Kenya has set aside $10 million to help local start-ups in the mobile telephone software and hardware segments to grow
Joe Mucheru, the ICT minister, told the annual meeting of the ICT industry in the capital Nairobi that he was concerned by the country’s imports of 50 million telephone handsets every two years, challenging local firms to start making them locally.
Why can’t we leverage on the skills available locally to manufacture these handsets that are suitable for our markets?” he asked.
Kenya has 45.5 million mobile phone subscribers.  A range of imported mobile devices from companies like Apple and Huawei are more preferred by the Kenya subscribers.
The second close of East African Catalyst Fund has achieved $155 Million
With commitments from regional investors increasing by a factor of 50 per cent for Catalyst Fund II, the emergence and mobilization of local capital marks the coming of age of the regional private equity industry.
 The first Catalyst Fund raised to $125 million which it invested in 9 companies in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia with diverse interests in manufacturing of consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, industrial agro-processing, logistics and engineering as well as healthcare, technology and financial services.
 In launching its second fund, Catalyst cements its position as the leading regional private equity fund manager with the largest pool of funds under management amongst its peers dedicated to the East African region.
 This is about Ksh 15.5 billion of capital commitments from leading international and regional investors, as a successor to Catalyst Fund I, a $125 million fund raised in 2009.
Read more: The second close of East African Catalyst Fund has achieved $155 Million
Tanzania - Sweden To Address Trade Imbalance
Tanzania and Sweden are seeking to put in check the existing trade imbalance between the two countries. The two parties met to discuss the issue as well as look for ways to open new markets for their agricultural produce. Both parties have identified the potential in the sector and deem it ideal for business and more export opportunities to foster their economies.
Mr. Boniface Michael, the Acting Director of Trade Promotion at the Tanzania Trade Development Authority  said they would, “equip our producers with the right knowledge and requirements for trading with the country (Sweden).”
Tanzania's Cassava crop finds Market in China
The ongoing China-ASEAN Expo 2018 has promoted investment and trade opportunities in Tanzania, yielding positive results with some Chinese investors expressing interest in processing cassava starch.
The good news comes amid the 1 billion US dollars (about 1.22trl/-) agreement between the governments of Tanzania and China in commercialization of the tubers, which are on high demand in Asian countries, particularly China.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Tanzania Promotion Conference and Business Matching yesterday, the Managing Director of
