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Avanti Maintains Position as Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading capacity partner for Two Years

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Avanti Communications (“Avanti”) has been named the market-leading high-throughput satellite capacity partner in sub-Saharan Africa for two consecutive years.

The results, from the 20th edition of the NSR Satellite Capacity Supply and Demand Analysis reports that Avanti’s market share is now more than two times that of its nearest competitor.

NSR’s annual report is one of the satellite industry’s most trusted and comprehensive sources for satellite capacity analysis, offering insight into key market developments and dynamics.

Avanti has made a significant commitment to Africa. The company has ambitions to accelerate growth across the region through local partnerships and the rollout of connectivity solutions; connecting hard-to-reach rural communities and improving network resiliency for critical communications infrastructure is central to this strategy.

To date, Avanti has connected more than 1,000 villages and schools across Africa, providing services in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and South Sudan. The company has plans to connect a further 10,000 sites over the next 5 years across Africa, impacting millions of lives and enabling communities to enjoy a connected life.

Kyle Whitehill, CEO at Avanti Communications, said: “Africa is a major focus for us and so we are delighted to be recognised as the market leader, but we won’t stop there. For us, Africa’s potential is limitless and the role that we can play in unlocking this is providing connectivity solutions. Connectivity is an enabler that provides vital resources and opportunities for individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive, which is why we won’t stop until we have connected the 871 million people currently living without a basic internet connection.”

Avanti has invested over $800m in Africa and already has a growing footprint across the continent. More than a fifth of the company’s employees are based in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Angola, and Benin.

Below is the Sub-Saharan market share of leased GEO-HTS capacity for 2022:

  1. Avanti Communications (33.1%)
  2. Eutelsat (15.3%) 3. YahSat (13.0%)
  3. Intelsat (12.9%)
  4. ArabSat (9.2%)
  5. Inmarsat (8.4%),
  6. Spacecom (6.2%)
  7. Others (2%)

About Avanti Communications

Avanti Communications is the leading Ka-band high throughput satellite capacity partner to the communications industry in EMEA – extending and guaranteeing coverage for defence missions, enterprise solutions, and critical public services.

Through the HYLAS satellite fleet and partners in 118 countries, Avanti provides dedicated fixed and flexible-beam satellite connectivity, with extensive coverage across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Avanti has invested $1.2bn in a network that incorporates orbital slots in the Ka-band spectrum, satellites, ground stations, data centres, and a fibre ring.

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Business

How were Donald Trump’s tariffs calculated?

In total, more than 100 countries are covered by the new tariff regime.

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Charts credit: White House/ BBC Verify

US President Donald Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on goods from most countries being imported into the US, with even higher rates for what he calls the ”worst offenders”.

But how exactly were these tariffs – essentially taxes on imports – worked out? BBC Verify has been looking at the calculations behind the numbers.

What were the calculations?

When Trump presented a giant cardboard chart detailing the tariffs in the White House Rose Garden it was initially assumed that the charges were based on a combination of existing tariffs and other trade barriers (like regulations).

But later, the White House published what might look like a complicated mathematical formula.

But the actual exercise boiled down to simple maths: take the trade deficit for the US in goods with a particular country, divide that by the total goods imports from that country and then divide that number by two.

A trade deficit occurs when a country buys (imports) more physical products from other countries than it sells (exports) to them.

For example, the US buys more goods from China than it sells to them – there is a goods deficit of $295bn.

The total amount of goods it buys from China is $440bn. Dividing 295 by 440 gets you to 67% and you divide that by two and round up. Therefore the tariff imposed on China is 34%.

Similarly, when it applied to the EU, the White House’s formula resulted in a 20% tariff.

Are the Trump tariffs ‘reciprocal’?

Many commentators have pointed out that these tariffs are not reciprocal.

Reciprocal would mean they were based on what countries already charge the US in the form of existing tariffs, plus non-tariff barriers (things like regulations that drive up costs).

But the White House’s official methodology document makes clear that they have not calculated this for all the countries on which they have imposed tariffs.

Instead the tariff rate was calculated on the basis that it would eliminate the US’s goods trade deficit with each country.

Trump has broken away from the formula in imposing tariffs on countries that buy more goods from the US than they sell to it.

For example the US does not currently run goods trade deficit with the UK. Yet the UK has been hit with a 10% tariff.

In total, more than 100 countries are covered by the new tariff regime.‘

Lots of broader impacts’Trump believes the US is getting a bad deal in global trade.

In his view, other countries flood US markets with cheap goods – which hurts US companies and costs jobs.

At the same time, these countries are putting up barriers that make US products less competitive abroad.So by using tariffs to eliminate trade deficits, Trump hopes to revive US manufacturing and protect jobs.

‎‎‎But will this new tariff regime achieve the desired outcome?

BBC Verify has spoken to a number of economists. The overwhelming view is that while the tariffs might reduce the goods deficit between the US and individual countries, they will not reduce the overall deficit between the US and rest of the world.

“Yes, it will reduce bilateral trade deficits between the US and these countries.

But there will obviously be lots of broader impacts that are not captured in the calculation”, says Professor Jonathan Portes of King’s College, London.

That’s because the US’ existing overall deficit is not driven solely by trade barriers, but by how the US economy works.For one,

Americans spend and invest more than they earn and that gap means the US buys more from the world than it sells. So as long as that continues, the US may continue to keep running a deficit despite increasing tariffs with it global trading partners.

Some trade deficits can also exist for a number of legitimate reasons – not just down to tariffs. For example, buying food that is easier or cheaper to produce in other countries’ climates.

Thomas Sampson of the London School of Economics said: “The formula is reverse engineered to rationalise charging tariffs on countries with which the US has a trade deficit.

There is no economic rationale for doing this and it will cost the global economy dearly.”

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CBN denies introducing N5000, N10,000 notes

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The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has denied introducing new N5,000 and N10,000 notes.

CBN described the reports as false.

There has been widespread reports that the CBN had unveiled the high-denomination bank notes to enhance cash transactions.

The report said the apex bank was set to introduce the new notes to reduce cash-handling costs and improve liquidity management.

Some of the reports attributed the introduction of the new notes to a supposed Deputy Governor, Dr Ibrahim Tahir Jr.

It was reported that the new notes would be released from May 1, 2025.

However, posting the reports on its X page, the CBN wrote: “This content is NOT from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Kindly note that the official website of the CBN is cbn.gov.ng.”

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Italy Funding Africa’s coffee industry with €15 million

The UNIDO Director -General, Gerd Müller, emphasized the urgency and significance of the partnership, stating: “Around 125 million people worldwide depend on coffee for their livelihoods. ‎‎

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Image credit: The Expressowork

The government of Italy is making €15 million available to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for the promotion of sustainable coffee production in Africa.‎‎

The funding arrangement was signed recently by Debora Lepre, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations in Vienna, and the UNIDO Director- General, Gerd Muller.‎

‎Ambassador Lepre expressed Italy’s commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture and economic resilience, stating: “The signing of this funding arrangement marks an important milestone in our long-standing collaboration with UNIDO and aims to trigger a chain reaction to attract other partners and investments, promoting a new paradigm of development cooperation as a partnership between equals.” ‎‎

The UNIDO Director -General, Gerd Müller, emphasized the urgency and significance of the partnership, stating: “Around 125 million people worldwide depend on coffee for their livelihoods. ‎‎

This programme will help to improve the lives of the people at beginning of the coffee supply chain. Better jobs and better incomes for families and communities. I am very grateful to the Government of Italy and to all of our other partners in this initiative. ‎Transforming Africa’s Coffee Sector: UNIDO and Italy Drive Climate-Resilient Solutions.”‎‎

Coffee remains one of the world’s most important cash crops deeply embedded in our cultures and economies, sustaining over 12.5 million farms globally. ‎‎

In Africa, coffee accounts for approximately 12% of the global production.‎

Coffee plays a fundamental role, representing a source of foreign currency, tax income generation, and jobs in both producing and consuming countries.‎‎

Despite the increasing global demand for coffee, the sector faces mounting challenges, including climate change, fluctuating global prices, and regulatory pressures, all of which threaten the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.

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