The global economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to affect economic growth in Africa, with highly indebted countries, such as Angola and Mozambique, with a limited capacity to respond to stimulus, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa
The Covid-19 pandemic is putting under stress not only African countries’ health systems, but also their economies and societies, due to the lockdowns to enforce quarantines.
São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde last week became the first Portuguese-speaking African Countries to receive aid from the Ali-Baba foundation, owned by Chinese billionaire Jack ma, to support efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of the implementation of the African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA), which includes the Portuguese-speaking African Countries, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The strategic partnerships that China has signed in recent decades, particularly with the majority of Portuguese-speaking countries, are a major factor to boost the Belt and Road initiative (BR), according to researchers, Yichao Li and Mário Barbosa Vicente.
The Cape Verdean government’s law creating the Special Maritime Economic Zone on São Vincente (ZEEMSV) has passed through parliament and the project, supported by China, is expected to begin implementation soon.
Angola and Cabo Verde are conducting projects to increase security in their main cities, using video surveillance, using Chinese technology and financing, with a view to improving conditions for activities such as tourism.
Cabo Verde recorded the biggest economic growth among all the Portuguese-speaking African countries, as a new year is about to begin in which Mozambique is expected to see strong economic acceleration and a possible return to growth for Angola.
Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde and Mozambique are among the African countries that are most open, with regard to visas, to the citizens of other African states, according to the African Union (AU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which includes the Portuguese-Speaking countries, enhances the attractiveness of the continent for industrial investment from China, according to Jeremy Stevens, chief economist of the South African Standard Bank responsible for China.
Cabo Verde’s 2020 State Budget (OE), approved on 29 November, forecasts an acceleration of economic growth and a continuation of the fall in the country’s high debt burden, one of the main weaknesses of the Cape Verdean economy.
Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa are “a hotspot for investor interest”, says Mateus Magala, Vice-president of the African Development Bank. According to the Mozambican national, “the time is now” to invest in these countries, because of economic reforms, a burgeoning middle class and regional diversity against the background of the new African Continental Free Trade Area.
Chinese group Huawei will increase its support for StartUP Portugal, the public company responsible for boosting young technology-based companies, under a partnership agreement recently signed in Lisbon.
Brazil and Cabo Verde were among the countries to introduce the most reforms throughout 2018 to improve their business environment, although this was not enough to prevent their decline in the World Bank benchmark index.
Macau has an important role to play as a “knowledge centre” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) project, according to some of the leading Sino-Lusophone researchers.
Bringbuys Web Technology will help promote Cabo Verde in Asia through a new portal to be developed following a protocol signed at the Macau International Fair (MIF 2019), said Ana Lima Barber, president of the Cape Verdean trade and investment promotion agency.
Cabo Verde is among the most attractive tourist markets in West Africa at a time when the continent is increasingly attracting tourism investment, according to an assessment released by Hospitality and Tourism International (HTI) Consulting.
Chinese telecommunications group Huawei is involved in the launch of 4G and 5G mobile network technologies in Mozambique and Cabo Verde, which are expected to help boost the economies of both countries.
Most Portuguese-speaking countries have fallen in the index of the recently published Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, with the exception of Portugal and Angola.
The Sovereign Private Investment Guarantee Fund (FSGIP) approved by the Government of Cabo Verde is expected by 2025 to have a capitalisation of US$500 million as a result of the participation of private entities.
