Nubank Has Conquered Brazil. Now It Is Expanding Overseas
April 12th, 2025
Via The Economist, a report on Nubank – a rising South American fintech star: Brazil may not be an obvious place to look for the future of retail banking. Yet in just over a decade Nubank, based in São Paulo, has transformed its home market by offering cheap, branchless banking to millions of customers ignored by […]
Read more »Bait and Switch: North Korea’s Remarkable Role In Global Supply Chains
April 12th, 2025
Via The Economist, an article on North Korea’s remarkable entrenchment in global supply chains: What do salmon fillets, fake eyelashes and animated children’s TV shows all have in common? All these familiar parts of Western daily lives have recently been touched by North Korean labour. In an online shopping world where many consumers hit the “sort by price” button, […]
Read more »While War Rages, Congo’s Neighbors Smuggle Out Its Gold and Mineral Wealth
April 11th, 2025
Via the Wall Street Journal, a look at how – while war rages – the DRC’s neighbors are smuggling out its gold and mineral wealth: During the 19th century’s Scramble for Africa, European countries raced to secure territory and wealth across the continent. Now, African powers are grabbing resources from a neighbor crippled by infighting and […]
Read more »Pakistan’s Rich Mineral Endowment
April 8th, 2025
Via Mining Visuals, a report on Pakistan’s rich mineral endowment: Pakistan sits at the crossroads of opportunity, strategically located within the mineral-rich Tethyan Belt known for hosting world-class deposits. While much of its vast geological wealth remains untapped – with over 90 minerals discovered but only around 50 currently under production – the nation is […]
Read more »The Battle for Berbera: Inside the Global Scramble for Somaliland’s Strategic Red Sea Port
April 8th, 2025
Via The Africa Report, a look at the global scramble for Somaliland’s strategic Red Sea port: Once a quiet outpost on the Gulf of Aden, Berbera in Somaliland is now at the heart of a high-stakes geopolitical tug-of-war, as regional and global powers jostle for position along one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. […]
Read more »How Chinese Investments Are Reshaping Africa’s Steel Industry
April 7th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, a report on how – for China – investing in Africa’s steel industry is a strategic move to relocate surplus production capacity and address slowing domestic demand: Africa’s steel industry is undergoing a significant transformation, fueled by growing demand and increased foreign investment, particularly from China. In 2024, the continent’s steel market […]
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.