The railway connection will increase the volume of Russian exports to Africa to 50 billion dollars and even more

More than $16 billion is the volume of Russia's exports to African countries today. By 2030, the figure is projected to increase to $50 billion. That could be more, but if railway connection is built on the continent. This was stated in an interview to the Russian Railways Partner by the executive secretary of the African-Russian Energy Association (AREA) Andrey Gromov.

Africa has enormous potential not only as a resource base, but also as a sales market. In 2018, Paul Kagame, the head of the African Union, proposed creation of a free economic zone, and 44 African states supported this decision. There are no customs duties between the countries, therefore, to realize this potential, a wide network of railways across Africa is necessary for the development of the continent.

African countries need a comprehensive development plan. Russia is a country that is strong in creating macro–systems and interstate, supranational projects. Russian engineers could help Africa with this. This plan should be connected not only with the laying of paths, but also with the creation of energy potential, with the design of the development of settlements, the expert noted.

"Our organization, AREA, is currently working on creating a joint strategy for socio-economic cooperation between Russia and African countries. We invite companies to participate in the development of this document. The final concept of the development plan will be presented at the third Russia–Africa summit," Gromov added.

Therefore, the railway is a great help. Some countries could simply become logistics hubs, and this would allow them to realize their potential faster, the expert concluded.

#AREA #Africa #Railways #RussianRailways

The Russia–Africa Partnership Forum has begun

On November 9-10, 2024, the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum started at Sirius University.

The event, organized by the RosCongress Foundation, will bring together the foreign ministers of Russia and African countries, as well as representatives of government agencies, business and the media.

During the conference, participants will discuss key issues of cooperation in the fields of security, economics and humanitarian cooperation. The topics of discussion will include international information security, the fight against terrorism, the prevention of arms race in outer space, as well as trade, economic and investment partnership.

Within the framework of the forum, 19 panel sessions are planned, in which special attention will be paid to interaction between African countries and the Eurasian Economic Union.

#Russia #Africa #RussiaAfrica #MinisterialConference

A unique book by Russia about Africa and for Africa

The Africa 2025: Prospects and Challenges handbook was presented at the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. The English-language expert and analytical publication was prepared by a team of experts from the Center for African Studies of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, led by its director Andrey Maslov.

The handbook also examined the state of the electric power industry in African countries in the section "African resources in African markets: how to make the energy and mining industries work for Africa." In the conclusions to this chapter, the experts proposed the following option:

"Great potential in this sector is associated with digital solutions. The spread of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies, cheaper data center technologies, satellite imaging and the formation of African national companies will allow African states to form integrated systems for managing their own natural resources.

These systems will help to better understand the structure of domestic markets, predict the dynamics of their development and offer more promising projects to foreign investors."

The electronic version of the handbook is available at the link.

#Russia #Africa #RussiaAfrica #MinisterialConference

South African nuclear power industry: deal with Rosatom remains on the agenda

South Africa has already had the experience of launching the Koberg nuclear power plant with reactors of the French project with a capacity of 1.88 gigawatts. This is just over three percent of the total installed capacity of the South African power grid. And this is a drop in the ocean, said Yulia Berg, director of the International Business Acceleration Center (IBAC), in an interview with Monocle.

South Africa has been experiencing an acute energy shortage for a long time, every year the problem becomes only more noticeable: the many hours of rolling power outages in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town have reached the scale of a national disaster.

Initially, it was planned to build a new nuclear power plant according to the French project, but as a result, preference was given to Rosatom. The deal with Russian Rosatom for the construction of a new powerful station was initiated by ex-President (2009-2018) of South Africa Jacob Zuma, who also secured his country's place in the BRICS.

However, despite the high-level agreements, the project met with opposition in the country, as not everyone wanted to further strengthen South Africa's relations with Russia, and the media claimed it Zuma's selfish interest against the background of corruption scandals surrounding him.

The Russian side did not carry out the necessary work to inform the public, which eventually led to the blocking of the project in parliament, the expert added.

However, despite the mistakes, Rosatom's approach to work in the southernmost country of the continent has been adjusted, and the project itself is still on the agenda. No bilateral meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Cyril Ramaphosa is complete without discussing Russia's construction of a large nuclear power plant in South Africa. And, of course, as a result, it would be great to see a project in this country comparable to the Egyptian El-Dabaa station. Perhaps, in the future, the New BRICS Development Bank and, in general, the strengthening of the association will play a role.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #energy

The sixth BRICS MMF Economic Congress will be held in St. Petersburg

The cultural capital of Russia will host the Economic Congress of the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries on November 21 and 22. The event will be held with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Rossotrudnichestvo. The congress will be attended by representatives of foreign states and subjects of the Russian Federation.

On November 21, the forum will host a plenary session on "Interregional and inter-municipal cooperation as a key factor in the economic development of the BRICS countries." It will be presented in several blocks:

(A) Public health protection;
(B) Economics and foreign economic activity;
(C) Youth policy and society;
(D) The Arctic: challenges and prospects;
E) Business tourism development;
(F) Ecology and environmental management.

In block B, the African-Russian Energy Association (AREA) co-organizes the session "Small and Medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and barriers to acceleration".

During the session, experts intend to discuss prospects for cooperation for small and medium-sized businesses, identify patterns among real examples of successful business projects, identify current problems and ways to solve them. The participants also plan to identify new opportunities that arise due to the entry into the BRICS of South Africa, Ethiopia and Egypt.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business

Small and medium-sized businesses in Africa discussed in St. Petersburg

On November 21, within the framework of the Economic Congress of the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries in St. Petersburg, a round table "Small and medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and acceleration barriers" was held. It was organized by the African-Russian Energy Association (AREA), the All-Russian Public Organization "Investment Russia" and the Fund for the Development of Municipal Territories.

According to Yulia Berg, director of the International Business Acceleration Center (IBAC), moderator of the round table, just 10-15 years ago, small business in Africa looked more like an adventure, which cannot be said now.

"Over the past few years, a large number of platforms have been opened, both for discussion and for active contacts at the level of government ministries and departments. They open up new opportunities and support measures specifically for representatives of small and medium–sized businesses," Berg said.

She noted that now more and more Russian citizens are coming to Africa who want to start their own business or invest in sustainable projects. In this context, the expert singled out South Africa. Due to its long participation in the BRICS, the country offers additional support measures and platforms for active business communication, development of relations and creation of communities.

Despite the optimistic forecasts, there are many problems when working with African businesses. They were voiced by the President of the All-Russian public organization "Investment Russia" Stanislav Aranovich. Among these are public payments, logistics, climate and business features.

"If large Russian companies on the African continent are working relatively successfully, small and medium-sized businesses have a rather difficult time."

At the same time, the representative of Investment Russia, Alexander Mazur, urged entrepreneurs not to be afraid of risks and to pave the way first.

"You will need to take risks somewhere, you should not be afraid of this. For our part, we need to take risks somewhere, even lose the first delivery somewhere. This is normal, you can't hope that everything will work out right away. But in order for everything to work out exactly, we need to work systematically and apply new approaches," he stressed.

In turn, Igor Evert, Chairman of the Permanent Commission for the Study of the African continent of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, insisted that business in Africa is a long-term project.

"This is a program for the future. If we want to work with businessmen from Africa, we need to work with children," the expert said.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business

AREA management and Investment Russia have signed a cooperation agreement

Following the results of the round table "Small and medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and acceleration barriers", Stanislav Aranovich, President of the All-Russian Public Organization Investment Russia, and Yulia Berg, member of the Board of AREA, Director of the International Business Promotion Center (IBAC), signed a joint agreement.

The need to conclude a document is due to the importance of cooperation and joining efforts for effective work in international markets, including in Africa. Both sides consider it important to develop energy sectors in all countries and increase the share of modern high-tech technologies. They pay special attention to the expansion of the use of renewable energy sources.

What will the parties' partnerships be aimed at?

☑️ Consolidation of efforts to develop business ties between companies from Russia and Africa;
☑️ Exchange of experience and legal regulation of doing business on the continent;
☑️ Raising awareness of foreign actors about Russian developments;
☑️ Promoting creation of new communication platforms;
☑️ Consolidating the efforts of organizations to improve their performance in new markets.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business #AREA

Russian businessmen are advised not to be afraid of risks in during work in Africa

As part of the economic congress of the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries in St. Petersburg, a round table "Small and medium business: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and acceleration barriers" was held.

The event was organized by the African-Russian Energy Association (AREA), All-Russian public organization "Investment Russia" and the Fund for the development of territories of municipalities.

As a result of the round table, a cooperation agreement was signed between AREA and "Investment Russia".

In his speech, entrepreneur and representative of the All-Russian public organization "Investment Russia" Alexander Mazur emphasized the importance of representatives of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation not being afraid to take risks and paving the way first.

"Somewhere you will need to take risks, and this should not cause fear. We must be prepared for risks and even for possible losses in the first deliveries. This is normal, you cannot expect instant success. But to achieve success, you need to work systematically and apply new approaches," Mazur said.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business #AREA #Mazur

The desire for cooperation between Russia and Africa is mutual

Stanislav Aranovich, President of the All-Russian Public Organization "Investment Russia", during the round table "Small and medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and barriers to acceleration", gave specific examples of interaction between entrepreneurs of the Russian Federation and Africa.

According to him, everyone with whom he conducts a dialogue wants to interact with Russian companies.

"In some countries we even see Russian flags, somewhere we move around in Yandex.Taxi (YanGo)," said the President of Investment Russia.

Aranovich said that Africa produces only a tenth of what it consumes, and although it can be perceived as an importing continent, everything is not so clear.

"You can work there not only with exports, but in completely different industries. There are many examples of imports," he said.

So, entrepreneurs from the Kirov region buy African coffee to roast. And Stanislav Aranovich himself drinks cocoa from Equatorial Guinea and calls it the best in the world.

At the same time, the matter is not limited to the economy alone. For example, the Kazan Circus teaches Africans circus art for free, and the Nizhny Novgorod Zoo wants to buy animals in Africa. In addition, cooperation in the educational sphere is increasing - the number of quotas for budget places for African students is increasing and nine-month preparatory courses with the study of the Russian language are held free of charge.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business #AREA #Aranovich

The geopolitical transformation has benefited Russian-African cooperation

Foreign policy in the context of African countries has shown that the geopolitical transformation has influenced the attitude of representatives of large, small and medium-sized businesses in Russia to the African continent. This was stated by Julia Berg, Director of the International Business Promotion Center (IBAC).

According to her, the actors of state corporations, as well as medium and small businesses, looked at Africa with a fresh look and saw more prospects.

"It is important to note here that 10-15 years ago, the small business that was present on the continent was rather adventurous. Now we see much more systematic work, including due to the fact that over the past few years a large number of platforms, discussion and active contacts have been opened at the level of ministries and departments," Berg said during the round table "Small and medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and barriers to acceleration."

The expert added that all of the above opens up new opportunities for representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, providing them with new support measures. For this reason, more and more Russian citizens are either launching their business in Africa, or investing in existing projects.

Against this background, South Africa stands out in particular, where, thanks to its long-term membership in the BRICS, even more support measures are being offered and more platforms for business communication of various scales are being created.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business #AREA #Berg

Business starts with culture

Entrepreneurs from Africa and the Leningrad Region are first introduced to each other before moving on to business cooperation, said Igor Evert, chairman of the Permanent Commission for the Study of the African continent of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Geographical Society.

During his speech at the round table "Small and medium-sized businesses: successful experience of Russian-African cooperation and barriers to acceleration", he explained that preliminary acquaintance is necessary for the parties to understand each other at the cultural level.

"Only the presence of such experience of interaction at the level of municipalities can then allow us to move on to business cooperation," Evert is sure.

The expert also believes that first you need to make sure that the agents "understand how we think, and we understand how they think."

Igor Evert also called on businessmen who took part in the round table to pay attention to the younger generation of Africans.

#Africa #RussiaAfrica #business #AREA #Evert

Russia has experience in the integrated development of regions, it should be applied - expert

If we recall the colossal contribution of the USSR to the development of the infrastructure of African countries and take into account today's realities, then it is time to respond to the requests of the African continent and South America. This was stated by Andrey Gromov, member of the board of AREA, founder of the consulting agency GR-Group.

During his speech at the Tauride Palace at the XII Annual International Forum "Eurasian Economic Perspective" - ​​2024, he noted that energy security and creation of generating capacities are the basis of industrial development and a necessary condition for reaching a new standard of living.

According to Gromov, geopolitical situation on the global stage and active development of new integration associations make it possible to build multilateral cooperation using the strengths of partners and strengthening the weaknesses. Thus, Russia has extensive experience in developing territories practically "from scratch", and, for example, China has the most efficient production capacities in the world, which allows for joint implementation of even complex projects in the shortest possible time, and this is exactly what African countries need, many of which are experiencing an acute energy deficit.

"Today we can seat all interested parties at one table and jointly find solutions based on mutual benefit and aimed at development," the expert summed up.

#AREA #Africa #Russia #Gromov #politics

Not by words, but by actions: AREA delegation arrived to southern Africa to analyze ways to resolve the energy crisis

A delegation headed by the executive secretary of the AREA board Andrey Gromov and a member of the Association's board Yulia Berg visited the countries of the southern part of the African continent - South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe. The delegation also included specialists in the legal and technical areas. The delegates held talks with energy project holders, partners, representatives of energy grid companies, and government agencies.

During this trip, negotiations were held on implementation of solar energy projects, legislation in the field of energy generation was analyzed, measures to support joint ventures and foreign investors were discussed with specialized institutions, and decisions were made to open AREA branches.

At the moment, all these countries are facing electricity shortages and difficulties associated with the state of grid, substations, and basic infrastructure. Thus, in Zambia, due to drought, hydroelectric power plants that previously provided 70% of the country's energy are operating at minimum capacity, and the population is faced with daily power outages lasting 3-7 hours.

At the same time, there is a large-scale demand for the development of energy generation, which is necessary both for the needs of households and businesses, and for the development of industry. Thus, joint projects in the energy sector will lay a solid foundation for cooperation in the energy sector and will allow the development of other industries, expanding the possibilities of international trade.

#AREA #energy #Africa #energyAfrica

The main manufacturer of Africa - South Africa - continues to suffer from loadshedding

During a visit to the South African countries, the AREA delegation, headed by the responsible government secretary Andrei Gromov and a member of the board of the Association, the director of IBAC Yulia Berg visited South Africa.

In the Southern Republic of Continent, a meeting was held with the African co-chair of AREA and the head of the African United Business Confederation (AUBC) George Sebulela. The main topic was the discussion of energy projects on solar generation and the installation of battery storages in regions such as Mpumalanga, Gauteng, quasulu-nalal, and the western Cape.

To date, the energy network of South Africa is considered the most powerful, but it also encounters loads that significantly exceed its capabilities. The modernization of energy networks can improve the situation, the cost of which is estimated at several trillion rands (ZAR). To do this, the country would have to turn to active participation of foreign investors.

Without ensuring modernization of the network and construction of new capacities, the country is faced with regular power outages, which is why households and business are forced to actively use emergency diesel generators. In addition, South Africa produces 2/3 of all electricity of the continent and maintaining such volumes taking into account systemic difficulties and aging of the energy system is becoming more and more problematic.

#AREA #Africa #SouthAfrica #energyAfrica