Texas Africa Chamber of Commerce - TXACC

Texas Africa Chamber of Commerce - TXACC Texas Africa Chamber of Commerce (TXACC): Empowering economies, driving trade & bridging diplomatic ties between Texas & Africa.

Hub for African diaspora, business & government leaders fostering growth partnerships & promoting Africa's potential in Texas.

The African Union has convened an urgent virtual summit. The Joint Extraordinary Specialized Technical Committee session...
05/19/2026

The African Union has convened an urgent virtual summit. The Joint Extraordinary Specialized Technical Committee session, running from 20-22 May 2026, is a direct response to the escalating Middle East conflict.

The threat is clear. More than 80 per cent of Africa’s fertilizer supply is imported. The current disruption to global shipping and energy markets now threatens to choke off supplies at the peak of the planting season, pushing up food prices and worsening hunger.

The STC session is bringing together experts in agriculture, finance, and trade to forge a unified continental response. Their mandate is to assess the impact, review existing response measures, and propose emergency actions to keep fertilizer affordable and available.

Crucially, the committee is also looking beyond this crisis. The agenda includes proposals for medium- and long-term strategies to boost regional fertilizer manufacturing and improve soil health. The ambition is to align agricultural productivity with fiscal, monetary, and industrial policies, moving Africa from a state of permanent vulnerability to one of strategic sovereignty.

The lesson from past shocks is clear: fragmented national responses only deepen the crisis. A unified, African-led action is not just urgent—it is the only path to resilience.

Clean water is something many of us take for granted. But in much of Africa, it is still a daily struggle.Here is the re...
05/18/2026

Clean water is something many of us take for granted. But in much of Africa, it is still a daily struggle.

Here is the reality. Africa needs $30 billion every year to provide reliable water and sanitation. That is a huge number. But here is what is changing.

At the recent World Bank meetings, African leaders stopped asking for donations. Instead, they showed up with 80 real projects ready for investment. Worth $32 billion. Senegal's water minister said something that really stuck with me: "Investment does not come before reform. It comes because of reform."

That is the shift. Build trust first. Fix the systems. Then the money follows.

Nearly 90% of Africa's water crosses borders, but only 29% of those water sources are managed together. That is starting to change too.

For me, this is not just about numbers. It is about kids walking less for water. Farmers keeping crops alive. Hospitals staying clean. That is what water security really means.

A strategic leap forward has been taken in the Africa-Europe partnership on innovation and education. In October 2024, s...
05/17/2026

A strategic leap forward has been taken in the Africa-Europe partnership on innovation and education. In October 2024, stakeholders in Addis Ababa did more than just discuss the skills gap. They launched the operational phase of a €100 million financing facility designed to directly link technical and vocational training (TVET) with the real-world demands of the private sector.

A key first step is the award of a EUR 12.5 million grant to 20 African innovators. This is the tangible beginning of a broader effort to ensure that Africa's young workforce is equipped not just with skills, but with the specific competencies that industries are actively seeking.

The German government has committed EUR 88 million to this facility, and the EU has added EUR 12.9 million. The funding will support innovative skills development across eight countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. This is a decisive shift from theoretical discussions to measurable impact, creating a predictable environment for investment and job creation.

Strong public-private collaboration is at the core of this blueprint. The public sector is tasked with providing the strategic framework, while the private sector contributes by offering employment-oriented training and investing in the process.

This partnership is about building a future-ready workforce. For anyone watching Africa's development, this is a signal that the continent is serious about moving from policy to ex*****on.

The African Development Bank and the United Kingdom are strengthening a partnership focused on mobilising capital at sca...
05/17/2026

The African Development Bank and the United Kingdom are strengthening a partnership focused on mobilising capital at scale for investment-led growth across Africa.

A record USD 11 billion was raised for the African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment, with the UK pledging GBP 603.7 million.

The first Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day brought together global investors and adopted the London Communiqué, a shared roadmap to scale private capital and expand investment pipelines.

The goal is to use concessional finance strategically to crowd in private investment, shaping a coordinated approach that connects capital to opportunity across the continent.

South Africa: 266 days without load-shedding. EAF above 65%. The power system is no longer defined by crisis. ⚡Recovery ...
05/16/2026

South Africa: 266 days without load-shedding. EAF above 65%. The power system is no longer defined by crisis. ⚡

Recovery is creating room for major investment:
✔️ $3B LNG terminal & gas plant at Durban port (Vitol, ACWA Power, Engen)
✔️ Richards Bay LNG terminal – supporting up to 3,000 MW
✔️ ExxonMobil sees SA as top LNG destination, 6–7 GW of gas capacity needed

Renewables are scaling fast:
✔️ 6,000+ MW delivered by IPPs, R200B investment
✔️ 257 MW / 1,028 MWh battery storage coming online

Mining is moving:
✔️ Richards Bay Minerals: 230 MW from Overberg Wind Farm
✔️ Impala Platinum: 90% of refinery needs from renewables PPA
✔️ Tharisa: 15-year renewables PPA

Grid constraints are being tackled. 1,164 km of 400 kV lines in Phase 1 of Independent Transmission Projects Program. 14,000 km needed by 2032.

Reliability is back. Now scale transmission, storage and gas to power industrial growth.

A new report is challenging decades of assumptions about oil and gas development in Africa.Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas ...
05/16/2026

A new report is challenging decades of assumptions about oil and gas development in Africa.

Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa, released last week in Nairobi, examined 13 oil- and gas-producing nations. Its conclusion is stark: extraction has generated few lasting benefits for ordinary citizens.

Wealth has been concentrated among political elites and multinational companies, the report says, while communities deal with pollution, lost livelihoods and rising living costs.

Heavy dependence on fossil fuel exports could expose African economies to future instability, stranded assets and declining global demand. New producers such as Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, the DRC and Côte d’Ivoire could face mounting debt if they invest heavily in new projects before demand declines.

The alternative is homegrown renewable energy. A renewable-led transition could create up to 14 million jobs in Africa by 2030, far more than fossil fuel extraction, while expanding energy access, keeping value in African economies and reducing import reliance.

But the debate is not settled. Oil-rich African nations argue that development priorities cannot be paused while wealthier economies retain the benefits of decades of fossil-fuel-driven industrialisation. Nigeria says it is phasing down, not phasing out, and that planning must be fair to all.

The pipeline to Africa’s energy future is being built right now. The question is which route it takes.

The world is not on track to end hunger by 2030. But the FAO Investment Centre says the solution is clear: invest in agr...
05/15/2026

The world is not on track to end hunger by 2030. But the FAO Investment Centre says the solution is clear: invest in agrifood systems.

Mohamed Manssouri, who leads the Centre, explains that current disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have cut off up to 35% of global urea trade. Fertiliser prices have jumped by as much as 60%. This is not just a commodity story. It is a threat to the planting season, farm incomes, and food security for millions who depend on imported food and fertiliser.

Public investment alone cannot close the gap. Three in four agrifood micro-enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to finance. Perceived risk, high transaction costs, and weak linkages to formal credit systems keep smallholders and agri-SMEs locked out.

FAO is working on blended finance solutions to de-risk private capital. In Ghana, a $2.5 million secured loan helped a local agritech company scale. In sub-Saharan Africa, a partnership with the European Investment Bank is unlocking €190 million in lending for smallholders.

The right to food is a basic human right. Investment is how we defend it.

NAMPO 2026 kicks off today in Bothaville, and the theme says it all: Resilience Through Innovation.South Africa's farmer...
05/15/2026

NAMPO 2026 kicks off today in Bothaville, and the theme says it all: Resilience Through Innovation.

South Africa's farmers are shifting focus from just surviving tough seasons to building profitable, forward-looking businesses.

Standard Bank's Brendan Jacobs explains: "Resilience in agriculture has evolved from getting through a difficult season to using innovation and better information to make smarter decisions."

That means investing in tools that improve efficiency, strengthen financial planning, and open up market access. Not innovation for its own sake, but practical solutions that deliver real returns.

When innovation is paired with sound financial planning, farmers can handle volatility and grow at the same time. That is the new definition of resilience.

The next food shock is coming. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed crude oil past $100 a barrel and raised f...
05/14/2026

The next food shock is coming. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed crude oil past $100 a barrel and raised fertiliser prices by a quarter in days. For Africa, which depends on imports for a third of the world's traded fertiliser, this is a direct threat to the planting season ahead.

If the conflict persists beyond mid-2026, an additional 45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger, on top of the 318 million already food insecure.

But this time, the response can be different. The article argues for a fundamental shift: away from emergency imports and toward a productive rural economy that no longer relies on imported inputs as the only path to a harvest.

Three in four Kenyans are under 35, and the same is true across much of the continent. These young people are not a problem to be managed. They are the most productive resource our economies have ever held.

Kenya is already moving. The Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme has placed improved seed, fertiliser, and advisory services in the hands of nearly 150,000 smallholder farmers. More than 86% of participating households report higher incomes, and nearly two-thirds have moved above the poverty line. Post-harvest losses have fallen by 85%. Ten new agro-ecology service hubs are now run largely by young people.

This is not aid in any traditional sense. It is shared investment, with Africa carrying its share of both the risk and the reform.

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah made his first official visit to Kenya on Sunday, meeting Pre...
05/14/2026

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah made his first official visit to Kenya on Sunday, meeting President William Ruto at State House ahead of the Africa Forward Summit 2026.

President Ruto commended Kenya's strong partnership with the Bank Group, pointing to transformative investments in roads, water infrastructure, hospitals, and other critical projects that continue to improve the quality of life for millions of Kenyans.

The President also pledged Kenya's full support for the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), a Bank-led initiative to mobilise Africa's own financial capital, shifting the continent from external dependency toward self-sustained, African-driven development.

The meeting underscores Kenya's growing role as a strategic hub for continental financial reform and infrastructure progress.

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