David del Ser

Today, South Africa 🇿🇦 celebrates 30 years of democracy, reflecting on the journey towards freedom and equality. As we honor the past and embrace the present, let's strive for a brighter future together. Check out my latest article for Tropics Magazine on promoting democracy and governance in Africa, drawing lessons from the South African experience. #FreedomDay #SouthAfrica #Democracy #Equality #TropicsMedia #TropicsGroup

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Our climate action efforts in East Africa have taken a significant step forward with the activation of our initiatives in Kenya. To drive this crucial agenda, it is strategic to gather insights from key institutions, including UNESCO. I recently had an exciting and enriching meeting with Dr. James Njogu, the Secretary General of UNESCO Kenya. Dr. Njogu is a passionate leader at the helm of a formidable team. We are looking forward to collaborating in various ways to make significant contributions to Africa’s green alignment. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, plays a pivotal role in promoting international collaboration in education, science, culture, and communication. Through its initiatives, UNESCO aims to build peace, eradicate poverty, and drive sustainable development. In Kenya, UNESCO focuses on supporting educational reforms, promoting cultural heritage, advancing scientific research, and addressing environmental challenges. This collaboration will leverage UNESCO’s extensive expertise and resources to foster sustainable practices and drive impactful climate action in the region. #climateaction #renewwomen #presidentialgalaforclimateaction #evassembling #solar #training #advocacy

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MyAIFactchecker is gunning for global impact! Incredibly exciting to see that FactCheck Africa's AI-powered fact-checking tool, MyAIFactchecker, has gotten its well deserved global recognition. This is a proud moment for us as Meta spotlighted the tool, validating the amazing and incredible work the team has been doing since the past year. Considering this time with unlimited exposure to different kinds of information online, Myaifactchecker.org is always at your fingertips to avoid habitual spreading of unverified claims. Essentially, it is also important to note that the fact that a claim has gone viral doesn't make it true. In fact, fake news spread faster than the truth online. Always proud of our main man and lead, Olasupo Abideen for advancing such an innovative solution and the rest of the team at FactCheckAfrica. #MyAIFactChecker #misinformation #BBYDI #FactCheckAfrica #Informationpollution

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An insightful look into what it will take for Africa to respond to the highly damaging effects of climate change. Katie Hill, Chris Mitchell, Mills Schenck, #GreenFuture #SustainableInvestment #ClimateFinance #BCGinAfrica

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Gifted entrepreneurs building thriving businesses and networks are the future of economic transformation in Africa and other emerging markets. They can create opportunities that uplift entire communities. This is the vision we’re working towards at Sinapis. For more on the transformative potential of ecosystem entrepreneurship in Africa, explore this insightful article by the Christensen Institute: https://lnkd.in/gR95u8iz Author: Efosa Ojomo

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To current and prospective investors in Africa - check out Ventures Platform Fund's new white paper about climate-smart innovation and investment opportunities in Africa. Delta40 Venture Studio loved contributing to this paper and co-investing with VP in this space. If you are interested in learning more about investment opportunities that drive climate-positive growth in Africa, check out the paper below and share your questions, feedback, challenges, and new ideas in the comment section. If you would like to receive information about specific live investment opportunities in Delta40 ventures, leave a comment or DM me. We can share high-impact investment opportunities from $50k to $20M in the energy, agriculture, and fintech sectors across Africa from Kenya to Nigeria and other hungry markets. We hope this paper inspires new investment in the continent and, to help facilitate this, Delta40 shares DD, legal documents, and our post-investment venture studio support services to increase the impact and returns of your investment, and to lower the risk and cost of investing in Africa. Thank you Dr. Dotun Olowoporoku and Dolapo Morgan for all the work behind the scenes to bring this paper to life.

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When it comes to climate innovation, the private sector is critical for driving change - and investing in climate does not need to be concessionary! In the past, philanthropy and inter-developmental institutions were leading efforts against climate change. But today, it's totally shifting in a new direction. It’s the private sector that’s the best at scaling solutions - government and academia are just not built to expand innovative solutions in the same manner. Here's why I see the private sector will continue expanding this market in impactful ways: 1️. Climate Dynamics While the discourse on climate change may vary, the global consensus is strong. Recent events (like the severe heat crisis in East Africa, for instance) only underscore the pressing need for immediate action. 2️. Governmental Backing Governments across the globe, from the EU and China to the US, are mobilizing resources to address climate challenges. Through substantial funding and policy support, they're paving the way for innovative climate solutions to thrive on a global scale. They’re creating the ecosystem and infrastructure that will allow new businesses to flourish. 3️. Environmental Awareness Gen Z and Gen Alpha are (of course) very aware of environmental issues. That means there's a growing foundation in which people can - and will - build companies around sustainability. This new generation of leaders is driving innovation and entrepreneurship in this space. It’s clear that climate innovation is an expanding market - and the opportunity there is significant. By digging in now, the private sector can capitalize on its potential and (more importantly) pave the way to a greener future.

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Introducing Culo: A Music App for Local Talent During the forum, I had the opportunity to pitch for Culo, a groundbreaking music app designed to elevate local music and content creators in Eswatini. Here’s why Culo is a significant initiative: The Challenge In Eswatini, many talented artists face significant barriers in reaching their audience due to the lack of accessible platforms. Over 60% of our youth, aged 15-35, are eager for local content but often find it difficult to discover it. This gap not only limits artists' exposure but also deprives fans of the rich cultural heritage our nation has to offer. The Solution: Culo App Culo, derived from the Siswati word “Umculo,” meaning songs, is an online music application tailored for Swazi artists and their fans. Our platform allows artists to upload their music and videos while providing fans with a space to interact directly with these creators. Imagine a vibrant community where local talent thrives, and fans can easily access and support their favorite artists.

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Women and Transport Africa x Building Feminist Cities 2024  “Envisioning more Feminist Transport Systems in Africa” Please join us at Safari Park Hotel, in Nairobi, from December 4th to 6th, 2024. This hybrid conference will bring together influential leaders, practitioners, researchers, and #policymakers from across #Africa and the globe: ✨ To explore the #future of inclusive #mobility and #feminist city-building. ✨ To envision what a feminist #transport system looks like and the #impact it can have on social #equity and #resilience. ✨ To explore the transformation of the transport systems and create more #inclusive and #feminist urban environments. ✨ By delving into the disparities within current systems and investigating the design, operation, and maintenance #barriers to women, girls, and other marginalized groups. We are going to address pivotal questions about equitable #investment, the influence of transport on #opportunities, and the role of #government and #policies. “Africa for All: Creating Inclusive Mobility and Spaces for Everyone.” Looking forward to meeting you! Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH Women on the Move Transforming Transport in Asia Ariadne Baskin Keisha Alena Mayuga Flone Initiative #lifelessonswithPatricia #feministtransort #womenleadingwomen #changemaker #Investment #investinginwomen #womenintransport #womeninmobility #sustainabletransport #entrepreneurship #womeninbusiness #financialinclusion

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Honoured to share my candid conversation with Mike Korchinsky, Founder and President of Wildlife Works , where we dive deep into the true impact of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project on our communities in Kenya. Having grown up in the heart of this transformative project, I’ve personally witnessed firsthand the before-and-after effects it has brought—𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗼-𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. This is why I passionately believe in the power of voluntary carbon markets to drive meaningful change in the Global South while contributing to Global Net Zero Goals. This conversation was sparked by the ongoing global debate, where some voices from the Global North seem intent on dominating the carbon market narrative, often disregarding the voices of 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 like us in the Global South—communities that bear the brunt of climate change and are working hard to conserve forests and protect biodiversity. I’m also grateful for Global North advocates like Alexia Kelly, Tea Bano, Steve Zwick, 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, who champion the continuous improvement of carbon projects rather than calling for their disbandment. Their work is critical in ensuring that the carbon market continues to evolve and offer better support to both nature and communities. As I expressed during our conversation, "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴?" It’s time for global critics to step out of their offices and witness the real story on the ground. Check out the full conversation in the Wildlife Works post linked in the comments and discover why #CarbonCreditsWork to drive #ClimateAction and uplift communities across the Global South.  𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙩! 💪 #GlobalSouthVoices #CommunityEmpowerment #REDD #HealthForAll #WaterForAll #ClimateJustice #ClimateFinance #ClimateAction #SustainableDevelopment #NetZero #Sustainability #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits

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AfCFTA JULY UPDATE: Accelerating AFRICA’s development agenda in 2024: The #AfricanContinentalFreeTradeArea (AfCFTA) is the flagship project of the #AfricanUnion’s #Agenda2063, a blueprint for attaining inclusive and sustainable #development across the #continent over the next 50 years. It aims to boost #intraAfricantrade by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial #trade agreement among the member states, covering trade in goods and services, #investment, #intellectualpropertyrights and competition policy. The Agreement entered into force on 30 May, 2019 for the 24 countries that had deposited their instruments with the #AfricanUnionCommission (AUC)Chairperson-the designated depositary for this purpose. The #AfCFTASecretariat – charged with various responsibilities related to the implementation of the #AfCFTA – is hosted by Ghana. Wamkele Mene was officially appointed the first Secretary-General of the Secretariat on 19 March 2020, and is now serving his second term. The AfCFTA Secretariat was officially handed over in #Accra, #Ghana on 17 August 2020. Start of trading under the AfCFTA Agreement began on 1 January 2021. As at January 2024, Rules of Origin have been agreed on 92.3% of total tariff lines and the operationalisation of the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (#PAPSS) has been officially launched. On 7 October 2022, the AfCFTA Secretariat launched the #AfCFTAGuidedTradeInitiative (GTI) in #Accra to allow for commercially meaningful trade under the Agreement to commence for EIGHT (8) participating countries: #Cameroon 🇨🇲, #Egypt 🇪🇬, #Ghana 🇬🇭, #Kenya 🇰🇪, #Mauritius 🇲🇺, #Rwanda 🇷🇼, #Tanzania 🇹🇿 and #Tunisia 🇹🇳, representing the five regions of #AFRICA. This initiative is being used to pilot the operational, institutional, legal and trade policy environment under the AfCFTA. In 2024, the scope of the #GTI has been expanded in both product and country coverage across the five African regions and Islands States, with a total of thirty-five (35) State Parties having expressed interest to or have joined the initiative. As at JULY 2024, 47 of the 54 signatories (85.2%) have deposited their instruments of AfCFTA ratification with the #AUC Chairperson. Note: #Eritrea 🇪🇷 ONLY country not to sign the AfCFTA agreement. #BurkinaFaso 🇧🇫 #Guinea 🇬🇳 #Mali 🇲🇱 #Niger 🇳🇪 and #Gabon 🇬🇦 are currently SUSPENDED from the African Union. Slowly progressing towards #TheAfricaWeWant #UnitedUnderAfCFTA #AfricaYesWeCAN #TransformingAfrica #BrandAfrica #Africa #AfricaMeansBusiness #ThisIsAfrica #Diaspora #IT #OneAfrica #TransAfricanHighway #SMEs #CreatingOneAfricanMarket #Partnerships #AfCFTATV #BuildBackBetter #AfricanUnity #SAATM #TradeInAfrica #TradeUnderAfCFTA #JoinAfCFTA #AfricaOnTheMove #Tourism #Infrastructure #MadeInAfrica #AfCFTASecretariat #PanAfricanism #Investors #ZLECAF #StrongerTogether #TradeNotAid #AfricanSolutionsToAfricanProblems #Afreximbank #VisitAfrica #AfCFTA2024 #Africa2024

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The cooperative movement isn't just here in the US, the cooperative movement is worldwide! In Africa, the latest development is the opening of the African Cooperatives Centre (ACC) in Midrand, South Africa which will, “will serve as a continental hub for knowledge exchange, best practice exchange, capacity building, training and advocacy for co-operatives and other SSE entities to learn from each other, and collectively address the challenges facing social protection in Africa.” Why the resources dedicated to making the ACC? Because cooperatives work. Just ask the African Union: “The African Union recognises co-operatives as private business organisations that are unique in that their owners democratically control and benefit from them. They are value and principle-driven organisations that put the social and economic interests of their members at their core. Given their nature, these co-operatives are ideal for fighting poverty and bringing about social cohesion.” Well said! #AfricanCooperatives #Cooperatives #ACC #AfricanUnion

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Great research piece from AVCA - The African Private Capital Association & Nadia Kouassi Coulibaly on African Francophone countries. >>> Snapshot: Senegal’s Private Capital Boom > Rising Star: Senegal ranks high in Francophone Africa, with 58 deals worth ~$700M since 2012, claiming 16% of regional deal volume. > VC Surge: Venture capital leads, driving 66% of deal volume since 2021, boosted by Senegal’s Startup Act. > Tech Transformation: Financials: 90% of deals tech-enabled (2021–H1 2024). Industrials: 80% tech-driven deals, with players like Paps and Afrikamart. > Exits: Dominated by trade sales and MBOs. Senegal leads exit volume in Communication Services. 43% of 2019 exits were MBOs. > Gender Leadership: 31% of VC deals (2020–H1 2024) went to gender-diverse startups, many led by women. >>> Verdict: Senegal is a key player in Francophone Africa’s private capital scene, excelling in VC, tech adoption, and gender inclusivity. https://shorturl.at/ZiBcB

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CAPITAL URBAN, RURAL, AND ALL IN BETWEEN What “rural” African SMEs? Is all that is not capital city “rural”? In the ever-evolving narrative of Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape we need to craft a language and terminology that matches the city jungle, urban savanna and open plains. We increasing see tenders that speaks of working with, supporting and developing “rural” SMEs. For some it is to communicate a focus on businesses beyond capital cities – and for others there is a wish to go beyond the big(ger) cities and towns. And then some are actually looking for SMEs beyond cities and towns .. in the rural. We need to (re)define the business landscape: -> Capital cities: Cultural, political, and economic centers with significant resources and the bulk of the urban population -> Secondary cities: Key commercial and transport hubs within their regions -> Tertiary cities: Local trading centers or administrative seats essential for regional economies but smaller than secondary cities -> Towns: Typically serve as centers for agriculture, transport, or mining, critical to local economies and cultures -> Urban areas: Densely populated areas that generally include one or more cities or large towns, rapidly growing areas driven by migration from rural regions -> Peri-urban areas: Transition zones on the outskirts of major cities, mixing urban and rural features and often marked by rapid development and population growth -> Rural areas: Mostly agricultural or undeveloped lands with dispersed populations reliant on subsistence farming or small-scale agriculture, often lacking basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and water supply can be limited   SMEs in the rural The current SME blueprint in rural Africa doesn’t quite mirror the robust infrastructure seen in rural Europe or the U.S. which historically host a lot of SME and large manufacturing businesses. The typical rural African setting isn't primed with the logistical, skilled labor, power, or water resources necessary to nurture the kind of great manufacturing businesses that are commonplace in the West. Medium-sized businesses in rural Africa are extremely rare. Nano and micro businesses that serve local community needs dominates rural Africa. Hence when discussing SMEs in Africa, our focus is on urban and peri-urban areas within capital and secondary (and tertiary) cities. There are exceptions, but these are rare and not the norm for developing broad-based programs at this stage. Let's work together to align terminology for clearer understanding and effective communication. We aim to ensure that our dialogues and strategies reflect the real conditions on the ground, supporting entrepreneurs based on actual needs. This collaborative effort is what drives us and our peers across big city ESOs and countrywide innovation hubs. #AfricanEntrepreneurship #RuralInnovation #SMEdevelopment #FundingClarity #EntrepreneurialEcosystem #AfricanEntrepreneurship #SustainableDevelopment

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