Having opened production facilities in Rwanda and South Africa, Mara Phones is looking to alter Africa's mindset from being a consumer to being a manufacturer. 

While Johannesburg remains way out in front when it comes to African international finance centres, competition is emerging in Casablanca, Lagos and Rwanda. And though reputational issues may dog much of the continent, it would seem that South Africa will not have everything its own way in the coming years.

Countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly keen to show off their tourism credentials to international travellers. But while visitor numbers are on the rise, the region's dated infrastructure and poor image are proving to be tough obstacles to overcome.

Free zones are often seen as a cure-all remedy to the problems developing economies encounter when trying to attract FDI. However, the reality is that such projects need careful planning and long-term support if they are to fulfil such wishes, as Barbara Njau discovers.

Speaking to fDi at the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Tokyo, finance ministers from Côte d’Ivoire, Lesotho, Rwanda and Uganda discuss the very different challenges their countries face when it comes to attracting investment from both stagnant developed markets and newly active emerging markets, particularly those within Africa. 

The finance ministers of Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe speak to fDi about the investment prospects of their countries and those of Africa in general.

The aviation industry was one of the main casualties of the global economic crisis in many regions around the world, but in the Middle East its growth has continued unabated. Central to this growth has been the expansion of Qatar Airways, which, according to its CEO, has no plans to slow down.

The world's economic balance is shifting, and sovereign wealth funds are starting to cut their exposure to developed economies and head towards emerging markets. But facing challenges such as limited availability of 'free-float' equity, the move does not come without risk.