Water Woes and Climate Action☕- Issue #12

Water Woes and Climate Action☕- Issue #12

Good day!

We hope those who celebrated had an enjoyable Ascension Day yesterday. For the rest, no judgment - work that grind!

But we want to hear how you spent the holiday! Drop those deets in the comments.

In our final edition of the week:

💧 The $7 billion plan to pipe water from the Okavango to drought-stricken Windhoek. Genius solution or expensive Band-Aid?

🌳 Meet the local eco-champions competing for a massive $50M prize to fight climate change. Namibian innovators taking on the world!

💸 Finally, inflation relief as food prices stopped burning holes in consumers' pockets last month.

Plus all the latest business and tech insights and must-know insights on Namibia, Africa ,and the world. Let's dive in!

BUSINESS

Water Woes in Central Area of Namibia

Namibia is taking drastic measures to address its worsening water crisis in the central region. The state-owned Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) just greenlit a N$7 billion ($420 million) project to extract water from the Okavango River and pipe it to the capital Windhoek and surrounding areas.

The details: NamWater determined that tapping into the Okavango, one of the world's few remaining major free-flowing rivers, was the most cost-effective solution compared to alternatives like water reclamation or transporting it from the south. The goal is to have the pipeline system, which can be turned on and off as needed, up and running within 5-7 years.

Why it matters: Reservoir levels in the Central Area of Namibia (CAN) have plummeted to just 18% of full capacity as of early May, down from 37% a year ago. Officials warn that without major conservation efforts, the current supply won't make it through two more rainy seasons. The City of Windhoek, which gets 60%+ of its water from the dams, is already implementing mandatory water-saving measures with the threat of rationing on the horizon.

Water dept: While the Okavango project should provide relief, it comes at a steep price tag equivalent to nearly 2% of Namibia's GDP. Sourcing water is an increasingly existential challenge in this arid southwest African nation, which has minimal renewable water resources of its own.

Source: The Brief

Food Lover’s Market enters the pet food market space with VetsMart partnership

The South African grocery chain Food Lover's Market is fetching a new business line—pet supplies. It just launched a partnership with pet retailer VetsMart to open co-located stores.

The deets:

- The first combo Food Lover's/VetsMart opened on May 6 in Hilltop Village, Namibia.

- It features an "animatronics" experience (sounds fun?), a wide product range, and services like grooming/vet care.

- More co-branded stores will roll out adjacent to existing Food Lover's locations, similar to its liquor and coffee shop offshoots.

Why they're doing it: The "specialty pet sector" is a growing market as people increasingly treat their furry friends like family members. Food Lover's sees an opportunity to be a one-stop shop for human and pet needs.

Show me the numbers: In South Africa, the pet food/supplies market is valued at around $540 million and projected to grow over 12% annually. The smaller Namibian market is pegged at $24 million but also expanding at nearly 8% per year.

The competition: Major South African retailer Woolworths recently got approval to acquire a 93% stake in pet chain Absolute Pets as it also aims to get a piece of the lucrative pet retail space.

Looking ahead: While an unusual pairing, the VetsMart deal allows Food Lover's to diversify into the fast-growing pet segment and attract even more customers to its stores. Just don't bring Fido inside the grocery aisles.

Source: The Namibian

Kelp-ing Hand for the Climate

A Namibian startup has earned a spot among the 20 finalists in a massive $50 million XPRIZE competition to develop cutting-edge technologies that can pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and oceans.

The contender: Kelp Blue, based in the coastal town of Lüderitz, farms giant seaweed and converts it into products like agricultural bio-stimulants and textile fibers. In the process, it sucks up and stores CO2.

Why it matters: Removing greenhouse gases already in the air is seen as critical for meeting global climate goals, alongside emissions reductions. The four-year, $100 million XPRIZE aims to accelerate that nascent carbon removal industry.

Kelp cred: Kelp Blue's oceanic farming approach "achieves a number of things: locking away carbon, restoring and enriching marine biodiversity, and bringing meaningful diverse employment opportunities to fragile coastal economies," founder and CEO Daniel Hooft said. The company beat out over 1,300 entrants to make the finals.

Next steps: Over the next year, the remaining teams must demonstrate working solutions that can remove at least 1,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, model costs for scaling up to 1 million tons annually, and show a path to reaching billions of tons of removal capacity.

Looking ahead: "For the world to effectively address greenhouse gas emissions, carbon removal is an essential element of the path to Net Zero," said XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari. In other words, as emissions continue, finding viable ways to subtract past pollution will only grow more vital.

Source: The Brief

Food Cools Off Namibia's Inflation

Namibia's inflation rate took a breather last month, clocking in at 4.8% year-over-year for April compared to 6.3% a year ago. Lower food prices were the main driver behind the slowdown.

Food for thought: The "food and non-alcoholic beverages" category, which makes up 16.5% of the consumer price basket, saw its annual inflation rate drop from a heated 13.4% in April 2023 to just 4.8% last month.

Key details:

- Bread, cereals, oils/fats, and veggies all became more affordable compared to a year earlier.

- Housing costs like rent and utilities rose 3.6%, up slightly from 2.6%.

- Transport inflation ticked up to 5.9% from 3.8%, mostly due to higher fuel prices.

Regional differences: The northern zones fared best with inflation in the 3.9% range, while the capital Windhoek and surrounding areas saw a 5.4% rate. The coastal regions had a 3.9% rate that didn't cool off as much, suggesting factors beyond food.

Big picture: While a reprieve from last year's double-digit food inflation is welcome news for consumers, the data highlights how global disruptions like the Covid pandemic, war in Ukraine, and climate change continue rippling through the economy. Getting a lasting grip on rising prices will remain a challenge.

Source: The Brief

Uganda Crowned Africa's Top Investment Spot

Uganda has been named the best investment destination in Africa at a major conference in the UAE. The East African nation took home the top prize at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Abu Dhabi.

The receipts:

- Uganda has lured over $1 billion in foreign direct investment from the UAE alone in the past two years, per its embassy there.

- Overall FDI inflows grew from $1.36 billion in 2022 to $1.5 billion through April 2023, finance ministry data shows.

- The World Bank says FDI contributes over 4% of Uganda's GDP.

How they're winning: The Ugandan government has rolled out the red carpet with tax holidays, reliable power/internet, and investing in infrastructure like roads to attract international companies. Its strategies paid off with this AIM award, beating out the rest of the continent.

Economic outlook: Despite Western sanctions over its human rights record, the World Bank projects Uganda's economy will accelerate from 5.3% growth in 2023 to 6% next year as investment ramps up.

Bigger picture: The accolades reflect how Sub-Saharan Africa is an increasingly attractive investment destination, with countries like Uganda proactively courting foreign businesses. With many economies on the upswing, the competition to attract capital will likely intensify.

Source: Business Insider Africa

TECH

Kenyan AI Stars Get Google Cash

Two Kenyan nonprofits have scored major funding and support from Google to advance their innovative AI projects aimed at improving health and education access across Africa.

The recipients:

- Jacaranda Health uses natural language processing tech to provide digital maternal health services in local languages.

- EIDU applies generative AI to deliver personalized digital tutoring for students in low-income countries.

The backstory: Google.org, the tech giant's philanthropic arm, just named its inaugural cohort for a new program backing nonprofits that are harnessing generative AI for social impact. The 21 organizations selected will receive training, mentorship, and over $20 million in funding.

The Kenyan angle: Jacaranda and EIDU are the only African representatives in the bunch, which also includes groups from the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany. It highlights the cutting-edge work underway by African innovators.

The bigger picture: About 80% of nonprofits believe generative AI can boost their productivity and impact, per a Google survey. But around half lack the tools, know-how, and funds to actually adopt the tech. This new accelerator program aims to clear those hurdles.

What they're saying: "We're excited to support the selected organizations in leveraging this technology to address some of the continent's most critical challenges," said Dorothy Ooko, Google's Africa policy head.

Bottom line: While generative AI has sparked fears about potential downsides, Google is showcasing how the transformative tech could be a major positive for social impact—if innovators get the right resources. This accelerator is a power-up for nonprofits on that mission.

Source: Tech In Africa

SA Fintech Giants Merge in $86M Deal

Two of South Africa's biggest fintech players are combining forces. Lesaka has agreed to acquire Adumo, the country's largest independent payments processor, in a deal valued at around $86 million.

The details:

- Lesaka will issue 17.3 million new shares to Adumo's current shareholders like private equity firm Apis Partners and IFC.

- It's also paying $12.5 million in cash.

- Adumo's CEO Paul Kent will join Lesaka's exec team once the deal closes, pending approvals.

Roll-up play: Lesaka provides banking tech and payment services to merchants and consumers across Southern Africa. The Adumo acquisition allows it to double down in the payments space and essentially become a regional fintech consolidator.

What Lesaka gets:

- Over 23,000 active merchants using Adumo for card processing, payments integration, etc.

- 245,000+ corporate card users for payroll, expenses, etc.

- A major hospitality software provider, GAAP.

Combined scale: Once merged, the Lesaka group will serve 1.7 million consumers and 119,000 merchants across 5 countries, processing over $13.5 billion in payments volume annually with over 3,300 employees.

The big picture: As fintech continues booming across Africa, major players are bulking up to expand their reach and simplify increasingly fragmented services under unified platforms and brands. Lesaka aims to be that dominant pan-regional fintech holding its own against global giants.

Source: Disrupt Africa

WhatsApp's Fresh New Look 

WhatsApp is rolling out a visual refresh and some handy new features as part of its latest update for mobile apps. The company says it's time for a design overhaul after years of piling on new capabilities.

The deets:

🎨 New color palette: WhatsApp tested over 35 shades before landing on deeper tones that should reduce eye strain, especially in low light. Its "dark mode" is now an even darker black.

⬇️ Bottom nav bar on Android: Following iOS, Android is finally getting a bottom navigation bar to quickly toggle between chats, updates, communities, and calls.

📸 Streamlined media sending on iOS: Instead of a full-screen menu, iOS users will see an expandable tray for selecting photos, videos, polls, documents, etc.

🔄 Refreshed app icons and chat backgrounds: WhatsApp updated its iconography to a rounded, outlined style and switched up the plain default chat wallpaper too.

The bigger picture: As apps add more and more features over time, their interfaces can become cluttered messes. WhatsApp's update is aimed at modernizing and simplifying navigation while also offering a sleeker, more visually appealing experience.

User feedback: The changes have already drawn mixed reactions, with some loving the contemporary look and others criticizing certain elements like the new icons. Design is subjective, after all.

Bottom line: Love it or hate it, WhatsApp says its top priority is ensuring its 2+ billion users can easily access the app's core functions. This makeover is about keeping things simple and elegant as the popular messaging platform continues evolving.

Source: TechCrunch

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Why do we celebrate Ascension Day?

Ascension Day commemorates the biblical event when Jesus ascended into heaven. His departure marked the beginning of a new era, empowering his disciples to continue spreading his teachings. This pivotal moment reminds us of the unlimited potential within, guiding us to rise above our limitations and reach for greater heights. Just as Jesus ascended to fulfill his purpose, may we also use this day to reflect on our own journey and strive for personal growth and self-fulfillment. Like the disciples, let us embrace the power within us to make a positive impact in the world.

Book Recommendation

As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen (Project Gutenberg)

The book offers timeless wisdom and practical insights for personal growth and development, and it can be found for free download on Project Gutenberg's website.

That’s it for this week, thank you for sticking with us throughout. Feel free to drop your suggestions on where we can improve on the comments section below or any of our social media platforms.

Happy Weekend!