Category: 3. Business

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA | November 18, 2025 — Cassava Technologies (Cassava) and The Rockefeller Foundation announced a new effort to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for good across Africa. Cassava, which previously announced plans to build Africa’s first AI factory powered with NVIDIA AI infrastructure, will provide access to compute capacity to several The Rockefeller Foundation’s grantees working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.

While enabling Africa’s full participation in the US$1.2 trillion projected AI economy, this collaboration will boost productivity and power innovation at African organizations that are improving lives and livelihoods across the continent.

“AI presents Africa with one of the best opportunities to drive economic development and access to economic opportunity for the continent’s youth. This requires investment in ensuring that AI developers across Africa have the resources and platforms to create solutions to Africa’s unique challenges. Powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure, our AI factory will enable startups, enterprises, the public sector, and educational institutions to focus on developing AI applications using local datasets, languages, models, and voices to build inclusive solutions. We are excited to partner with the Rockefeller Foundation to bring local compute capacity to Africa’s AI ecosystem,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies.

While nearly one-in-five people worldwide lives in Africa, the continent currently has less than 1% of global data center capacity. Africa’s AI market, which is currently estimated at $5.17 billion, is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade. Locally accessible computing capacity is necessary to power Africa’s AI ambitions.

“AI can be transformative in the right hands, contributing to healthier communities, more productive farmers, and better education for children. If we get AI right in Africa, we can help Africans create jobs, advance opportunity, and pursue their dreams. Our collaboration with Cassava reflects The Rockefeller Foundation’s foundational belief that the latest advances in science and technology should serve everyone, not just the fortunate few, and that includes empowering African innovators with the tools they need to shape the continent’s future,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.

Through this new collaboration, Cassava and The Rockefeller Foundation are ensuring that African-led innovations in agriculture, healthcare, and education sectors have resources to improve outcomes with AI. Initial organizations that will benefit from this new collaboration include:

• Digital Green, a company using AI in Ethiopia and Kenya to empower smallholder farmers with localized, real-time agricultural advice that increases productivity, resilience, and growth.

“Farmer.Chat, Digital Green’s AI assistant, is reimagining how smallholder farmers access knowledge — delivering trusted, localized guidance at nearly 100x lower cost than traditional extension. With GPUs now available on the African continent, we can unlock breakthroughs in speech-to-text, local language translation, image recognition, and retrieval-augmented generation — dramatically reducing costs and expanding reach. This new capacity makes it possible to bring climate-smart, real-time advice to millions of farmers, while continuously improving accuracy, safety, and support for Africa’s diverse languages and agricultural ecologies. Our vision is simple but bold: to put the power of AI directly in the hands of every farmer, helping them grow more resilient, prosperous, and connected to the future.” — Rikin Gandhi, CEO, Digital Green

• Jacaranda Health, which is harnessing technology to improve the quality of care for mothers and their children in Kenya.

“Jacaranda Health is deploying AI-powered tools that connect millions of mothers and babies with life-saving care in real-time. Access to advanced compute resources on the continent will accelerate our development of culturally-attuned, multilingual AI models while slashing costs — enabling us to reach millions of women with critical health information in their native languages. This infrastructure will prevent maternal deaths, empower informed healthcare decisions, and build Africa’s capacity to solve its own health challenges with homegrown AI innovation.” — Cynthia Kahumbura, Co-Executive Director, Jacaranda Health.

• Rising Academies, a West African company leveraging technology to improve outcomes for more than 250,000 students in Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.

“In just one academic year, we’ve seen how AI can reshape learning in Rwanda’s classrooms. More than 13,000 students gained access to structured literacy and numeracy content, teachers cut grading time by 60% through LearnLens, and 85% of learners told us they enjoy using Rori to strengthen their math skills. One student in rural Rwanda told us that technology is no longer just for city children, but for those of us in rural areas as well. Our vision is clear: to make effective, inclusive, and locally relevant learning support available to every child — helping them thrive today and shape the future of our country.” — Fidele Hagenimana, Head of Rwanda Programs, Rising Academies.

This year, Cassava launched its GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), housed in its secure data center facilities, powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure. The company continues to invest in the infrastructure across additional hubs in East, West and North Africa; thereby reinforcing its broader commitment to responsible AI adoption, innovation and productivity growth in Africa. The collaboration highlights Cassava’s commitment to ensuring that GPUaas is accessible to organizations working throughout the social sector.

“Cassava’s collaborations with key stakeholders are critically important to the development of Africa’s AI ecosystem to ensure that Africans are not just consumers of AI, but builders of it. This partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation highlights Cassava’s intent to lay the foundations for an ecosystem that is inclusive, sustainable, and globally competitive,” concluded Hardy.

---

About Cassava Technologies

Cassava Technologies is a global technology leader of African heritage providing a vertically integrated ecosystem of digital services and infrastructure enabling digital transformation. Headquartered in the UK, Cassava has a presence across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States of America. Through its business units, namely, Cassava AI, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Liquid C2, Africa Data Centres, and Sasai Fintech, the company provides its customers’ products and services in 94 countries. These solutions drive the company’s ambition of establishing itself as a leading global technology company of African heritage. https://www.cassavatechnologies.com/.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance, including engaging through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 18 November 2025 – Spanish airline Air Europa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for up to 40 A350-900 aircraft. The agreement forms the backbone of Air Europa’s long haul fleet replacement and was announced during  the Dubai Airshow. 

The introduction of the A350 will accelerate the renewal of Air Europa’s existing competitor long haul fleet and boost profitable growth to key markets in Latin America thanks to the aircraft’s unrivalled performance and economics. Passengers will also experience exceptional best in class comfort.

“This order is a strategic milestone in Air Europa’s fleet development, accelerating its profitable growth by renewal of the current widebody fleet,” said Juan Jose Hidalgo, President of Air Europa. “The A350-900 is a game-changer for key destinations in Latin America. It provides an exceptional cabin experience and the operational performance and economics needed to expand the airline’s network without compromise, delivering the highest standards in air travel.”

“We are proud to welcome Air Europa into the Airbus A350 family. This order is a strong endorsement of the A350 as the benchmark widebody platform for efficiency and passenger comfort in the long-haul market,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business. “We are committed to supporting Air Europa’s ambitious growth strategy as they leverage the A350’s capabilities for their future long-haul operations.” 

​The A350 is the world’s most modern widebody aircraft, designed to fly up to 9,700 nautical miles / 18,000 kilometres non-stop, setting new standards for intercontinental travel. The aircraft includes state-of-the-art technologies and aerodynamics delivering unmatched standards of efficiency and comfort. Its latest generation Rolls-Royce engines and use of lightweight materials bring a 25% advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. The A350’s unique Airspace cabin offers passengers and crews the latest modern in-flight products for a comfortable flying experience.

As with all Airbus aircraft, the A350 is able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030.

At the end of October 2025, the A350 Family had won over 1,400 orders from 64 customers worldwide.

@AirEuropa @Airbus #A350 #DAS25

[{“nid”:0,”name”:”Products & Solutions”,”tid”:0,”url_str”:”https://www.siemens.com/global/en/products.html”,”alias”:”https://www.siemens.com/global/en/products.html”,”level”:1,”image”:{“fid”:false,”furl”:””},”options”:{“menu_icon”:{“fid”:false},”external”:true},”depth”:1,”parent”:false,”children”:[]},{“nid”:0,”name”:”Industries”,”tid”:1,”url_str”:”https://xcelerator.siemens.com/global/en/industries.html”,”alias”:”https://xcelerator.siemens.com/global/en/industries.html”,”level”:1,”image”:{“fid”:false,”furl”:””},”options”:{“menu_icon”:{“fid”:false},”external”:true},”depth”:1,”parent”:false,”children”:[]},{“nid”:0,”name”:”Company”,”tid”:2,”url_str”:”https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company.html”,”alias”:”https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company.html”,”level”:1,”image”:{“fid”:false,”furl”:””},”options”:{“menu_icon”:{“fid”:false},”external”:true},”depth”:1,”parent”:false,”children”:[]}]

Food security is an increasing priority for many countries and notably, in the Middle East. Does sovereign investment present a long-term opportunity for Africa? Is food security becoming an increasingly important benchmark for countries outside of Africa?

It is important to first define what is “food security” from an investor’s perspective. AIIM’s investment thesis operates along three key themes: (i) digitization: which focuses on investments in digital infrastructure; (ii) energy transition, which is about developing accessible and clean energy through the continent; and (iii) what we call “mobility and logistics”. Mobility and logistics encompass two main focuses: (i) critical minerals, and (ii) food security.

Looking at food security more precisely, AIIM is primarily interested in three areas:

1. temperature-controlled logistics: we developed, through a buy-and-build strategy, one of the largest cold storage platforms in Africa (Commercial Cold Holdings). Commercial Cold Holdings has a capacity of approximately 160,000 pallets, 27,000 sqm of controlled warehousing and it is one of the top-25 cold storage businesses globally. This is a distinct strategy where we focus on both frozen and chilled products;
2. port and back of port (inland) infrastructure, getting goods to and from Africa; and inland transportation, storage and distribution for a range of primary bulk food commodities such as wheat, fertilizer, and edible and vegetable oils.

Going back to your question, we have found that those themes resonate with sovereign investors and we have been able to successfully attract sovereign wealth capital, including from the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

On a more ‘direct investment’ basis, the Middle East is generally looking to increase its footprint in arable land and water resources, whilst Africa has over 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land (874 million hectares) but sometimes lack the depth of capital readily available in the Middle East. It is easy to see why a trade makes sense for both parties. You have capital flowing in and assets that have the ability to generate produce flowing out.

A pertinent question to ask in this context is: What can governments do find the right balance between the “macro” (encouraging external investments) and the “micro” (protecting local farmers and trade?) From a holistic strategy, some of these elements need to be safeguarded when governments craft policies and, as responsible investors, this is something we look at as well.

In terms of land rights, investors need a degree of confidence that the arrangements they are entering into will be beneficial to them, as you want it to be a stable and long-term investment in Africa that benefits both the investors and continent without volatility.

Yes, that is exactly the point and a strong focus for us. To give a practical example, we have managed to secure long-term concessions in highly strategic areas for our cold storage business, along with our ports and logistics businesses. Investors are looking for property rights and clarity concerning concession terms (and termination rights, etc.).

AIIM is an investment manager focused on private equity (PE) infrastructure investments. But, a number of AIIM’s investments relate to food security in Africa across the value chain (for example, Sodigaz – clean cooking, Commercial Cold Holdings – cold storage and Incorp – logistics). What role can PE and infrastructure investors play in improving food security in Africa? Does food security in Africa constitute a key objective of AIIM?

It is one of the key themes that underpins our investment strategy.

When we developed our investment approach , we identified a number of sectors with strong tailwinds where there was a mismatch between supply and demand, and importantly, where that mismatch could be filled by private stakeholders.

Some of the lessons that we have learned over the past 10 to 15 years is that—particularly, after COVID—in a number of countries, private sector actors could help support the public sector in progressing infrastructure and societal needs, and food security, even more specifically, cold storage, falls within this.

For example, with the acquisition of the bulk storage infrastructure of Oceana, a major fishing company headquartered in South Africa, to sell us their bulk storage infrastructure, we have with private capital created a leading bulk storage platform that operates efficiently and is competitive. Costs saved resulting from the efficiencies created passed through to the customers and ultimately to the end-consumers. The investment ultimately also lead to the set-up of a new platform to reinvest in more cold chain infrastructure.

We replicated this model with another South African business, the Logistics Group. It was owned by a listed investment company, and we carved it out from this business, whilst re-positioning the platform to handle cargoes in two main areas: critical minerals and citrus exports. South Africa is one of the biggest exporters globally of citrus products and we have become quite adept at handling these products. Again, an example of private capital—through an existing investment portfolio company or a platform—growing and offering customers additional capacity at more competitive rates.

In East Africa, we have also invested in =a ports business that handles a range of commodities including grain, fertilizer and vegetable oil. Our plan is to continue expanding the infrastructure, driving service efficiencies and ensuring that benefits flow through to the consumer.

What criteria or metrics does AIIM consider when evaluating an investment related to food security in Africa? Are there specific ESG thresholds or impact benchmarks you consider (also for monitoring investments)?

Although, like any fund we are ultimately focused on creating attractive returns for our investors, we are a fund that does not just look at financial return. We have important sustainability measures that we drive across each of our investments. It is about creating a baseline at the start, setting realistic targets and then actively monitoring improvements throughout the entire investment period. In the food security space, that is cold storage, for example.

Cold storage is an energy-intensive business, and we therefore look at certain specific energy metrics across the portfolio, with the aim of reducing both costs and carbon intensity. We are also focused on gender initiatives to increase the representation of women in the workforce. Those are some of the key metrics we focus on in the food security space.

Where is Africa today in terms of food security and infrastructure to support it? Are private capital and private investment critical to the development, either directly or indirectly, of infrastructure to support food security in Africa?

Yes, I think that is absolutely critical and relevant across the entire spectrum of private capital, from venture capital and growth equity to infrastructure. Our focus as “infra” investors is on building and owning hard assets and providing a service on a long-term contracted basis, which plays a role in developing the backbone for some of the food transportation and distribution across the continent.

With our investment in East Africa for example, the entire proposition is providing supply chain resilience in certain edible commodities to the Kenyan market. That includes grain, fertilizer and cooking oil. These are all commodities that are handled by the facility, and they play an important role in providing supply chain resilience for the Kenyan market.

Regarding infrastructure in Africa, are there any particular areas that you see as real growth? Are there any areas of growth in infrastructure that are pressing and will become a reality in the next five to ten years?

We have selected our themes primarily with this in mind, but we wanted subsectors with secular (or long-term) trends, not cyclical ones. The three mega-trends that are happening globally are also occurring in Africa but for different reasons.

The first theme is the surge in data consumption. Globally, it is being driven lately by AI, but in Africa, it is still largely being driven by mobile data consumption. Smartphones are becoming more affordable, and the internet is being delivered primarily through the mobile phone. This creates the opportunity to construct the communications backbone. We are seeing this trend across fiber-optic, towers and data centres. With data centres, there are also more tailwinds to come with AI and related infrastructure that will need to be deployed.

The second theme is what we are broadly calling energy transition. Here, the opportunity is shifting. We are seeing opportunities at scale in liberalised markets, where one can generate electricity, send it through a grid and sell it to private customers with relative ease from an administrative perspective. That is a phenomenon you can observe in South Africa, for example.

We have seen serious increase of capital coming into the market. On the AIIM side, we have set-up—from scratch—a platform called Net Zero Africa, in South Africa and have committed over US$200 million of equity into that platform. That business owns its own energy generation assets (including wind, solar and batteries), trades energy, aggregates it with energy procured from third-party generators and then provides it all to private customers.

That solution seems to be very commercially attractive to customers.

The final theme is mobility and logistics, which focuses on smart ways to capitalize on the urbanization that is happening in Africa. Some studies say that, over the next 25 years, there will be more than 900 million people in Africa moving from rural to urban areas. Think about the infrastructure that is going to be required to support this.

That isa mind-blowing statistic, isn’t it? And it underlines the importance of talking about food security in very general terms, such as food supply to these urban centres which is, of course, completely game-changing.

Do any jurisdictions in Africa stand out for creating an investor-friendly environment, and are there particular countries or regions in Africa where you see the greatest opportunities or challenges for food security related to infrastructure investments? Similarly, are there any subsectors within the broader food value chain, such as cold storage, logistics, irrigation or agri-fintech, that you think present the best opportunities?

Regarding geographical locations, AIIM focuses presently on six to eight core countries before potentially expanding into neighbouring economies. Whatever we do, we want to be strategic about it.

We first need to consider what we do as an investor: We buy or build assets, grow them and, ultimately, we sell them. The ability to look for a successful exit is really driven by the quality of the assets but also where the assets are located. Key aspects when considering this are the depth of the market for liquidity and the track-record of the market for attracting global buyers. Not every market, regardless of size, has historically been attractive.

Over the past ten years, one of the trends we have seen is macro-volatility, which includes currency, but also rates. For example, we have seen countries going through significant changes in interests rates and inflation, capital repatriation difficulties or currency crises.

The past is not necessarily indicative of the future, but it is often the guide that investors will turn to.

With respect to our current fund, we are clearly looking at the larger markets but also the markets that have a somewhat stable currency or the ability to hedge. We have also a key interest in markets that have demonstrated the ability to attract large trade buyers.

I mentioned earlier the digital side with data centres. The towers opportunity today is a little different than it was 15 years ago. Back then, it was about acquiring portfolios, whereas today, we see more opportunities to develop new greenfield projects.

Whether you can generate power and distribute it to large private sector clients at scale are important factors. Africa still has growth room to get to the level of scale required.

In the mobility and logistics space, as well as in the areas of food security and critical minerals, being an integrated logistics provider is essential. In the critical minerals sector, it’s managing the logistics process from the pit (or mining site) to port. As investors, we want to own or be involved in the integrated infrastructure, which encompasses taking metals and minerals from the pit to owning the port infrastructure.

Final thoughts ?

We are excited about the investment opportunity in Africa. With our experience, we have developed a framework that is working well and we are confident there are still many places where we can bring our expertise.

Regarding food security, this is a topic that is fundamentally tied to geopolitical trends across the world which means it is an exciting and constantly evolving environment with its challenges and opportunities.

Supply chain resilience is becoming increasingly important, with food security as a critical component. When you combine that with the current needs for supply in Africa, a booming population and increasing urbanization, it creates not just a business opportunity but a business imperative.
Private and public actors need to solve this issue. And we are glad to be playing our part in that.

_{White & Case means the international legal practice comprising White & Case LLP, a New York State registered limited liability partnership, White & Case LLP, a limited liability partnership incorporated under English law and all other affiliated partnerships, companies and entities.}

_{This article is prepared for the general information of interested persons. It is not, and does not attempt to be, comprehensive in nature. Due to the general nature of its content, it should not be regarded as legal advice.}

_{© 2025 White & Case LLP}

• Building on 10% of global traffic, Middle East demand for airplanes and services will surge with hub investment and tourism
• Strong demand for new widebody passenger jets for long-haul carriers’ fleet growth and renewal
• Freighter fleet serving specialty cargo to nearly triple, as low-cost carrier expansion drives single-aisle fleet to more than double

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Middle East carriers are entering a new era of growth and modernization with the region’s airplane fleet expected to more than double over the next 20 years, Boeing [NYSE: BA] said today at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. By 2044, the region’s share of global passenger traffic will expand beyond 10% with growth fueled by tourism and trade, hub development and an expanding middle class.

Capitalizing on modern hubs, which are well-located within an 8-hour flight from 80% of the world’s population, Middle East carriers will further connect people and economies in Europe, Africa and Asia. Boeing’s 2025 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) projects the region’s airlines will need nearly 1,400 widebody passenger jets by 2044 – the largest share of new deliveries of all global regions – as they expand global connectivity with newer, more fuel-efficient fleets.

“As passenger traffic in the Middle East continues to outpace global GDP growth, the region is reinforcing its position as a global connector and destination for global travelers,” said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president of Commercial Marketing. “Carriers will need efficient, versatile airplanes to expand long-haul and regional networks while renewing their fleets for the decades ahead.”

Middle Eastern carriers also continue to expand freight capacity and logistics to serve the world’s large and fast-growing cargo markets. Of the 185 freighter deliveries expected by 2044, about 75% will be large twin-engine jets designed for high-value, temperature-sensitive and time-critical cargo.

The Middle East CMO also forecasts through 2044:

• Low-cost carriers will expand to nearly 25% of Middle East seat capacity, serving middle-class and tourism demand within the region and to South Asia and reaching much of Europe.
• The Middle East single-aisle fleet has nearly quadrupled over the last 25 years. Looking ahead, two-thirds of single-aisle deliveries will contribute to growth.
• To sustain network expansion and fleet growth, there is demand for $455 billion in commercial aviation services and 234,000 new aviation personnel. The Middle East’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities are an important part of its services ecosystem supporting local fleets and global operators.

Published annually since 1961, the CMO serves as a key resource for airlines, suppliers, and policymakers shaping the future of aviation. Learn more at cmo.boeing.com.

A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity. Boeing’s relationship with the Middle East extends back to 1945. Since then, Boeing has established offices across the region including in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Kuwait.

Contact
Boeing Media Relations
[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boeing-middle-east-airlines-enter-new-era-of-growth-as-regions-fleet-will-more-than-double-by-2044-302618332.html

SOURCE Boeing

Food security is an increasing priority for many countries and notably, in the Middle East. Does sovereign investment present a long-term opportunity for Africa? Is food security becoming an increasingly important benchmark for countries outside of Africa?

It is important to first define what is “food security” from an investor’s perspective. AIIM’s investment thesis operates along three key themes: (i) digitization: which focuses on investments in digital infrastructure; (ii) energy transition, which is about developing accessible and clean energy through the continent; and (iii) what we call “mobility and logistics”. Mobility and logistics encompass two main focuses: (i) critical minerals, and (ii) food security.

Looking at food security more precisely, AIIM is primarily interested in three areas:

1. temperature-controlled logistics: we developed, through a buy-and-build strategy, one of the largest cold storage platforms in Africa (Commercial Cold Holdings). Commercial Cold Holdings has a capacity of approximately 160,000 pallets, 27,000 sqm of controlled warehousing and it is one of the top-25 cold storage businesses globally. This is a distinct strategy where we focus on both frozen and chilled products;
2. port and back of port (inland) infrastructure, getting goods to and from Africa; and inland transportation, storage and distribution for a range of primary bulk food commodities such as wheat, fertilizer, and edible and vegetable oils.

Going back to your question, we have found that those themes resonate with sovereign investors and we have been able to successfully attract sovereign wealth capital, including from the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

On a more ‘direct investment’ basis, the Middle East is generally looking to increase its footprint in arable land and water resources, whilst Africa has over 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land (874 million hectares) but sometimes lack the depth of capital readily available in the Middle East. It is easy to see why a trade makes sense for both parties. You have capital flowing in and assets that have the ability to generate produce flowing out.

A pertinent question to ask in this context is: What can governments do find the right balance between the “macro” (encouraging external investments) and the “micro” (protecting local farmers and trade?) From a holistic strategy, some of these elements need to be safeguarded when governments craft policies and, as responsible investors, this is something we look at as well.

In terms of land rights, investors need a degree of confidence that the arrangements they are entering into will be beneficial to them, as you want it to be a stable and long-term investment in Africa that benefits both the investors and continent without volatility.

Yes, that is exactly the point and a strong focus for us. To give a practical example, we have managed to secure long-term concessions in highly strategic areas for our cold storage business, along with our ports and logistics businesses. Investors are looking for property rights and clarity concerning concession terms (and termination rights, etc.).

AIIM is an investment manager focused on private equity (PE) infrastructure investments. But, a number of AIIM’s investments relate to food security in Africa across the value chain (for example, Sodigaz – clean cooking, Commercial Cold Holdings – cold storage and Incorp – logistics). What role can PE and infrastructure investors play in improving food security in Africa? Does food security in Africa constitute a key objective of AIIM?

It is one of the key themes that underpins our investment strategy.

When we developed our investment approach , we identified a number of sectors with strong tailwinds where there was a mismatch between supply and demand, and importantly, where that mismatch could be filled by private stakeholders.

Some of the lessons that we have learned over the past 10 to 15 years is that—particularly, after COVID—in a number of countries, private sector actors could help support the public sector in progressing infrastructure and societal needs, and food security, even more specifically, cold storage, falls within this.

For example, with the acquisition of the bulk storage infrastructure of Oceana, a major fishing company headquartered in South Africa, to sell us their bulk storage infrastructure, we have with private capital created a leading bulk storage platform that operates efficiently and is competitive. Costs saved resulting from the efficiencies created passed through to the customers and ultimately to the end-consumers. The investment ultimately also lead to the set-up of a new platform to reinvest in more cold chain infrastructure.

We replicated this model with another South African business, the Logistics Group. It was owned by a listed investment company, and we carved it out from this business, whilst re-positioning the platform to handle cargoes in two main areas: critical minerals and citrus exports. South Africa is one of the biggest exporters globally of citrus products and we have become quite adept at handling these products. Again, an example of private capital—through an existing investment portfolio company or a platform—growing and offering customers additional capacity at more competitive rates.

In East Africa, we have also invested in =a ports business that handles a range of commodities including grain, fertilizer and vegetable oil. Our plan is to continue expanding the infrastructure, driving service efficiencies and ensuring that benefits flow through to the consumer.

What criteria or metrics does AIIM consider when evaluating an investment related to food security in Africa? Are there specific ESG thresholds or impact benchmarks you consider (also for monitoring investments)?

Although, like any fund we are ultimately focused on creating attractive returns for our investors, we are a fund that does not just look at financial return. We have important sustainability measures that we drive across each of our investments. It is about creating a baseline at the start, setting realistic targets and then actively monitoring improvements throughout the entire investment period. In the food security space, that is cold storage, for example.

Cold storage is an energy-intensive business, and we therefore look at certain specific energy metrics across the portfolio, with the aim of reducing both costs and carbon intensity. We are also focused on gender initiatives to increase the representation of women in the workforce. Those are some of the key metrics we focus on in the food security space.

Where is Africa today in terms of food security and infrastructure to support it? Are private capital and private investment critical to the development, either directly or indirectly, of infrastructure to support food security in Africa?

Yes, I think that is absolutely critical and relevant across the entire spectrum of private capital, from venture capital and growth equity to infrastructure. Our focus as “infra” investors is on building and owning hard assets and providing a service on a long-term contracted basis, which plays a role in developing the backbone for some of the food transportation and distribution across the continent.

With our investment in East Africa for example, the entire proposition is providing supply chain resilience in certain edible commodities to the Kenyan market. That includes grain, fertilizer and cooking oil. These are all commodities that are handled by the facility, and they play an important role in providing supply chain resilience for the Kenyan market.

Regarding infrastructure in Africa, are there any particular areas that you see as real growth? Are there any areas of growth in infrastructure that are pressing and will become a reality in the next five to ten years?

We have selected our themes primarily with this in mind, but we wanted subsectors with secular (or long-term) trends, not cyclical ones. The three mega-trends that are happening globally are also occurring in Africa but for different reasons.

The first theme is the surge in data consumption. Globally, it is being driven lately by AI, but in Africa, it is still largely being driven by mobile data consumption. Smartphones are becoming more affordable, and the internet is being delivered primarily through the mobile phone. This creates the opportunity to construct the communications backbone. We are seeing this trend across fiber-optic, towers and data centres. With data centres, there are also more tailwinds to come with AI and related infrastructure that will need to be deployed.

The second theme is what we are broadly calling energy transition. Here, the opportunity is shifting. We are seeing opportunities at scale in liberalised markets, where one can generate electricity, send it through a grid and sell it to private customers with relative ease from an administrative perspective. That is a phenomenon you can observe in South Africa, for example.

We have seen serious increase of capital coming into the market. On the AIIM side, we have set-up—from scratch—a platform called Net Zero Africa, in South Africa and have committed over US$200 million of equity into that platform. That business owns its own energy generation assets (including wind, solar and batteries), trades energy, aggregates it with energy procured from third-party generators and then provides it all to private customers.

That solution seems to be very commercially attractive to customers.

The final theme is mobility and logistics, which focuses on smart ways to capitalize on the urbanization that is happening in Africa. Some studies say that, over the next 25 years, there will be more than 900 million people in Africa moving from rural to urban areas. Think about the infrastructure that is going to be required to support this.

That isa mind-blowing statistic, isn’t it? And it underlines the importance of talking about food security in very general terms, such as food supply to these urban centres which is, of course, completely game-changing.

Do any jurisdictions in Africa stand out for creating an investor-friendly environment, and are there particular countries or regions in Africa where you see the greatest opportunities or challenges for food security related to infrastructure investments? Similarly, are there any subsectors within the broader food value chain, such as cold storage, logistics, irrigation or agri-fintech, that you think present the best opportunities?

Regarding geographical locations, AIIM focuses presently on six to eight core countries before potentially expanding into neighbouring economies. Whatever we do, we want to be strategic about it.

We first need to consider what we do as an investor: We buy or build assets, grow them and, ultimately, we sell them. The ability to look for a successful exit is really driven by the quality of the assets but also where the assets are located. Key aspects when considering this are the depth of the market for liquidity and the track-record of the market for attracting global buyers. Not every market, regardless of size, has historically been attractive.

Over the past ten years, one of the trends we have seen is macro-volatility, which includes currency, but also rates. For example, we have seen countries going through significant changes in interests rates and inflation, capital repatriation difficulties or currency crises.

The past is not necessarily indicative of the future, but it is often the guide that investors will turn to.

With respect to our current fund, we are clearly looking at the larger markets but also the markets that have a somewhat stable currency or the ability to hedge. We have also a key interest in markets that have demonstrated the ability to attract large trade buyers.

I mentioned earlier the digital side with data centres. The towers opportunity today is a little different than it was 15 years ago. Back then, it was about acquiring portfolios, whereas today, we see more opportunities to develop new greenfield projects.

Whether you can generate power and distribute it to large private sector clients at scale are important factors. Africa still has growth room to get to the level of scale required.

In the mobility and logistics space, as well as in the areas of food security and critical minerals, being an integrated logistics provider is essential. In the critical minerals sector, it’s managing the logistics process from the pit (or mining site) to port. As investors, we want to own or be involved in the integrated infrastructure, which encompasses taking metals and minerals from the pit to owning the port infrastructure.

Final thoughts ?

We are excited about the investment opportunity in Africa. With our experience, we have developed a framework that is working well and we are confident there are still many places where we can bring our expertise.

Regarding food security, this is a topic that is fundamentally tied to geopolitical trends across the world which means it is an exciting and constantly evolving environment with its challenges and opportunities.

Supply chain resilience is becoming increasingly important, with food security as a critical component. When you combine that with the current needs for supply in Africa, a booming population and increasing urbanization, it creates not just a business opportunity but a business imperative.
Private and public actors need to solve this issue. And we are glad to be playing our part in that.

_{White & Case means the international legal practice comprising White & Case LLP, a New York State registered limited liability partnership, White & Case LLP, a limited liability partnership incorporated under English law and all other affiliated partnerships, companies and entities.}

_{This article is prepared for the general information of interested persons. It is not, and does not attempt to be, comprehensive in nature. Due to the general nature of its content, it should not be regarded as legal advice.}

_{© 2025 White & Case LLP}

–  Bahrain flag carrier orders 15 787 jets, building on its July 2025 commitment  

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Gulf Air announced today the airline has finalized a firm order for 15 787 Dreamliners with options for three more as the Bahrain-based carrier looks to further develop its international network.

The order adds three Boeing 787s to the airline’s commitment this July and brings Gulf Air’s order book to 17 of the versatile widebody jets.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow by Martin Gauss, chief executive officer of Gulf Air, and Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.

“Today’s signing marks a significant advancement in Gulf Air’s long-term fleet development efforts. By confirming our acquisition of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners, we are accelerating our strategy to increase capacity, strengthen long-haul operations, and deliver an elevated, more sustainable travel experience to our passengers,” said Khalid Husain Taqi, chairman of Gulf Air Group. “This agreement also builds on the long-established relationship between Gulf Air and Boeing, a partnership that has supported our growth for decades.”

The 787 Dreamliner, recognized for its fuel efficiency, range and passenger experience, is integral to Gulf Air’s long-haul operations connecting over 50 destinations. With 10 787 airplanes in service, the airline is well-positioned to grow its network, serving new and existing markets across Asia, Europe and the U.S.

“Gulf Air is taking exciting steps to expand its global footprint and we are honored the airline has confirmed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as the cornerstone of its fleet today and in the decades ahead. The 787’s superior efficiency and passenger comfort fit perfectly with Gulf Air’s commitment to sustainability and operational excellence,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

As Gulf Air’s flagship airplane, the 787 features the largest windows of any widebody jet, air that is less dry and pressurized at a lower cabin altitude for greater comfort, and technology that senses and counters turbulence for a smoother ride.

A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.  

Contact
Boeing Media Relations
media@boeing.com

 

SOURCE Boeing