JINCHANG, China, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “After daily production, always inspect electrical equipment promptly. Keep the area around equipment clean and well-ventilated—it’s better for the appliances,” Shi Weilong and Zhu Guanghui from State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company’s Jinchang Branch explained to staff at Jinchang Yuanda Agricultural and Sideline Products Co., Ltd., a key player in the region’s high-altitude summer vegetable processing sector.

Inside Yuanda’s dehydrated vegetable processing plant, conveyor belts in the electric drying workshop smoothly transport fresh onions, Yongchang carrots, and other vegetables to intelligent sorting equipment. “We owe a lot to the power supply company’s customized electrification transformation plan,” said Ma Zeye, the plant’s electrical contact person, pointing to the energy consumption meter on the wall. “Previously, we used fuel for drying, which cost 1,200 yuan per ton. Now, with electric equipment, the cost has dropped to 700 yuan per ton. The annual savings alone allow us to hire 10 more workers!”

Today, the company’s dehydrated vegetable products are sold across China, with an annual output value exceeding 60 million yuan (about 8.3 million USD) and benefiting over 200 local farming households by boosting their incomes—a tangible result of reliable power support for agricultural industrialization.

To ensure uninterrupted electricity supply throughout the entire chain of high-altitude summer vegetable cultivation and processing in Jinchang, State Grid Jinchang has implemented regular initiatives: its staff conduct comprehensive patrols, temperature checks, and hazard inspections on power lines covering agricultural planting areas. They also monitor transformer loads in fields and villages in real time. When issues like low voltage or aging lines are identified, the team acts swiftly to resolve them, safeguarding stable power for crop growth and processing. Additionally, the company promotes safe electricity use by educating farmers on electrical safety for irrigation equipment, building a solid power safety barrier for the healthy growth of high-altitude summer vegetables.

As the critical harvest and processing season for high-altitude summer vegetables arrives, State Grid Jinchang has integrated its summer peak power supply work with targeted services for local processing enterprises and cooperatives. It conducts special electrical inspections, designs optimized electricity usage plans tailored to each enterprise’s needs to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency, and opens a “green channel” for electricity connection services for vegetable planting cooperatives and small-scale processors. This streamlines procedures and shortens processing times, ensuring enterprises can start production promptly and accelerating the high-altitude summer vegetable processing sector.

Guided by its mission of “Electricity for the People,” State Grid Jinchang uses robust power supply as a catalyst to paint a vibrant picture of rural revitalization in Jinchang’s vast rural areas—characterized by “strong power grids, high-quality services, and thriving industries.” From intelligent irrigation in fields to household appliances humming in farmyards, from powering specialty industries to providing heartwarming convenience services, electricity not only lights up rural nights but also ignites local residents’ hopes of moving toward common prosperity.

This initiative showcases China’s commitment to aligning energy development with agricultural modernization and rural revitalization, offering a replicable model for promoting green, efficient, and inclusive rural economic growth globally.

JINCHANG, China, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A “Power Support Team” composed of employees from State Grid Jinchang Power Supply Company recently visited the 10,000-head Dairy Sheep Ecological Ranch in Xia Sifen Village, Ningyuanbao Town, Jinchuan District. This on-site power service initiative has injected a “vitality boost” into the stable operation of the modern ecological ranch, demonstrating China’s efforts to support ecological agriculture and rural development through reliable energy.

As a local benchmark for ecological animal husbandry, the Jinchuan District 10,000-head Dairy Sheep Ecological Ranch houses thousands of sheep. Its daily operations rely heavily on a stable power supply to run critical equipment, including feed processing machines, constant-temperature ventilation systems, and intelligent drinking water devices.

“We’ve been worried about potential circuit issues affecting the sheep’s growth, especially since the hot summer weather has increased the use of ventilation and cooling systems,” a ranch staff member explained.

Upon learning about the ranch’s electricity needs, the power supply company’s team took immediate action. They conducted a comprehensive “health check” of the ranch’s power distribution boxes, transmission lines, and electrical equipment, carefully inspecting for loose wire connections and ensuring reliable equipment grounding. During the inspection, the team detected a sign of poor contact in a power line at the feed processing workshop. They promptly replaced the faulty components, effectively eliminating the safety hazard.

“Your visit couldn’t have come at a better time! Our feed processing machine used to trip occasionally, but we couldn’t find the root cause. Now that it’s fixed, our work efficiency has improved significantly,” the ranch staff member said, expressing gratitude to the working power employees.

Beyond hazard，the power supply team also provided tailored energy-saving solutions based on the ranch’s electricity consumption patterns. They advised the ranch to rationally adjust equipment operation during peak electricity usage hours to reduce energy waste. Additionally, the team popularized safe electricity usage knowledge among the ranch staff and distributed promotional brochures.

This on-site service not only resolved the ranch’s immediate electricity challenges but also made farmers feel the considerate support from the power sector. State Grid Jinchang Power Supply Company stated that it will continue to prioritize the electricity needs of agricultural production, provide proactive and targeted services, and offer solid power support for rural revitalization and the development of ecological agriculture in the region.

This initiative reflects China’s commitment to integrating energy security with sustainable agricultural development, setting a positive example for promoting green and efficient rural development models.

LONDON, Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Africa’s millionaire population is projected to grow by 65% over the next decade, according to the Africa Wealth Report 2025. The continent is currently home to 25 billionaires, 348 centi-millionaires, and 122,500 millionaires — with Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy forecast to grow by 3.7% in 2025 — outpacing Europe (0.7%) and the US (1.4%) — with growth projected to reach 4.1% in 2026.

Now in its 4^th year, the report published annually by international wealth advisory firm Henley & Partners in collaboration New World Wealth shows that private wealth markets across Africa are expanding strongly despite global headwinds.  

Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, says “the investment migration sector is now working both ways, with African investors seeking greater global mobility and diversification while international investors are increasingly identifying Africa as a destination for long-term, stable capital deployment.”

Africa’s Wealthiest Countries and Cities

Following a strong past year, South Africa now accounts for 34% of Africa’s millionaires — roughly equal to the next five wealthiest countries combined — and with 41,100 millionaires, it leads Africa’s Big 5 wealth markets of Egypt (14,800 resident millionaires), Morocco (7,500), Nigeria (7,200), and Kenya (6,800), which together represent 63% of the continent’s millionaires and 88% of its billionaires.

Mauritius, the 6^th wealthiest country in Africa, has recorded the continent’s strongest HNWI growth over the past decade at +63%. Rwanda (+48%) and Morocco (+40%) have also posted strong gains, while Nigeria’s millionaire population has contracted sharply by -47%, with Angola (-36%) and Algeria (-23%) likewise in decline.

At the city level, with 11,700 resident millionaires, Johannesburg holds onto the top spot as Africa’s wealthiest city. However, Cape Town, placed 2^nd with 8,500 HNWI, has emerged as the continent’s leader in centi-millionaires, with 35 super wealthy individuals calling it home. The ‘Mother City’ is also Africa’s most expensive prime real estate market at USD 5,800 per m² and is on track to overtake Johannesburg in total wealth by 2030. Cairo ranks 3^rd with 6,800 HNWI and has the highest concentration of billionaires in Africa, with 5 in residence, while East Africa’s economic powerhouse Nairobi in 4^th place has 4,200 millionaires, accounting for almost half of Kenya’s total private wealth.

Africa’s Mobility Gap Widens

Washington’s hardening stance towards Africa is set to dominate the continent’s agenda in the year ahead, following measures introduced under the Trump administration ranging from steep tariffs and deep USAID funding cuts to the controversial deportation of convicted criminals to South Sudan and eSwatini. In addition, President Donald Trump’s decision to ban travelers from seven African nations and impose heightened restrictions on another three looks set to expand to include an additional 26 states. This would see roughly two-thirds of Africa’s 54 nations fully or partially barred from the US — one of the most sweeping mobility restrictions in recent history.

Exclusive research published in Henley & Partners’ January 2025 Global Mobility Report confirmed systemic visa discrimination against Africans in Europe. Led by Prof. Mehari Taddele Maru at the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute, the study found that while globally only one in six Schengen visa applications is rejected, one in two African applicants is turned away — a rate that has more than doubled over the past decade. The Henley Passport Power Index underscores the economic cost of this inequality.

In response, a growing number of affluent Africans are adopting a proactive strategy of “global positioning” by acquiring alternative residence rights and citizenships as a tool to expand business reach, secure international educational opportunities for their children, and safeguard family wealth. Henley & Partners has processed applications from investors in 23 African countries over the past 18 months, nearly double the 12 in 2020, while enquiries for investment migration options surged by 50% in 2024. South Africa and Egypt now rank among the world’s top 10 source markets. As Grace Arthur at Henley & Partners Ghana explains, “These investors are not turning their backs on Africa — they are expanding its footprint, forging connections, and unlocking capital on a global scale.”

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