Business news site Quartz announced Wednesday that it will launch Quartz Africa this June.
More than 40 percent of Quartz’s readers are from outside the U.S. and in just over two years, the site has attracted more than 100,000 monthly unique users from Africa. Following its successful launch in June 2014, Quartz India has expanded to reach more than 1.3 million readers monthly, growing more than 500 percent in just eight months.
By 2020, it is expected that seven of the world’s top 10 fastest growing economies will be in sub-Saharan Africa. The continent already has more mobile subscribers than the U.S. or the EU.
“As a global business publication, we have an editorial imperative to cover the most interesting and important developments in the global economy,” says Jay Lauf, Quartz co-president and publisher, in a statement. “As a digital and mobile-first publication, Quartz has great commercial potential in Africa.”
Yinka Adegoke has joined Quartz to be its Africa editor. Adegoke previously held senior positions at Reuters and Billboard and has written for publications including The Guardian and The Financial Times. Born in London and raised in Nigeria, Adegoke will lead the Quartz Africa team, consisting of journalists, freelancers, and contributors from across the continent.
Modeled after the Quartz India experience, Quartz Africa will be automatically viewable to readers in Africa via qz.com, and its content will be available to readers outside the region through the Quartz Africa view via qz.com/africa.
“It’s a truly thrilling time to cover the continent with the youngest demographics and several of the world’s fastest-growing economies,” said Adegoke in a statement. “Those dynamics are just beginning to unleash pent-up creativity, and are driving innovation and attracting smart investors from around the globe.”
