South Africa's tourism growth outstripped the world average last year, demonstrating the country as one of the most successful tourism destinations in the world XINHUA

South Africa

Successful Tourism Destination

South African Government recently announced that the nation's tourism growth outstripped the world average last year, making the country one of the most successful tourism destinations in the world. Tourism growth in the country was registered at 10.5 percent from January to November 2012, compared to a global average growth of 4 percent, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said. "South Africa continued to entrench its status as a major international tourist and business event destination," the minister said. CA

Africa

Long-term Competitiveness

African economies have made strides in achieving economic growth in recent years, but these strides must be accompanied by efforts to boost long-term competitiveness, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its 2013 Africa Competitiveness Report, which was jointly produced by the WEF, the African Development Bank and the World Bank. The report stressed the importance of achieving regional integration, which it identifies as a key vehicle for helping Africa raise its competitiveness, diversify its economic base and create enough jobs for its young and rapidly-urbanizing population. The report said that Africa's exports remain too heavily on commodities, and that its share of world trade remains low, despite numerous regional economic communities and domestic market liberalization. CA

Kenya

Blood Test Center

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will open a blood test center in Kenya's Rift Valley town of Eldoret to cater for Kenyan and Ethiopian runners. The IAAF is also seeking to collaborate with the World Anti-Doping Agency to establish a laboratory either in Nairobi or Eldoret to test samples collected in the region, Athletics Kenya boss Isaiah Kiplagat said recently. This development comes hot on the heels of the Kenyan federation revealing that five runners had been sanctioned for various doping offences in the past two months. CA

Africa

IMF's Training Center

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said that the Fund will open its sixth regional training center in Africa later this year, to "meet the needs of non-francophone West African countries." She also noted that a training institute in Mauritius, which was announced in December 2012, will begin operating in the next few months. It joins a network of centers around the world that help develop countries' policymaking capacity by teaching economic skills and best practices. Through its technical assistance and training, the IMF has contributed to helping country officials gain the skills to design and implement sound policies. CA

The China Robot Industry Association was launched in Beijing recently to promote the application of robot technologies and products (XINHUA)

China

Robot Association

The China Robot Industry Association was recently launched in Beijing to promote the application of robot technologies and products. The association was founded by the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) as a non-profit organization that will focus on robot research and development, production and utilization. The robot association has 77 members, including major enterprises and research institutes in the sector. China's robotics market represents a fifth of the world market. At present, foreign brands account for more than 90 percent of China's robot market. CA

Namibia

Agriculture Census

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) is preparing to carry out a new census of the nation's agricultural sector. The last agricultural census was done more than 10 years ago, meaning that the data currently in use is out of date. Director of Economic Statistics, Ndamona Kali, said the pilot survey was carried out in February and March of this year, and the census is expected to start sometime between February and March 2014. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has provided the money required to conduct the census. The UN agency also provided the technical expertise needed for the 1994/1995 agricultural census. CA