Innovation is a critical part Africa’s DNA, but it only plays a part in shaping the continent’s narrative when the world becomes aware of it. This is where tactical communication is paramount in disseminating information about the continent’s progress, so that the right people join the journey in supporting and investing in innovation.

There’s no doubt that the world faces tremendous challenges. There is enough food in our world to feed the hungry – but it’s not evenly distributed. There’s sufficient medicine available to treat a number of dread diseases – but this often doesn’t reach those who need it. There are innovative ways to supply water and generate energy – but they cost money.

The poor performance of South Africa’s agricultural economy in the first quarter of this year has raised questions of whether the contraction was on the back of a decline in investment due to policy uncertainty in the sector.

THE world's eyes have turned to Africa, attracted by its economic performance.

Economic growth is driven by a number of factors. These include foreign direct investment, national savings, household spending, fiscal and monetary policies. Since the late 1980s African governments have fully embraced foreign direct investment as a major driver of growth.

From large and long-established platforms to new start-ups, the number and variety of digital farm management tools is pretty wide.

The South African Department of Trade and Industry met with SEW-EURODRIVE to discuss its R200 million investment into the country on site at the organisations new head quarters in Aeroton, Johannesburg.

Why do certain investments perform better than others? Why do certain start-ups seem to always outperform others and get ahead of the cohort?

The Chinese government has suspended funding for energy projects in Africa as rising risks of debt distress among several African countries and Beijing’s internal economic challenges push lending to the continent to below $1 billion, the lowest in about 20 years.

South Africa’s Northern Cape province has become a prime area for investment in renewable energy. It is host to 59 of the 112 large-scale renewable energy projects secured through the country’s flagship Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme by 2021. But have the communities hosting these new projects benefited from them?

Environmental, social and governance investing, also known as impact or socially responsible investing, has become a popular concept. It’s based on awareness of the impact that firms have on the environment and on human wellbeing. Socially responsible investing recognises that these factors increasingly influence financial performance and thus investor returns.