa is my home, this is my race. It's Cape Town, must run it!"

Cape Times

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Source: Cape Town Marathon a 'must run' for Africa's elite