Self-Sustaining
Africa’s rising population is a much cited and researched topic of discussion.
A common forecast is that 2.4 billion people will be calling the continent home by 2050, almost double the 1.3 billion people that inhabit the region today according to United Nations estimates.
The need for Africa to move towards food self-sufficiency is therefore an urgent one and Zambia, with its 40 million hectares of arable land, abundance of water resources, fertile soils and a low population density, has an important role to play.
“Greater development in agriculture would not only provide the muchneeded diversification of the economy, but also position the country better to tackle the great stress that will be placed on global food supplies due to climate change, urbanisation, and soil degradation,” Richard Keeley, CEO of Hybrid Poultry Farm, tells us.
The focus of this issue’s cover story, Hybrid Poultry Farm is a leading light in Zambia’s competitive poultry market, supplying the food industry with products for more than five decades. Seen as an affordable, accessible protein source, the development of this sector could be critical in Africa reaching a level of selfsustainability in years to come.
Food production also forms the focus of a Q&A with Andre Laperriere,
CEO of Global Open Data for Agriculture & Nutrition, while Facebook’s use of digital mapping is further evidence of the role that technology can play in boosting agricultural productivity on the continent. Here we speak to James
Gill, a Software Engineer involved in the implementation of several data-driven programmes.
From technology to textiles, we explore two companies at the heart of their industry in Ethiopia and Kenya in the form of respective interviews with Kanoria Africa Textile and Thika Cloth Mills. The latter is a particularly emotive story, its MD Tejal Dodhia taking over her father’s business which has overcome a great many challenges during its long existence.
Our other exclusive insights come from a wide variety of sectors, from construction and supply chain through to energy and transport.
We also have three countries forming the focus of our business travel section, looking into the tourist offerings of Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Ethiopia.
Finally, look out for our new addition at the back of the magazine, The Final Word. Here we compile the views of several of our contributing executives on a particular topic.
Enjoy the issue!