The East African Community is working with agencies such as TradeMark East Africa to ease the movement of labour and capital and cross-border business.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called on BRICS countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to deepen their partnership for a brighter future.

The Government of Botswana is seeking to diversify its economy and encourages FDI. The country’s strengths lie in its low levels of corruption, good economic governance, liberal tax system and stable democracy.

In recent years, Moroccan authorities have been successful in attracting a relatively consistent flow of foreign capital, mainly relying on the national privatisation programme, the conversion of foreign debt into investments and the operations of public services concessions.

China's policy towards Africa has the potential to lift the continent out of poverty if all its contents are implemented accordingly. In the last nine years, the Asian economic giant released two position papers on its policy on Africa, which act as guidelines to its dealings with the continent.

By all accounts, Ethiopia has had a tough year. The effects of El Nino were deeply felt across the country. Agriculture was impacted.

The long standing partnership between the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and its Chinese partners has significantly contributed to mechanisation and full utilisation of land as more than 2 000 hectares have been put under various crops in Mashonaland West province.

Rich in natural resources and economically stable, Algeria has attracted growing levels of FDI in recent years, even if its stock remains weak. In recent years, there has been a sharp decline of European investment and a revival of interest from the Gulf investors.

The UVI for exported commodities shows an annual rate of change of 0,3% in October 2016. From September 2016 to October 2016 the UVI for exported commodities decreased by 0,4%.