Latest News from African Manager
African Manager
23-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia: 1st edition of 'Africa Business Partnership Days' June 23-25 in Tunis
The Export Promotion Center (CEPEX) is organizing the first edition of Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) from June 23 to 25, 2025, in Tunis, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad. Aligned with Tunisia's national strategy to boost trade with Sub-Saharan African countries, ABPD 2025 targets business leaders in key sectors, including agri-food industries, construction & building materials, services, healthcare (medical & paramedical products, medical supplies, etc.) and ICT. The program of the days, organized with the support of the 'Arab Africa Trade Bridges' program (funded by the ITFC) and the 'Qawafel' program (funded by the AFD), includes the organization of 1,000 business meetings for 100 Tunisian companies with over 25 buyers, importers and distributors. Institutional bodies (TPOs and CCI) from sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea and Burkina Faso, are expected to attend the event. Tunisian companies interested in participating in ABPD 2025 are invited to register via the following link by 2 June 2025: httpss://
African Manager
23-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia: Olive Oil exports rise while revenue falls by 28.9%
The Tunisian olive oil export receipts during the first six months of the 2024/25 campaign (November 2024 – April 2025) dropped by 28.9% to 2,442.4 million dinars (MD) compared to the same period of the previous campaign, according to data published on Wednesday by ONAGRI. Only 17.7% of revenue comes from exports of packaged olive oil. The average price of olive oil in April 2025 fell by 48.9% compared to the same month in the previous campaign, ranging from 7.1 to TND 18/kg depending on the category. The European market (EU) accounts for the largest share of exports, at 59.5%, followed by North America (24.9%) and Africa (9.6%). Quantities exported from the start of the campaign to the end of April 2025 reached 180.2 thousand tons, marking a 40.1% increase compared to the same period of the previous campaign. Packaged olive oil represented only 11.9% of the exported quantities, with the rest being exported in bulk (88.1%). The extra virgin category alone accounted for 82.5% of the total volume exported. Italy is the leading importer of Tunisian olive oil, accounting for 29% of exports during the first six months of the 2024/25 campaign. Spain and the United States follow with 26% and 19.6% respectively. Regarding organic olive oil, exports reached 34.3 thousand tons, valued at around 469.1 MD, by the end of April 2025. However, the proportion of packaged organic olive oil did not exceed 5% of the total exported organic olive oil. The average price of organic olive oil is TND 13.68/kg, ranging from TND 13.47/kg for bulk oil to TND 17.65/kg for packaged oil. Tunisian organic olive oil is mainly exported to Italy, accounting for 58% of exports, followed by Spain (21%) and the United States (11%).
African Manager
23-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Industrial production index down by 3.6%
According to the Economic Dashboard – March 2025, published by the Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies (ITCEQ), the industrial production index fell by 3.6%, from 91.3 in December 2023 to 88 in December 2024. This decrease is mainly due to falls in production in the energy (-22%), textiles, clothing and leather (-3%), chemical industries (-0.9%) and building materials, ceramics and glass industries (-0.8%) sectors. Conversely, production increased in the mining (+27.9%), agri-food (+8.3%) and miscellaneous industries (+0.4%) sectors, while the EMI remained stable. More specifically, phosphate production went up by 13.9%, reaching 3.3 million tons in 2024 compared with 2.9 million tons in 2023. This increase is attributed to productive investment efforts, such as the commissioning of new equipment at production sites. The average price of raw phosphate remained unchanged for twelve consecutive months at $152.50 in November 2024, the lowest price since 2021, marking a 56% decline since December 2023. Compared with 2023, resources fell by 15.6% over the course of 2024, while primary energy demand fell slightly by 0.13%. Consequently, the primary energy balance deficit increased by 14.4%, with the energy independence rate standing at 41% in 2024, compared to 48% in 2023. Rising property prices The ITCEQ reveals that the property price index increased by 4.9% for houses and 3% for flats in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. By contrast, land prices fell by 3.4%. In year-on-year terms, there was an increase for each type of property: 15.4% for houses, 4.9% for land, and 0.1% for flats. On the subject of prices, the inflation rate dropped to 5.7% in February compared to 6% in January. In year-on-year terms, the consumer price index fell by 0.1% compared with January 2024. This downward trend was mainly due to lower prices for clothing and footwear products as a result of the winter sales and for housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels following the implementation of new electricity tariffs. By contrast, food prices rose by 0.5%. These developments are reflected in the change in core inflation (excluding energy and food), which went down from 6% in January 2025 to 5.7% in February. Regarding grain, the price of a metric ton of wheat decreased by 7% to $272.85 in November 2024 compared with October prices, while the price of maize rose by 5.8% to $201.33 over the same period. The ITCEQ also notes that world and EU sugar prices fell by 2.5% and 2.8% respectively in November 2024 compared with October, while US sugar prices remained stable for the second consecutive month. Lastly, the average price of a metric ton of extra virgin olive oil fell by 13% month-on-month in November 2024.
African Manager
22-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia: Historic labor reform passed
The Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) on Tuesday approved a sweeping reform of the Labor Code on Tuesday, marking a pivotal shift toward enhanced worker protections and employment market regulation. Hailed as a 'social revolution' by analysts, the new law introduces fairer working conditions and greater job security. Key Provisions of the New Labor Law: 1. Indefinite-term contracts (CDI) become the standard – The reform establishes permanent contracts (CDI) as the default employment arrangement. – Fixed-term contracts (CDD) are now restricted to specific cases, such as: – Temporary replacement of absent employees – Exceptional workload increases – Seasonal work – Any CDD that does not meet these criteria will automatically convert to a CDI. 2. Ban on labor subcontracting – The law prohibits labor subcontracting, a practice deemed exploitative and precarious. – Service contracts between companies remain permitted, but under strict conditions to prevent disguised subcontracting. 3. Permanent hiring of subcontracted workers – Employees previously working for subcontracting firms will be permanently hired by the client company as of the law's enactment. – This measure ensures job stability and full labor rights for affected workers. 4. Protection for workers on fixed-term contracts – Employees whose CDD contracts were terminated between March 6, 2024, and the law's effective date are entitled to: – Automatic permanent employment OR – Severance compensation (equivalent to two months' salary per year of service, with a minimum of four months' pay). 5. Stricter workplace health & safety enforcement – Heavier penalties for violations of occupational safety standards. – An automated fine collection system will ensure compliance. 6. Regulation of remote work – Recognizing modern work trends, the law introduces clear remote work policies, balancing flexibility for employees and operational needs for employers. A reform welcomed by social stakeholders The labor code reform is seen as a major step forward for workers' rights in Tunisia, reflecting a strong political will to break with precarious employment practices and promote decent work for all. Trade unions and workers' rights organizations have praised these measures while calling for ongoing vigilance to ensure their effective implementation.
African Manager
22-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia 82nd in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025
The global organization StartupBlink has released its updated 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Index, providing an in-depth analysis of startup ecosystems worldwide. The report evaluates over 1,400 cities and 100 countries, offering detailed national and city rankings alongside regional and sector-specific insights. Leveraging data from partners like Crunchbase, SEMRush, and BrightData, it serves as a critical resource for startups, policymakers, and investors making location-based decisions. The Tunisian ecosystem is ranked 82nd. With a score of 0.787, Tunisia is in the top 10 in Africa (7th), having gained eight places compared with the previous edition and representing annual growth of 15.3%. Within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Tunisia is ranked 14th; however, the report emphasizes that this progress is insufficient given the growing competition from other North African countries. In fact, Tunisia's growth remains the lowest in the region at under 15%, which restricts its ambitions in such a competitive regional context. Tunis, the capital, moved up 18 places to 327th in the world. This brings it closer to the top 300, with a local ecosystem growing steadily at over 22% per year. Sousse is ranked 1,233rd in the world. Overall, Tunisian startups raised around $15.2 million in 2024. Meanwhile, Egypt has confirmed its dominance in North Africa, with an ecosystem almost three times as powerful as Tunisia's. It ranks 65th worldwide and 7th in the MENA region, with Cairo leading the way and achieving a score far higher than Alexandria's. In 2024, Egypt is set to achieve its best regional ranking since 2021, with its start-ups having raised 281.6 million dollars. Second in North Africa behind Tunisia, Morocco ranked 88th in the world with a score of 0.687. In 2024, it attracted $176.9 million in funding. It should be noted that none of the other countries in the North African region feature in the ranking. North Africa recorded the lowest annual growth rate of the continent's major regions, at 15.7%. South Africa retains its leading position on the continent (52nd in the world), ahead of Kenya (58th), Egypt and Nigeria (65th), with Cape Verde (75th) closing the top five. The most powerful start-up ecosystems worldwide are found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada and Sweden. In terms of cities, San Francisco remains the world leader, closely followed by New York, London, Los Angeles and Beijing. These cities stand out for their entrepreneurial dynamism and appropriate infrastructure. In the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates dominates the rankings, occupying 21st place worldwide thanks to its favorable environment for startups, economic openness, and incentive policies.
