In Rural Vietnam, Facebook Finds A New Approach To Growth
June 9th, 2021
Via Nikkei Asia, a report on Facebook’s bet on chat-based e-commerce and online video in Vietnam and beyond: Facebook is taking lessons from rural Vietnam as part of its advertising business becomes more difficult and online merchants embrace video and chat to connect with customers. Vietnam’s increasingly prosperous rural population is adapting quickly to smartphone use […]
Read more »Solar Investors Bet On DRC
June 8th, 2021
Via African Business, a report on two major solar energy projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Two major solar energy projects have been announced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the space of a week as investors target one of Africa’s least electrified markets. A consortium led by Gridworks, a UK government-backed developer and […]
Read more »Kabul New City: Afghanistan’s Forgotten Development Dream
June 8th, 2021
Via The Diplomat, a look at a planned Afghanistan mega-project that was put on hold under the previous government and, which if not kickstarted soon, Kabul city could be left uninhabitable: Kabul New City (KNC) was intended to be home for 3 million by 2040, one and a half times larger than the existing Afghan capital. […]
Read more »Cuba Legalizes Private Businesses, With Key Caveats
June 7th, 2021
Via STRATFOR (subscription required), a report on Cuba’s recent privatization initiatives: Cuba’s decision to allow private sector involvement in additional areas of the economy represents a modest move toward free-market policies that will allow some domestic companies to scale up operations and attract moderate levels of foreign investment, even as crucial sectors of the economy […]
Read more »A New Capital In The Egyptian Desert: Sisi’s Military Model For The Economy
June 7th, 2021
Courtesy of The Financial Times, a report on Egypt where some feel the army’s increased involvement is crowding out the private sector and scaring away foreign investors: Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has never been one to shy away from making bold promises while vowing to revive the Arab world’s most populous state But in […]
Read more »China’s Economic Interest In Afghanistan After The U.S Withdrawal
June 7th, 2021
Via Modern Diplomacy, a report on China’s economic interest in Afghanistan: As a large and emerging peaceful power, China needs peace and stability in its neighborhood. Because uncertainty has negative effects on Afghanistan, while the emergence and realization of the “Chinese Dream 2050” requires a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Afghanistan has long faced serious terrorism […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.