Will Madagascar become the next BPO hub?

Madagascar boasts the fastest internet speeds in Africa and the 33rd fastest in the world in 2019 – an average of about 23 Mbps. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts with CIO Online on the growth of Madagascar as a Francophone Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub.

Leveraging its investments in telecommunications infrastructure, Madagascar has emerged as a disruptive force in the competition for business process outsourcing (BPO) hubs for the Francophone (French-speaking) world.

Leon observes that as Francophone markets expand in population, the Madagascar government will enhance its investment in BPO infrastructure to boost GDP growth and create job opportunities.

In order for Madagascar to outperform other players in the outsourcing space, Leon highlighted that it needed to also ensure good infrastructure quality in areas other than telecommunications.

Comments

The Philippines - Asia's next economic powerhouse

The Philippines is emerging as one of Asia’s most dynamic economies, with a forecasted growth rate of 6.9 per cent in 2018 driven by investment and private consumption. The economy recorded growth of over 6 per cent in 2017, for the sixth straight year, thanks to buoyant government spending, exports and a recovery in the agricultural sector. Will this Southeast Asian tiger be able to maintain its momentum? A growing economy While advanced economies like the United States, Europe and Japan are growing at slow rate, a number of emerging economies like the Philippines continue to surge ahead. With annual growth expected to reach 6.9 per cent by 2018, the Philippines now ranks as the 10th fastest growing economy globally. Owing to strong domestic demand and government projects, the country’s economy is on the rise. The government’s expansionary fiscal policy has aided capital formation and credit growth, whereas low inflation has strengthened private consumption. Path...

China’s New Silk Road Initiative – An integrated trade strategy for the 21st century?

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), announced in 2013, is not only China’s most ambitious global infrastructure project but also one of the largest ever attempted anywhere. It aims to develop a free trade zone and improve global connectivity across the Eurasian landmass. With an estimated investment of USD4 to 8 trillion and affecting over 70 countries, can China successfully connect all these economies together? What is China’s BRI? The BRI mega infrastructure project aims to cement links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia and the Baltic Region. It aspires to establish a free trade zone through infrastructure developments among countries and continents. The idea of the BRI was inspired by the ancient trade routes used by Chinese traders to boost connectivity with not only neighboring nations but with distant countries as well, such as the Roman Empire. Pan-Eurasian trade routes were opened in 130 B.C. during China’s Han Dynasty, ostensibly for international tr...

China’s landfills: Can waste be turned into energy?

260 million used tires are dumped in landfills all over the world. These tires contaminate groundwater and create clouds of black grime when they ignite, releasing toxins into the atmosphere. IFW Recycling Corporation based in the U.S. sees these old tires as a clean, green and efficient source of fuel. The tires are gassed to result in usable diesel fuel. This does not cause pollution and creates by-products for further use such as distilled water, carbon black and ash. With China emerging as one of the world’s biggest polluters, its government is seeking alternatives to coal-fired electricity generation. This could be one of them. https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/chinas-landfills-can-waste-be-turned-into-energy/

Ethiopia’s Strategic Cooperation with China

Over the past decade, Ethiopia has experienced an average economic growth rate of about 10%. Ethiopia is expected to grow by 8.5% in 2018, topping China’s projected growth of 6.5%. In recent times, the Ethiopian government has abandoned its 1970’s Communist ideology and put in place some basic reforms. They went on to build sturdy infrastructure and launch a successful industrial policy, calling to mind China’s own development pathway. The Chinese have contributed significantly to the building of Ethiopian infrastructure, with rail systems, buildings and dams. Will Ethiopia succeed in copying China’s development model? Read here more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/ethiopias-strategic-cooperation-with-china/

Ghana citizenships to boost economy

In November 2019, 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbean’s were granted citizenship, in a ceremony that marks 2019 as the Year of Return. 500,000 tourists are expected to visit Ghana during the Year of Return, a considerable increase from the 380,000 that visited in 2018. Visa on arrival for some and waive off of Visa charges have been introduced. The government also plans to invest in educated returnees to help boost the economy through employment. Is investment in human capital the way to boost Ghana’s economy? Read more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/ghana-citizenships-to-boost-economy/

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog