Where there are dogs there are dog lovers,and this month, thousands of hound-loving humans from around the globe will flock to Brussels Expo for the European Dog Show from 26-28 August. There they can appreciate champion-calibre canines such as King Arthur van Foliny Home, below, a fine example of a wire-haired fox terrier. europeandogshow.com

Meet a world champion

LOVE FLOWERSIf you harbour a talent for flower arranging,then a visit to FleurAmour for some inspiration will seeyour ambitions bloom. The spectacular flower extravaganza, being held on 23-26 September at Alden Biesen Castle in Rijkhoven, will fillits rooms with a huge variety of flowers, arranged in elegant displays. For more details, visit events website happenings.be

GET BEHIND STOFFELLIn the words of McLaren, it was always less of a matter of ‘if’ young Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne would race in Formula One, than ‘when’. So, it’s come as no surprise to anyone following the promising young star’s motoring career – which included seven wins, 16 podiums, four pole positions and five fastest laps last year alone – to see him make his debut in the world’s premier racing car series for 2016. You can see the 24-year-old from Kortrijk race on home turf when he performs in the Belgian Grand Prix on 26-28 August, at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. One of the most historic on the Formula One calendar, the track – a winding, public road through the stunning Belgian countryside – has been hosting the Grand Prix since 1924. belgium-grand-prix.com

Stay hereLA MAISON HAUTE Checking in to a quaint, handmade soap boutique is, as Sebastien Botte suspected, a wonderful way to start a stay. The owner of La Maison Haute B&B and its onsite shop Les Savons de Lyna knew the businesses would complement one another, with heavenly fragrances wafting up the staircase into each of the three guest rooms. A huge, plump bed, antique furniture and striking decor make them luxuriously homely, while a personal breakfast service next morning by Botte himself – eggs, baskets of fresh, warm bread and good, strong coffee – finishes things off nicely. From €100 per night. lamaisonhaute.be

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1. Faye Njie After winning his fi rst Judo Championship at the age of 15, Gambian athlete Faye Njie has never looked back. The fi erce judoka came second in the African Games last year and is competing in the lightweight category this summer, giving Gambia its Olympic judo debut.

2. Yémi Apithy French-Beninese Yémi Apithy entered his fi rst fencing tournament in 2014, and has since won two silver medals in the African Championship. He has chosen to represent Benin in the Olympics this year, unlike his brother, Boladé, who will be competing for France. Thepair take sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

3. Diane Nukuri-Johnson Running the marathon, Rio will be the third Olympics for Burundian professional long distance runner Diane Nukuri-Johnson, who's currently her country's record-holder in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m.

4. Siham Hilali Moroccan middle-distance runner Siham Hilali has competed in championships for 13 years, and is entering her third Olympic Games this summer. Hilali was injured in the IAAF World Championship last year, but is hoping for a powerful comeback.

5. Jacob Araptany After fi nishing 7th in the 2012 Olympics at the age of 18, Jacob Araptany is back this year for the 3,000m steeplechase. The young Ugandan was a fi nalist in the 2013 IAAF World Championship.

Five African athletes to cheer on at the Rio Olympics

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97AUGUST 2016

BUSINESS

africa business digest.

In West Africa, the kola nut plays an important role. The small, colourful kidney bean-shaped fruit of the kola tree is used as a food, in medicine and is regarded as a symbol of friendship that’s often blessed and presented to guests at important social events.

Historically, it’s also the ingredient that originally gave ‘cola’ drinks their unique flavour, after being discovered by American pharmacist John Pemberton in the 1800s. However, today, synthetic alternatives are commonly used, meaning an international market for the nut doesn’t really exist. Despite billions of cola drinks being sold globally each day, kola nut farmers struggle to survive, as they’re reliant on sales from small, low-value local markets.

It’s a predicament Fairtrade organic drinks company All Good is hoping to turn around. Set up by New Zealanders Chris Morrison, Simon Coley and Matt Morrison (above) shortly after learning of the farmers’ plight during a trip to Sierra Leone in 2012, the team has been on a mission to put the West African kola nut back into cola drinks via their flagship product, Karma Cola.“It’s not been easy,” says Coley. “It took us two years to source the ethical, organic and Fairtrade ingredients that allowed us to call our drink Karma Cola, and to perfect the recipe. Then we needed the right contacts.”

A hard nut to crack

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TWO FORMER STUDENTS from Dakar have created a soap which they believe could help cut malaria levels in the hardest-hit areas of Africa by 2018. Faso soap is made from natural oils and plants and would be an affordable household product offering up to six hours of protection against malarial mosquitos, according to the students. A crowdfunding project has been launched to raise €100,000, the sum needed for the final tests before the soap can be distributed.

RESEARCHERS IN BENIN have produced a new stove which can turn rice waste into clean fuel, and potentially reduce the country’s dramatic deforestation, according to the Africa Rice Center. Farmers in Benin produce 40,000 tons of rice husks per season, and as the tough shells are not edible and break down very slowly, the usual method is to burn them using wood logs. This new stove, which is now on the market for €45 per unit, could help turn around Benin’s environmental needs.

Boma Village Chief, Hindowa Kamara is proud of Karma Cola

A Fairtrade drinks company is working to put a fizz back into the lives of West Africa’s kola nut farmers

“The team has been on a mission to put the kola nut back into cola”

News in brief

The big idea

Sierra Leonean businessman Albert Tucker, former director of Fairtrade company Twin Trading, put themin touch with German development aid organisation Welthungerhilfe, who introduced them to the kola farmers of Boma village. Now Boma’s farmers receive a fair price for the nuts used in the drink, plus money from sales (3p per bottle in the UK) is donated to support the Mende people of Boma in rebuilding their post-war and post-Ebola communities.

Four years on, and Karma Cola is stocked by over 500 cafés, restaurants and supermarkets in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and more than €68,000 has been invested back into the local communities.

“Kola nuts are the karma and the cola in Karma Cola,” says Coley. karmacola.co.uk

ROGER MILLA (right), the footballer who became the oldest scorer in World Cup History at 42, has launched

an initiative to reduce plastic waste in Cameroon’s capital. Recently Yaoundé has experienced floods, made worse by plastic waste blocking the drainage system. Milla’s organisation, Heart of Africa, which aids abandoned children, is now paying youths to pick up plastic from the streets.

BI_099-101 Africa Business Digest_V2 JW.indd 97 20/07/2016 10:22

BUSINESS

It was while sleeping on a stranger’s couch that travel addict Yasmine El Baggari (right)came up with Voyaj – a video-driven, online platform that matches travellers with like-minded hosts across the world.

Attempting to accomplish her latest goal of visiting all 50 states in the USA (she’s achieved 39 so far – and travelled to more than 40 countries around the world) she was using couchsurfing services to stay in stranger’s homes and realised that it was a far better ‒ and more rewarding ‒ way to travel. “I found that directly connecting with new people gave the opportunity to exchange ideas and stories and, importantly, change perceptions,” she says. The site, which is still in development, has 60 hosts signed up across the world, and aims to match people with similar interests,

Liberian Saran Kaba Jones’ incredible non-profit organisation Face Africa, helps provide clean drinking water for rural communities in Liberia and has plans to expand. faceafrica.org

Lydie Hakizimana’s fantastic book distribution company, Drakkar, is tackling child literacy by giving kids free access to books. drakkarworld.com

Ghanaian and ethical handbag designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi founded fashion label AAKS, to introduce the world to Ghana’s striking weaving techniques (shown right). aaksonline.com

WOMAN POWERThree female entrepreneursmaking an impact in Africa

Begin the Voyaj

One to watch

in the hope of building meaningful relationships. “‘Hosting doesn’t have to mean staying the night – it’s more about connecting people,” adds El Baggari. “Voyaj ultimately aims to be a bridge; connecting cultures to create more tolerance, love and understanding.”

Voyaj officially launches at the end of the year. voyaj.com

FLY TO MARRAKECH WEEKLY

Moroccan Yasmine El Baggari’s website is making the world a smaller place, a click at a time

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