{"id":2387,"date":"2026-05-07T14:03:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=2387"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:03:10","slug":"remittances-high-barriers-higher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?p=2387","title":{"rendered":"Remittances high, barriers higher"},"content":{"rendered":"

JOHANNESBURG<\/strong>\u00a0– AFRICA’S diaspora sends more than US$100 billion (about R1.8 trillion) home every year\u2014yet many of those same citizens say they are being shut out by their own governments when they attempt to invest, transfer skills, and contribute meaningfully to the continent\u2019s development.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This paradox took centre stage at the Africa Telecoms Executive Roundtable 2026, where Johnny Muteba, Chairman and Founder of the Pan African Chamber of Commerce, warned that Africa risks undermining one of its greatest strategic assets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diaspora sends remittances\u2026 more than US$100 billion per year\u2014more than foreign aid and foreign direct investment combined,\u201d Muteba said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo alienating that capital is a serious problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this financial lifeline, diasporans frequently encounter policy barriers, regulatory bottlenecks, and limited access to funding platforms when attempting to invest back home.<\/p>\n

Muteba cited a growing frustration among skilled Africans abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people in the diaspora\u2026 are saying the same problem,\u201d he said, adding that even high-profile figures face obstacles.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wants to come back home\u2026 he wants to invest, and he is alienated by his own country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond capital, Africa is also losing critical expertise.<\/p>\n

Many members of the diaspora are trained at leading global institutions and possess cutting-edge skills in technology, finance, and innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey went to Stanford, they went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they went to Harvard, they went to Oxford\u2026 they are sitting with all of that knowledge outside of Africa,\u201d Muteba noted.<\/p>\n

He warned that unless governments create an enabling environment, the continent will miss an opportunity to leapfrog economically.<\/p>\n

With a population of approximately 1.4 billion\u2014largely young\u2014Africa has one of the most advantageous demographic profiles globally.<\/p>\n

However, structural inefficiencies continue to hold it back.<\/p>\n

Among the key barriers are fragmented policies, weak digital infrastructure, and limited intra-African trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know exactly what is needed\u2026 but policies are slow to come to the party,\u201d Muteba said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to strengthen intra-Africa trade, we want to foster intra-investment\u2026 but also socioeconomic integration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, trade among African countries remains critically low.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntra-African trade sits at about 15 to 16 percent\u2026 we are the only region in the world that trades the least with itself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This lack of integration is compounded by restrictions on the movement of people, goods, and services.<\/p>\n

Muteba emphasised that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) holds promise but requires urgent implementation and political will.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we speak about a digital single market\u2026 movement of persons and services and capital must be ensured and everybody participates,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He further highlighted everyday inefficiencies that stifle commerce.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething as simple as roaming\u2026 makes trade continentally a problem,\u201d he explained, pointing to inconsistent telecommunications systems across neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n

The consequences are far-reaching.<\/p>\n

Despite possessing vast reserves of rare earth minerals and natural resources, Africa remains one of the poorest regions globally.<\/p>\n

Experts attribute this to a combination of weak industrialisation, limited value addition, governance challenges, and continued dependence on external markets.<\/p>\n

Muteba also pointed to a mismatch between education and industry needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a mismatch between what universities are producing and what the marketplace actually requires,\u201d he said, linking this to high unemployment and limited economic inclusion.<\/p>\n

To reverse these trends, he called for bold reforms centred on inclusivity and openness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to create an environment that is conducive to the growth and development of small and medium enterprises,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can compete if we have the diaspora in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further urged African governments to embrace regional collaboration and equitable market access.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is creating a marketplace that is fair, that is balanced, where opportunities are created for everyone\u2014not just one dominant market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Muteba stressed that Africa\u2019s future hinges on its ability to unlock its own people\u2014both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we connect with the diaspora productively\u2026 we are going to be the continent of the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Failure to act, he warned, risks leaving billions in potential investment\u2014and a generation of talent\u2014on the sidelines.<\/p>\n

– CAJ News<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JOHANNESBURG\u00a0– AFRICA’S diaspora sends more than US$100 billion (about R1.8 trillion) home every year\u2014yet many of those same citizens say they are being shut out by their own governments when they attempt to invest, transfer skills, and contribute meaningfully to the continent\u2019s development. This paradox took centre stage at the Africa Telecoms Executive Roundtable 2026, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,55],"tags":[502,501],"class_list":["post-2387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-featured","category-investing","tag-johnny-muteba","tag-pan-african-chamber-of-commerce-chairman-and-founder"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1-300x261.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1.jpg","large":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1.jpg","post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1-300x300.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"administrator","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"JOHANNESBURG\u00a0– AFRICA’S diaspora sends more than US$100 billion (about R1.8 trillion) home every year\u2014yet many of those same citizens say they are being shut out by their own governments when they attempt to invest, transfer skills, and contribute meaningfully to the continent\u2019s development. This paradox took centre stage at the Africa Telecoms Executive Roundtable 2026, […]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Business","Featured","Investing"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":21,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1.jpg",638,555,false],"medium":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1-300x261.jpg",300,261,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Johnny-Muteba-1.1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"administrator","author_link":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/?author=2"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a3d5ebfe727f13fb325bd400aaaf5e789d3e2e20898883d9ae8e3d3d42d58cef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"Business<\/a> Featured<\/a> Investing<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2387"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2389,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2387\/revisions\/2389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matabeletoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}