Africa insights from people on the ground.
Market intelligence, recruitment expertise, and on-the-ground perspectives from across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond — written by the Copper Quail team.
49 articles
#7 Mastering HR and Recruitment in Africa: Copper Quail Global and Africa Deployments
Introduction: The Dynamic African Job Market Africa's rapid economic growth and diverse opportunities are attracting global businesses. However, the continent's unique workforce challenges necessitate
#8 Zambia: The Return of Anglo-American & Revival of the Mining Sector
The news that Anglo American has returned to mining activity in Zambia has drawn the attention of global operators and investors
#8 NAMIBIA: BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS FROM MAJOR OIL & GAS FINDS
There has been much media coverage of the relatively recent major oil and gas finds in Namibia. Let’s set the scene before discussing the
#9 ETHIOPIA: STRONG PRIVATISATION DEVELOPMENTS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, LOGISTICS & BANKING SECTORS
GOVERNMENT MAKING LONG-AWAITED PRIVATISATION MOVESWhen I led a large business mission to Addis Ababa
Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast: The ‘Jewel of West Africa’ Makes a Major Move from Agriculture to Mining
Côte d’Ivoire: The ‘Jewel of West Africa’ Makes a Major Move from Agriculture to Mining ONCE THE ‘JEWEL OF WEST AFRICA’ I first visited Côte d’Ivoire way back in 1982. It was my first foray into West
#10 RWANDA: THE 'SINGAPORE' OF EAST AFRICA?
RWANDA: THE ‘SINGAPORE’ OF EAST AFRICA? A COUNTRY EMERGING FROM THE DEEP DARK It’s the late nineties and I’m visiting Rwanda for the first time. I’m attending a COMESA conference and I tell the Rwanda
#11 Nigeria: A Massive Electricity Supply Problem, Brave Decisions & Small but Innovative Successes
Nigeria: A Massive Electricity Supply Problem, Brave Decisions & Small but Innovative SuccessesA more than daunting power supply problemLet’s start with the facts. There are various estimates of N
1 GABON: AN ‘OLD’ OIL COUNTRY FINDS OTHER RESOURCES A RICH COUNTRY GETTING RICHER
WHY IS GABON SO RICH?Easy question to answer: It has plenty of oil and gas and also huge rainforests covering nearly 90% of its total land area delivering some of the best hardwoods in the world. And
1 MAURITIUS - CAN THE ISLAND BECOME A MAJOR LOGISTICS PLATFORM FOR INCREDIBLE RELIEF AID SUPPLY IN AFRICA?
MAURITIUS: CAN THE ISLAND BECOME A MAJOR LOGISTICS PLATFORM FOR RELIEF AID SUPPLY IN AFRICA?AN IMPORTANT MISSIONI’m sitting in an Air Mauritius aircraft on my way to the island. The plane is full of t
1 ZIMBABWE: CAN THE GOVERNMENT SUCCEED IN BENEFICIATING ITS VAST LITHIUM RESOURCE?
Zimbabwe: Can the Government Succeed in Beneficiating its Vast Lithium Resource?AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTIn December 2022, the Zimbabwean Minister of Mines and Mining Development issued the following
1 KENYA: THE AFRICAN ICT HUB ASPIRES TO GLOBAL STATUS WHILE ITS DYNAMIC ICT START-UPS PROLIFERATE
SO MANY ICT PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES…Here I am sitting at my desk, preparing a blog on Kenya’s remarkable
Tanzania’s Natural Gas Resources A Major New Project to Re-ignite Investment
THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL GAS…Natural gas is viewed by many analysts as an important ‘transition fuel’ for the mi
1 SENEGAL SETS THE EXAMPLE FOR AFRICA WITH EFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY DELIVERY IN A SEMI-ARID AREA OF THE CONTINENT
A WATER-STRESSED REGION…At over three million square kilometres, the Sahel region stretches
1 ZAMBIA: THE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED BUT LARGELY UNEXPLOITED LUAPULA PROVINCE
A ROAD CONNECTION TO THE RICH COPPERBELT…The first time I went to Luapula Province in north-eastern Zambia was in 2014. I had
1 MOROCCO: A SIGNIFICANT, POWERFUL INVESTOR IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
MOROCCO: A SIGNIFICANT INVESTOR IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA MY INITIAL EXPERIENCES OF MOROCCAN ACTIVITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES… It was the mid-1980’s, and I had just landed at Malabo Airport in Eq
Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast : An Incredible Agricultural Success Story that is Blossoming Even More
It was sometime around 2002 and I was walking with an Ivorian friend in the streets of Ab
1 - Botswana Maun: Unlocking its Great Potential Beyond Tourism
Botswana: Can Maun Evolve into Something More Than Just the ‘Welcome Mat’ to the Okavango Delta? The precious Okavango Delta. A major ‘bucket list’ item It’s a question clients have asked me many time
Mozambique: A New Bridge & A New Road Brings Limited Vitalisation of the Far South
1 - Mozambique: A New Bridge & A New Road Brings Limited Vitalisation of the Far South THE UNLOCKING OF A UNIQUE TOURISM AREA AND A NEW CROSS-BORDER TRADE ROUTE…It was 2017 when my colleague, Roel
1 - Guinea: Home of the Last–Known Biggest and Richest Unrealised Iron Ore Deposit in the World. Incredible
Guinea: Home of the Last–Known Biggest and Richest Unrealised Iron Ore Deposit in the World An exciting invitation for a mission to a country blessed with resource wealth It was late 2012 when a long-
1 - Ghana: Powerful Expansion of Takoradi Port Awaits Oil and Gas Developments
Ghana: Major Expansion of Takoradi Port Awaits Oil and Gas Developments A flurry of port developments in sub-Saharan Africa Recent decades have seen major new port developments and port expansions in
1 - Zimbabwe: The Critical Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in Providing Relief to Much of the Population
Elections have just been held in Zimbabwe with President Mnangagwa announced as head of stat
1 - Namgola: Development of Southern Angola and Northern Namibia into a Significant Economic Region
A new trade route and ‘Namgola’… I was sitting on the stoep of a home on the outskirts of Windhoek enjoy
1 - Libya - 2010: An Incredible Pre-Revolution Glimmer
Libya: Stepping into a Pre-Revolution Scenario and Yet Another ‘Crisp Atmosphere’ Experience My mission to Libya and a nervous arrival It was December 2010 when I took an Egyptair flight from Johannes
1 - Zambia Mpulungu Port As A Great, Unique Inland Waterway Trade Route
Zambia: Mpulungu Port As A Unique Inland Waterway Trade Route One day I’ll get to visit Mpulungu I have to start with the confession that I have never been to Mpulungu before. I had my first opportuni
Ethiopia 1 - An incredible Brighter Future for Healthcare?
Ethiopia: Prospects for a Health Sector Transformation? The mission The client was a multinational pharmaceuticals manufacturer, specialising in the production of drugs that treat rare diseases. Speci
Cameroon - 1 - Kribi Deep Sea Port Opens Doors to New Opportunities
Cameroon: The Kribi Deep Water Port Becomes a Reality So much port development From about 2010 until 2018, many of my business missions into sub-Saharan Africa were based on sea port developments. New
DR Congo 1 Revitalizing the Kinshasa-Matadi Corridor for Growth
DR Congo: The Kinshasa-Matadi Transport Corridor A Vital Link Receives Attention An important announcement on a long-delayed rail project… In August 2023, an interesting news item appeared on my compu
South Sudan 1 - Africa’s Newest Baby Faces Its Birth Pains
South Sudan: Africa’s Newest Baby Faces Its Birth Pains An unusual arrival Whenever an aircraft begins its descent to a new city destination, and the announcement to fasten seat belts is made, I peer
Cape Verde 1 - A Little-Known but Model African State
Cape Verde: A Little-Known but Model African State Two years in a country I knew so little about For two years in the late 1980’s, I was tasked with coordinating technical assistance to the desalinati
Unlocking the Zambian and DR Congo Copperbelts Major Bilateral Logistics Initiatives
First-hand experience of a major border crossing The client’s instructions were very clear. My colleague, Duncan an
1 - Building a Better Future: Strategies to Lessen Minerals-Fuelled Conflict in the Congo
The Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: What Can be Done to Lessen the Minerals-Fuelled Conflict Situation? On the border of a conflict region It was 2018 and I was visiting the Volcanoes Nation
Namibia: Dimensions of the Lithium Opportunity
So much attention on Namibia The relatively recent oil finds off the coast of Namibia have drawn considerable global attention to this country. Namibia h
1 Nairobi - A Major Centre for Incredible Regional Relief Aid
Nairobi: A Major Centre for Regional Relief Aid Sound advice from an experienced ‘old hand’ in United Nations relief aid “Paul, you must tell your clients loud and clear that if we don’t get the right
ROC: 1 - How Pointe-Noire Port is Driving Logistics Success in Central Africa:
ROC: The Key Role of Pointe-Noire Port in the Development of Logistics Operations in Central Africa When I first heard of Pointe Noire Port I first got to know of Ponte-Noire port in the late 1970s wh
Sao Tome and Principe: An Island Paradise Looking for Oil
A scary landing It was December 2003 and I was on a night flight from Libreville, Gabon to the island of Sao Tome. The Twin Otter was small, a
Sudan: 1 - The Tragedy of the Forgotten Conflict When There Was Once Hope
Sudan: The Tragedy of the Forgotten Conflict When There Was Once Hope The forgotten conflict Africa and the world have seen so many major conflicts in recent years, which have held the attention of th
Conquer African Markets: Unleash Your Business Potential with Expert Employer of Record (EOR) Services
Are you ready to tap into the immense potential of the African market? Africa, with its burgeonin
Scaling Operations in Africa and the Middle East with Copper Quail Global and Africa Deployments
Introduction: The Challenge of Expansion in Emerging Markets Expanding into Africa or the Middle East presents exciting opportunities – but also complex challenges. How can companies scale up operatio
Rwanda Goes All-Out to Become a Major Tourism Hub
A Blueprint for Tourism Development in Africa A smooth gorilla adventure I had two objectives when I visited Rwanda for the third time in September 2018. One was to meet the Rwanda Development Board t
Launching Hospitality Talent Solutions: Connecting Global Hospitality with Exceptional Talent
At Copper Quail Global, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our Hospitality Talent Solutions, a specialized service designed to meet the unique hiring needs of the global hospitality industry. F
Winning Formula: 10 Things to Do to Hire the Perfect Team
Winning FormulaAt Copper Quail, we understand that hiring the perfect team is one of the most important decisions any organisation can make. The right employees bring fresh ideas, boost productivity,
An Authoritative Guide to Navigating the Human Capital Landscape in Lubumbashi, DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country of immense potential, but its vastness and complex regional dynamics require a nuanced approach. At Copper Quail Global, we understand that the coun
Kenya’s Floriculture Industry: Blossoming Success, Emerging Challenges
Few sectors illustrate this better than Kenya’s floriculture industry—a global success story that showcase
Decoding the DR Congo’s Logistics Gateway: The Kasumbalesa Border and Its Impact on African Human Capital
As a Human Capital Solutions Partner with over 15 years of experience across the continent, Copper Quail Global understands that successful expansion into Africa is about more than just finding the ri
Powering Africa's Future: Why Lüderitz is the Next Namibian Talent Hotspot
The rhythmic churn of a busy port, the glint of new infrastructure under the desert sun, and the hum of ambitious development plans—this is the new reality for Lüderitz, Namibia's historic and increas
Navigating New Horizons: How Malawi's Pivot to the Nacala Corridor is Reshaping African Trade
As a Human Capital Solutions Partner with over 15 years of experience navigating the complexities of the African recruitment market, Copper Quail Global understands that economic infrastructure is the
Tourism Recruitment in Africa & the Middle East: Growth Trends, Talent Gaps, and How Copper Quail Delivers
International travel has not only fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels but actually e
Mining Developments Across Africa and the Middle East: A Region-by-Region Insight
Africa and the Middle East are witnessing dynamic shifts in their mining sectors, driven by surging demand for critical minerals and proactive policy reforms. Investors, mining executives, and profess
West Africa's Mining Revolution: Gold, Bauxite, and the Critical Minerals Race
The global demand for natural resources, from precious metals to EV battery components, has converged on a single geography: West Africa. Rich in vast, world-class deposits of gold, bauxite, and incre