As the discord from the Arab Spring uprisings recedes in north African countries such as Morocco and Egypt, FDI is returning, with broadband and communications infrastructure a prime target for investors looking for high growth potential.

At the World Economic Forum meeting on Africa in Cape Town in May, fDi spoke to leading officials from three African countries that are implementing strategies to improve their records for attracting foreign investment.

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.

Frontier developing countries are nothing new to express logistics company DHL Express, which has been operating in such markets for decades. Now, with growth in Europe and North America stunted, its CEO tells fDi that the company is reaping the benefits of its early endeavours in what are some of the fastest growing economies in the world.

For more than a decade, China’s involvement in Africa has brought financial gain to both regions. But how will this relationship develop as China looks to shift away from being an export-led economy?