Tunisia Archives | Annansi.com

December 2, 2009

Europe’s $774 billion African desert solar power project launches

Investors and industrialists from 14 companies met in Munich, Germany recently to formally launch Desertec Industrial Initiative, a €400 billion ($774 billion) collaborative project to provide 15% of Europe’s energy via solar power from Africa’s Sahara desert by the year 2050. Since it was formally announced earlier this year, the project has gotten mixed responses from development and renewable energy groups.

Speaking about the benefits of the project MEED Magazine writes:

Desertec’s backers say the scheme will create jobs and boost local economies. Some go so far as to claim it could even reduce the number of economic migrants to Europe. Governments on both continents will need to collaborate to define a regulatory and legislative framework for the scheme. If Desertec can overcome these hurdles, it will set a precedent for international energy co-operation.

But critics of the project also give some strong points. New Scientist Magazine writes:

Critics are lining up to point out the project’s shortcomings. They say it could make Europe’s energy supply a hostage to politically unstable countries; that Europe should not be exploiting Africa in this way; that it is a poor investment compared to covering Europe’s roofs with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels; and that, while deserts have plenty of sun, they lack another less obvious but equally indispensable resource for a solar thermal power plant – water.

Despite the debate, the project seems to be moving ahead with North African countries like Tunisia and Algeria showing support and making plans.

What do you think? Is the Desertec project good or bad for Africa and/or Europe?

More about the project and it’s launch in the videos below.

If you can’t see the videos click here

July 31, 2007

African countries on 2007 list of 50 most desirable outsourcing destinations

Dakar buildings BusinessWeek’s recent article on rising outsourcing destinations highlights what many African entrepreneurs have proposed for years. Outsourcing to parts of Africa can be a win-win situation. The BusineesWeek article refers to consultancy A.T. Kearney’s 2007 list of the 50 most desirable outsourcing destinations worldwide. For the list countries were ranked by a) financial attractiveness, based on such measures as compensation and infrastructure costs; b) a so-called people score, measuring a nation’s people skills, availability of language and educational skills, and the size and quality of the IT industry; and c) their economic/political environment, infrastructure quality, cultural exposure, and IP security. While India remains the top outsourcing destination many African countries are learning from their example. (Note: Scores are in parentheses.)

Rank – Country (overall – financial – people – environment)
#13 – Egypt (5.6 – 3.2 – 1.1 – 1.3)
#25 – Mauritius (5.4 – 2.8 – 1.0 – 1.6)
#26 – Tunisia (5.4 – 3.0 – 0.9 – 1.5)
#27 – Ghana (5.5 – 3.3 – 0.9 – 1.3)
#31 – South Africa (5.3 – 2.5 – 1.2 – 1.6)
#36 – Morocco (5.1 – 2.9 – 0.9 – 1.3)
#39 – Senegal (5.1 – 3.2 – 0.8 – 1.1)

Other factors which add to a countries’ attractiveness are language and education skills and the reliability of a nation’s telecommunications infrastructure. But the the key underlying factor for many African countries’ successful bid for new business is the lack of infrastructure. While the African digerati are continuously ramping up their skills and making themselves available for business they continuously run into infrastructural limitations. But who is to blame? Is it the governments who are overrun with bureaucracy? or the people themselves, who often do not hold their leaders accountable?

Offshoring upstarts are making so many inroads, in fact, that by 2012, they’ll significantly dilute India’s dominance, says consultancy Gartner (IT). The consulting firm says that by 2010 about 30% of Fortune 500 enterprises will outsource to three or more countries, from less than 10% today. “So many governments have realized what an opportunity this is and there’s a lot of effort being spent in promoting their countries to the market,” says Johan Gott, manager of A.T. Kearney’s Global Services Location Index.

…Kenya, for instance, is trying to become a destination for business process and IT outsourcing. The Kenyan government has worked in recent years to liberalize its telecom sector, which has lured more operators and helped drive telecom services prices down by 70% in a short time, according to the World Bank. Yet the country relies on satellite connections to link to the rest of the world. That makes it costly for outsourcers to do business.

(photo source)

January 16, 2007

Africa fuels Golden Globe wins

Forest Whitaker wins 2007 Golden Globe Last nights Golden Globe awards solidified what newspapers have been saying for months. Africa is red hot for Hollywood filmmakers. Babel, filmed in Morocco and Tunisia, won for best film and Forest Whitaker (Platoon, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Color of Money) won the best actor award for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”. While the two films are dramas, the diversity of the scenery in each film is a testament to the multitude of cultures and landscapes, which makes the African continent unique.

I haven’t talked much about “The Last King of Scotland” in the past particularly because I have yet to see it and it didn’t get much of a push at the box office. But Whitaker’s Golden Globe win is a clear example of the strength of the African continent as a source for filmmaking. Whitaker who has held various roles as actor, producer, and director is an unlikely star. Since appearing on screen in the early eighties, he has constantly worked on and off the screen developing projects. Those of us in the hip-hop community probably know him best for his Wu-Tang Clan association. It’s Whitaker’s quirkiness which made him an ideal candidate for the Idi Amin character. While critics claim the movie again put the white character at the story’s’ center, Whitaker’s intensity could not be ignored. I hope both wins send a rush of viewers to see the films, and push the profit numbers up. At the end of the day, hollywood is about making money, and if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense (to produce).

“Buoyed by the critical and financial success of movies such as Hotel Rwanda and The Constant Gardener, studios are unleashing a series of films not only based on life in Africa, but shot there as well.

The cinematic migration, filmmakers and analysts say, reflects a sea change in Hollywood’s perspective about the region, once a mystery and easy stereotype for the entertainment industry.

Gone are the safari and Africans-as-savages motifs. The new films address recent history and topical subjects from terrorism to the diamond trade to long-distance runners.” – USA Today