Over the past months, eastern and southern African countries have been hit by some of the most severe droughts in recorded history. With estimates of over 11 million people effected in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia alone, the effects of climatic conditions on agricultural productivity are conspicuous. Despite the current magnitude, strong fluctuations in climatic conditions…
In a bid to secure access to long-term energy supplies and other raw materials to sustain industralisation and production, China has turned to Africa. A region traditionally characterised by high political and security risks, Africa has enjoyed relatively unrecognized economic growth at an average of about six percent over the last decade. [1] In comparison…
Last year the crown prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman, announced that Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company would launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan. The Vision 2030 aims to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil by investing in businesses in the non-oil…
The eve of China’s nineteenth party congress brought promising news for Chinese fintech: Qudian, a new loan and microlending platform for consumer and small business, jumped twenty-two percentage points during its IPO debut on the New York Stock Exchange. [1] The company generated $900 million (USD) in its initial offering, demonstrating that investors see a…