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The Pan-African Economy in Brief: Saturday, October 9, 2021

DRC:
Fair Cobalt Alliance: Britishvolt joins responsible cobalt sourcing from DRC:
Start-up Britishvolt, a future supplier of lithium-ion batteries to the European automotive market, has joined Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA). This was announced on October 7 by The Impact Facility, one of the founding members of this initiative that seeks to ensure human rights-friendly cobalt production in the DRC.


Benin:
Government lifts restrictions on food exports:
Over the first half of 2021, several West African countries have seen an increase in the price of basic foodstuffs. In Benin, the government has taken steps to curb this spiral, including limiting external marketing.


Gambia:
European Union adopts restrictive measures on visas issued to Gambian nationals:
Gambian nationals will face restrictive measures regarding visas to enter European territory. The announcement was made on Thursday, October 7, by the Council of the European Union via its website. All persons of Gambian nationality wishing to travel to Europe will henceforth be obliged to present all documents relating to the visa request, and will therefore no longer benefit from the existing facilities in the processing of their applications.

 

Cameroon:
Triumphant Tchoulang, the designer of the photo thermal refrigerator in Cameroon:
He was still a student at the École Supérieure Polytechnique de Maroua in Cameroon when Triomphant Tchoulang designed the solar photo thermal refrigerator. The idea came from a desire to help provide access to energy to health centers in remote areas of Cameroon.


South Africa:
Eskom should adapt to the changing energy sector, says André de Ruyter:
In South Africa, the national power sector is regularly on the verge of implosion, threatening to take the entire national economy with it. The various measures underway to solve this structural problem will have to take into account another parameter, the rapid changes in the sector.