Social Media
Country Profiles
Search
Economic Growth Program Description
Printer
email
Trade
Removing the Barriers (RtB) Global Development Alliance (GDA)
Implementer: NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF)
Duration: June 2011 – June 2014
Project Ceiling: $6.4 million
The NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF), with leveraged funds from the Hewlett Foundation, implements the Removing-the-Barriers (RtB) initiative that will bring in the private sector voice to change and shape policy and policy decisions along key development corridors in the Southern Africa region. NBF, in collaboration with TransFarm Africa, are managing a private fund that private enterprises investing in the development corridors will access to develop agriculture and agribusinesses along these corridors. The RtB program complements corridor efforts of the Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH).
Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH)
Implementer: AECOM
Duration: September 2010-September 2014
Project Ceiling: $82.6 million
USAID’s Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) seeks to increase international competitiveness, intra-regional trade, and food security in the SADC region. SATH also supports energy planners to harmonize regional infrastructure planning and adoption of clean energy regulations through support to SADC Infrastructure and Services Directorate and the Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA). SATH promotes regional food security by addressing transportation and trade barriers along key regional trade corridors and by strengthening trade of key food security commodities, including maize, soybean, and groundnut. SATH is also partnering with South Africa’s Agriculture Business Chamber (ABC) to leverage South African private sector investments in the region to develop regional agribusinesses as part of the Mission’s overall Feed-the-Future (FTF) Strategic Partnership with South Africa.
Swaziland Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program (SWEEP)
Implementer: Technoserve
Duration: December 2005 – December 2012
Project Ceiling: $8.9 million
Through the SWEEP program, USAID is promoting the economic welfare and relieving poverty through support to establish and expand small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that are at least 51% owned by Swazi citizens. The program increases and facilitates access to credit facilities, provides or facilitates technical assistance and training to SMEs, develops and rationalizes SME links with large businesses, strengthens Swazi business associations and organizations, and engages in dialogue and consultation with the Government of Swaziland to enlist its assistance to further these objectives.
Energy
Africa Infrastructure Program (AIP) (AFR Bureau)
Implementer: NEXANT
Duration: September 2010 – March 2014
Funding to date: $3,000,000
The Southern Africa region suffers from low access to electricity of around 30 percent of the SADC population, compared to the world average of 75 percent. Often, energy and power projects in Sub-Saharan Africa encounter barriers that prevent them from achieving financial closure. USAID's Africa Infrastructure Program (AIP) project supports capacity building, energy sector structural and regulatory reform, and transaction advisory service to foster deployment of clean energy technologies and projects. Through support, structural reforms result in the introduction of private sector independent power producers (IPPs), thereby diversifying the generation and transmission resource mix, particularly adding clean/renewable energy projects and technologies. USAID advisory support helped to establish South Africa’s Independent System and Market Operator (ISMO) legislation and roll-out of the South Africa’s Renewable Energy-Independent Power Producer (RE-IPP) activity; as well as capacity building to host-governments and regulatory bodies to incorporate renewable energy into the regulatory frameworks in Mozambique, Namibia, and Lesotho. AIP program assistance is supporting these countries to establish their first private investments in 25-50 MW wind farm energy production. New activities will be developed in Angola, Swaziland, and Zambia to enhance investment in clean energy projects.
Clean Technology Initiative-Partnership Financial Advisory Network (CTI-PFAN)
Implementer: International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer
Duration: July 2011- September 2015
Funding to Date: $350,000
Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) is a Global Development Alliance (GDA) partnership with private sector companies, under the Climate Technology (CTI), with experience in providing finance and financial services to climate-friendly projects. It targets mid-size Clean Energy, Renewable Energy, and Energy Efficiency project in the $1 million to $50 million range whose developers do not otherwise have access to financing or advisory services. Project services include guidance on overall project structure, preparation and presentation of investment proposals, investor matchmaking, and provision of money/financing directly from members of the PFAN network. The current round of project solicitations has resulted in eight (8) potential Southern Africa projects. They made their initial presentations in October, were matched with mentors to prepare for final presentations to prospective financiers in February 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa.