New solar technology is poised to provide cheap power to many of the 600 million people in Africa who lack access to reliable electricity. Innovation in “off-grid” solar power is becoming accessible to even the most remote communities for less than a half dollar a day. [...] The company received $50 million in financing from the U.S. government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation, as part of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative.

The New York–based training company aims to find and groom the best software developers in Africa — thousands of them. Since setting up campuses in 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya, Andela has been flooded with more than 40,000 applications. It selected 250 for paid, four-year fellowships working with tech leaders including Udacity, Microsoft and Facebook.

It’s not every day that a young Israeli entrepreneur accompanies the prime minister on his visit to the United Nations. Sivan Borowich-Ya’ari recently presented her organization ‘Innovation: Africa’ to the UN’s general assembly, alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and African leaders. Providing African villages with Israeli solar, water and agricultural technologies.

Last week President Xi Jinping received President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting, in which the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of bi-lateral cooperation, reflected the profound friendship between China and Africa. [...] China is one of Africa’s main commercial partners. 

The Energy Africa Compact signed by the U.K.'s Department for International Development with the Ugandan government aims to improve access to, and innovation in, solar energy in the country. [...] Energy Africa Compact agreement with Ugandan officials will work towards improving access to solar energy to the estimated 30 million people in the country without access to electricity.

The second General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) opened on Thursday in Casablanca, Morocco. The organization allows members to better communicate and assess their actions and for peer review. [...] FAAPA is waxing stronger day by day and that African news agencies need more transfers of information and technology.

Zimbabwe needs to manage its brand imaging properly as this has a huge bearing on the country's ability to attract investment and developing its economy, a senior Government official said. [...] Why manage the country's image? We cannot afford to be isolated, we are a global player. That means countries are competing.