Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA)

In case you missed it: the Africa Resilience Investment Accerator (ARIA) has shared two publications in the Foundations of Growth series: ✅ Our first publication covers how development finance institutions (DFIs) are fostering growth in frontier markets across Africa: https://lnkd.in/eTkp7z7e ✅ Our second explores the investment opportunities and needs in the five frontier markets we operate in: Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone: https://lnkd.in/etSkwYCA ⏩ Keep an eye out for more publications soon! British International Investment FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank #FrontierMarkets #ImpactInvesting

It's great to see this commitment from ARIA founding partner British International Investment and DP World to develop a key port in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - one of our focus markets. The investment in the Port of Banana is expected to enable around US$1.12 billion in additional trade and $429 million in increased economic output every year. It builds on BII’s existing partnership with DP World, which includes ports in Egypt, Senegal and Somaliland. Vivianne Infante, BII’s Co-Lead for ARIA and Coverage Director for DRC, said: “This is a huge opportunity and I am proud we are developing this partnership further. The lack of port infrastructure in the DRC - a country the size of Western Europe - has held back economic development for too long. These challenges have led to inefficient trade routes, which has cost people and businesses in the country. This represents a significant step forward." You can read more about the investment here: https://lnkd.in/d53aZbV3

Ethiopia is currently undergoing significant economic reforms, which are transforming its financial services sector. These include introducing a flexible exchange rate policy which was launched in July. The changes are aimed at enhancing the country's economic resilience and increasing its attractiveness to investors.   Ethiopia is a focus market for the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA). This summary from ARIA's Surafel Kelemework breaks down what reforms are being introduced and what they mean:   🏦 Overview of financial reforms: ➡ Increased foreign exchange (FX) autonomy: Banks now have greater freedom in foreign currency transaction. ➡ Enhanced FX retention: Exporters and companies in Special Economic Zones are now permitted to retain a larger portion of their FX earnings, boosting liquidity. ➡ External loans: The interest rate ceilings for private sector hard currency borrowings from abroad have been removed. ➡ Liberalised import and loan policies: The easing of import restrictions and the removal of interest rate ceilings on foreign loans is aimed at stimulating economic activity. 🌍 International support:   ➡ Robust backing: The IMF and World Bank are underpinning these reforms with substantial financial support, focusing on fiscal stability and economic restructuring. ⏩ Economic outlook and prospects:   ➡ Market response: The reforms have narrowed the gap between official and black-market rates, which show promising initial success. ➡ Challenges remain: Issues like inflation and local currency liquidity persist and have already led to strategic government interventions. Responses are currently being implemented in an attempt to stabilise the market. ➡ Long-term impact: If properly managed, these reforms could significantly improve Ethiopia's economic stability and growth. Please get in touch with us at info@ariainvests.org if you'd like to discuss these reforms in more depth. #Ethiopia

Ethiopia is currently undergoing significant economic reforms, which are transforming its financial services sector. These include introducing a flexible exchange rate policy which was launched in July. The changes are aimed at enhancing the country's economic resilience and increasing its attractiveness to investors.   Ethiopia is a focus market for the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA). This summary from ARIA's Surafel Kelemework breaks down what reforms are being introduced and what they mean:   🏦 Overview of financial reforms: ➡ Increased foreign exchange (FX) autonomy: Banks now have greater freedom in foreign currency transaction. ➡ Enhanced FX retention: Exporters and companies in Special Economic Zones are now permitted to retain a larger portion of their FX earnings, boosting liquidity. ➡ External loans: The interest rate ceilings for private sector hard currency borrowings from abroad have been removed. ➡ Liberalised import and loan policies: The easing of import restrictions and the removal of interest rate ceilings on foreign loans is aimed at stimulating economic activity. 🌍 International support:   ➡ Robust backing: The IMF and World Bank are underpinning these reforms with substantial financial support, focusing on fiscal stability and economic restructuring. ⏩ Economic outlook and prospects:   ➡ Market response: The reforms have narrowed the gap between official and black-market rates, which show promising initial success. ➡ Challenges remain: Issues like inflation and local currency liquidity persist and have already led to strategic government interventions. Responses are currently being implemented in an attempt to stabilise the market. ➡ Long-term impact: If properly managed, these reforms could significantly improve Ethiopia's economic stability and growth. Please get in touch with us at info@ariainvests.org if you'd like to discuss these reforms in more depth. #Ethiopia

It was a pleasure to be a part of this trip and showcase some of Sierra Leone's most innovative agricultural businesses. These companies are taking pioneering approaches. Their work is helping to increase productivity, support new opportunities and respond to the climate crisis ⬇️ Thank you to our partners Invest Salone and British High Commission Freetown for making this possible! 🇬🇧 🇸🇱

Our Foundations of Growth series of publications shares some of the trends, challenges and opportunities of investing in frontier markets across Africa. The second publication highlights the support businesses in these markets need from development finance institutions and impact investors. It focuses on the five countries where the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) operates - Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. You can browse some of the findings below ⬇️ and read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/etSkwYCA

We're delighted Jules Ndambu, FRM was invited to represent the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) at British International Investment's Annual Review launch. Jules joined a panel discussion on how BII's investments are supporting people in the countries where they invest. During the event, he shared more about: ➡️ the impact ARIA is making ➡️ how ARIA is helping to identify investment opportunities for development finance institutions ➡️ the support ARIA is providing to companies in frontier markets You can watch the event here: https://lnkd.in/eztNyQMJ

🌱 Agriculture is a core component of Sierra Leone's economy, employing ~2/3 of the labour force. To explore investment and learning opportunities, Invest Salone conducted an investment field trip to Port Loko – Sierra Leone’s agribusiness heartland. Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/46toWHc Invest Salone was accompanied by representatives from British International Investment and the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA), a consortium of development finance institutions (DFIs) supporting investment in frontier markets. The field trip built on last year’s investment delegation of DFIs and is part of an ongoing series of activities organised by ARIA and Invest Salone, to support the enabling environment for business in Sierra Leone. FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank IFC - International Finance Corporation

It’s great to see the second publication in the Foundations of Growth series from the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA). This report highlights the opportunities for investment in frontier markets in Africa. It's based on an analysis of 400 businesses operating in the five countries where ARIA operates – Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It categorises the companies operating in these markets, highlights their impact potential and discusses how they can be best supported. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/etSkwYCA or find out more below ⬇

Where are the opportunities to invest in frontier markets and how can these opportunities become a reality?    A new publication from the Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) shares insights from our experience of supporting investment in five frontier markets in sub-Saharan Africa - Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone.      The publication is based on an analysis of 400 companies operating in these markets. It defines the categories of investment opportunities, what these businesses are looking for from a financing perspective and how investors can align their approaches with their needs.    You can read the publication here: https://lnkd.in/etSkwYCA #frontiermarkets #impactinvesting British International Investment FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank