African Review of Business and Technology articles from July 2005

African Review of Business and Technology archives from July 2005

Editor's note.(sign of economic developement by Africa)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... AFRICA IS MOVING closer to the mainstream of global capital markets, writes Moin Siddiq, and he believes that the continent can look forward to robust expansion in the short term (page 14). Regional co-operation is promoting cross-border...

The John Deere Foundation.(Briefly)(KickStart)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE JOHN DEERE Foundation is to provide US$3mn over the next three years to KickStart, an innovative social enterprise that creates and markets tools. KickStart's three-year plan is to enable some 80,000 African families to raise their...

Sainsburys.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SAINSBURYS, ONE OF the UK's top supermarket chains, is set to attend the Big Seven show to be held from 24-26 July in Johannesburg. Sainsburys, which currently buys wine, fruit, nuts, soy milk and some cereals from South African suppliers,...

Gateway Communications.(Briefly)(acquisition of Link Africa)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... GATEWAY COMMUNICATIONS, THE pan-African communications company, is to acquire Link Africa, the pan-African satellite service provider and subsidiary of Celtel International, for more than US$50mn in cash. Link Africa has grown into one of...

Barclays bank.(Briefly)(Barclays Bank PLC acquires Absa Bank Ltd.)
July 1, 2005... BARCLAYS BANK IS set to return to Nigeria for the first time since the late 1970s, according to a Nigerian press report. This follows its acquisition of a majority stake in Absa, South Africa's largest retail banking outlet, in a US$5.5bn...

GenStat.(Briefly)(VSN International launches http://discovery.genstat.co.uk)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VSN INTERNATIONAL, DEVELOPERS of the GenStat statistical system, has launched a free version of their commercial software available to non-commercial users and not-for-profit organisations in developing world countries. GenStat for Windows...

Vodacom Mozambique.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VODACOM MOZAMBIQUE WAS rated the number one Cellphone Service Provider in the annual Professional Management Review (PMR) survey. Each year PMR conducts over 30 000 interviews with decision-makers in countries where it has a presence, to...

Computer Aid International.(Briefly)(donations of non-profit organizations)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... COMPUTER AID INTERNATIONAL, the world's largest non-profit supplier of professionally refurbished PCs for schools in developing countries is calling on UK organisations to support a global appeal by Schoolnet Africa for one million donated...

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE GOODYEAR TIRE & Rubber Company has announced that it has selected its second aviation tire evaluation centre, the 43 Air School in Port Alfred, South Africa. The South African air school has 40 registered aircraft logging the hours of...

The Netherlands has pledged about Euro300mn to Ghana for public and private sector development and cooperation between the two countries for the period 2005-2008.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE NETHERLANDS HAS pledged about Euro300mn to Ghana for public and private sector development and cooperation between the two countries for the period 2005-2008. Mr Arie Van der Wiel, Netherlands Ambassador announced the pledge during...

Safmarine.(Shipping industry service enhancement)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SAFMARINE HAS ANNOUNCED further enhancements for its customers trading to and from Southern Africa. A new, monthly service from Itajai and Santos calling directly at Port Elizabeth will commence eastbound at the beginning of June to...

Eight Tonnes of Victoria perch from Nairobi have been flown to Kent International Airport in the UK aboard a United Arabian Airlines' DC8-62.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... EIGHT TONNES OF Victoria perch from Nairobi have been flown to Kent International Airport in the UK aboard a United Arabian Airlines' DC8-62. This is the first consignment to be flown to the airport's [pounds sterling]3mn cargo centre, which...

Lucky readers win their whisky.(Commercial Review)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... TWELVE LUCKY READERS have been awarded bottles of William Grant whisky for taking part in our Reader Survey. Those who returned the questionnaire were entered into a prize draw and first out of the hat was Brian Mbaziira, managing director of...

World's richest countries cancel debt.(G8 debt cancellation is good news)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE WORLD'S RICHEST countries, or the G8, made up of Germany, Japan, the US, France, Canada, Britain, Italy and Russia have finally agreed to a 100 per cent debt cancellation for 18 of the world's poorest nations. This includes 14 countries...

Private sector to drive new investment.(African Peer Review Mechanism)(Investment Climate Facility )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHICH have signed up to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), established by NEPAD, are set to benefit substantially from the recently proposed Investment Climate Facility (ICF), which will "make Africa an even better...

Tariff reduction boosts trade.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... WITH THE ELIMINATION of most tariffs by the East African Community Customs Union, businesses are benefiting from reduced paperwork, whilst traders and transporters have seen an increase in cross-border trade. Now, a local business council has...

Around the continent.
July 1, 2005... * Botswana has devalued its currency by 12 per cent. * The Nigerian government is to sell its 51 per cent stake in Nitel. * Iran and Senegal signed a tourism memorandum of understanding. * Coca-Cola plans a US$150mn investment in...

ICC event: a 'first' for Africa.(International Chamber of Commerce Services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE 4TH WORLD Chambers Congress held in Durban brought together more than 800 chamber of commerce executives and business leaders from 88 countries with the goal of strengthening business worldwide and promoting economic development,...

Approval for Uganda's budget.(Tax policy)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE MAIDEN BUDGET speech of Uganda's Finance Minister Dr Ezra Suruma's, was greeted with some optimism by analysts who praised its emphasis on boosting domestic savings and weaning the government off donor dependence. But they were concerned...

Promoting communication in rural communities.(PHILANTHROPIC ORGANISATION for Development Cooperation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANISATION for Development Cooperation (PHODEC] is an indigenous NGO recognised under the law governing non political and non-prifit making associations in Cameroon. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PHODEC was approved by...

Nigeria accelerates new LNG project.(liquefied natural gas)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has merged two plans for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, and is pressing the companies involved to take a go-ahead decision next year. The resulting new facility, eventually with four...

Algeria.(Enrico Mattei gas pipeline increasing capacity)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CAPACITY OF THE Enrico Mattei gas pipeline to Italy is to be increased to 33.5bn cubic metres/year by 2012, up from 27.0bn cubic metres/year at present. An agreement signed by Sonatrach and Italy's ENI calls for two increases in the capacity...

Equatorial Guinea.(Japanese Petroleum Companies Services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... TWO JAPANESE COMPANIES have bought into the Marathon-led Equatorial Guinea LNG venture, which is constructing an LNG complex on Bioko island. Interests become Marathon 60 per cent, the state's GEPetrol 25 per cent. Mitsui 8.5 per cent and...

Kobil Uganda launches low-sulphur diesel.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AFTER AN AMBITIOUS regional expansion in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and most recently Ethiopia, the Kenol/Kobil Group, whose major operations are in Kenya, is engaging in a product diversification programme. Within the last...

Angola.(Oil Reserves)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... FRANCE'S TOTAL STRUCK oil for the third time in Block 32, an ultra deep-water area about 160 kilometres off the country's northern coast. The firm said its Gengibre-1 well tested 4,724 barrels/day from a single reservoir. The discovery...

Nigeria.(Oil Production in the Ogoni area of the Niger Delta)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A RECONCILIATION PROCESS could lead to the resumption of oil production in the Ogoni area of the Niger delta. Shell shut down its operations there in 1993 when it could not ensure the safety of its staff. The company and the Movement for...

Cocoa futures reach two-month high.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... COCOA FUTURES ON LIFFE climbed to their highest level in more than two months by mid-June, mainly on the back of short covering by large investors, traders said. LIFFE's second-month September contract reached UK[pounds sterling]894 pounds a...

Kenya tea prices improve marginally.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... PRICES FOR MOST grades of Kenyan tea have in recent weeks been pulled down by an increase in supply as well as a fall in quality for some varieties as a result of increased rain earlier in the year. The dip in quality together with warm...

Gold remains range bound.(Prices and Rates)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... GOLD PRICES MOVED Up to their highest in nearly a month in early June, but have since stalled and at press time were continuing to trade in a narrow range. On 8 June, London spot gold rose to US$423.70-424.40 an ounce. But the precious metal...

Cotton futures at 16-week low.(Cotton Trade)
July 1, 2005... ON 9 JUNE African countries set December 2005 as the deadline for the US to eliminate domestic subsidies to its cotton farmers, in a common negotiating position for the next six months of trade talks. The US has declined to set a time frame...

Copper revisits 16-year highs.(London Metal Exchange copper Prices Moved up sharply)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AFTER THEIR STEEP fall in May from earlier 16-year highs, London Metal Exchange (LME) copper prices moved up sharply in the first half of June. On 13 June, the three-month price briefly re-visited the 16-year high of US$3,330 a tonne last...

Exchange rates.(Financial Forecast)(Illustration)
July 1, 2005... Exchange Rates The currencies shown below are valued at the middle rates between buying and selling on 23 June. The rates are an indication of the value and are not intended to be used as the basis for transactions. The publisher...

Forecast movements against the dollar.(Financial Forecast)(Illustration)
July 1, 2005... Forecast movements against the dollar 23 June 2005 July September (actual) 2005 2005 Japan (Yen) 108.9 104-108 101-108...

Euro suffers from constitutional crisis.(Financial Forecast)
July 1, 2005... THE EU'S PRINCIPAL currency slumped against the US dollar this past month to a level not seen for over a year. Trouble came from the shock result of the referendum in France on the draft constitution for the grouping, which suggested that...

Executives' calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... JULY 11-17 FILDA, Feira Internacional de Angola LUANDA Imag, Munich, Germany, Tel: +49 (0) 89 949 22 0. Fax: +49 (0) 89 949 22 350 e-mail: info@imag.de www.imag.de/english/imag/home 24-26 ...

Air Namibia flies direct to London.(Service Introduction)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AIR NAMIBIA IS introducing direct flights between Windhoek and London as from July. A similar McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft to that currently used on the Frankfurt route will initially be used on the UK services until such time as the...

New era for Nigeria and India.(Air India Service Ban in Nigeria)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... UNDER A NEW bilateral air service agreement, Nigeria lifted its 18-year ban on Air India's use of Nigeria's airspace. According to the Aviation Minister, Isa Yuguda, the lifting of the ban was a sequel to the gesture from New Delhi, which...

Hotel chain gets funding expansion.(Rezidor SAS Hospitality)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... REZIDOR SAS HOSPITALITY has signed a EUR35mn financial joint venture agreement with IFU of Denmark, Finnfund of Finland, Norfund of Norway and Swedfund of Sweden) to expand its presence in Africa. Through individual projects and portfolio...

Sudan's National Airline.(Services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SUDAN'S NATIONAL AIRLINE has resumed services to the formerly rebel-held south, suspended 20 years ago at the height of the civil war.

British Airways.(Service Enhancement)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS introduced a new schedule for Nigeria with more day-time flights, according to a Nigerian press report quoting the airline's marketing manager for West Africa, Folakemi Animuminey. From Abuja there will be daily flights...

Air Botswana Plans.(refurbishment)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... AIR BOTSWANA PLANS a major refurbishment exercise to improve the appearance of its aircraft. Air Botswana general manager, Willie Mokgatlhe said that the refurbishment is meant to bring the planes to international standards.

Johannesburg International Airport.(baggage theft has become a top priority for the Airports )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE PROBLEM OF baggage theft at Johannesburg International Airport has become a top priority for the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). Undercover agents in surprise blitzes are to be employed to trap those responsible for luggage theft.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.(Buildings and facilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... MILLENNIUM & COPTHORNE HOTELS (M & CH) has signed a management contract to operate a hotel in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el Sheikh. The 350-room Millennium Hotel is scheduled to open by spring 2007 and is being developed by the Sharm...

Africa poised to enjoy robust expansion: only more developed regional equity and debt markets can enhance Africa's investment profile and therefore revive foreign institutional interest, as well as improve portfolio equity flows. Moin Siddiqi investigates a complex issue.(Investment)(International Monetary Fund )
July 1, 2005... THE ENCOURAGING GROWTH performance in recent years has helped bring parts of Africa closer to the mainstream of global capital markets, though the region is extremely diverse and fragmented, Africa appears poised to enjoy robust expansion...

Colour printing delivers competitive advantage: until now, the argument about colour versus black and white printing has focused on cost. Now, Xerox is arguing, we need to turn that on its head and consider the business benefits of colour. Karen Young reports.(Information Technology)
July 1, 2005... SITTING AT YOUR desk, surrounded by reams of paper covered in mono printing, have you ever considered the impact that colour would make to your presentations, your sales letters and your internal memos? Certainly printer giant Xerox thinks...

Partnership advances RFID.(EPCglobal Generation 2 (Gen 2) interoperability)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... PRINTRONIX, THE INTEGRATED supply-chain printing solutions manufacturer, and Impinj Inc, the Self-Adaptive Silicon company, have announced that they have jointly demonstrated EPCglobal Generation 2 (Gen 2) interoperability. During the...

MFP--a cheaper copier solution?(multi function product )
July 1, 2005... OKI HAVE BEEN upgrading their line of printers and adding to their range a fully integrated scanner/copier/printer or MFP--multi function product to use the industry acronym. For the small to medium office the capital outlay on an OKI MFP...

New colour laser printer launched.(TallyGenicom's 8124)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... TALLYGENICOM, ONE OF the world's largest manufacturer of business printers, have announced the availability of its 8124 A3 colour laser printer. The 8124 is built to deliver the highest quality colour and mono documents at the lowest overall...

HP splits PC and printers group.(Hewlett-Packard)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ONLY FIVE MONTHS after merging its PC business with its imaging and printing group, Hewlett-Packard has split them up again and appointed R. Todd Bradley, former chief executive of PalmOne, as new leader of its personal systems group. ...

SA printer market exceeds expectations.(BMI-TechKnowledge publishes "The South African Printer Market Forecast and Vendor Share Analysis")(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... BMI-TECHKNOWLEDGE HAS announced the publication of its latest report: The South African Printer Market Forecast and Vendor Share Analysis, which has reported outstanding growth of 17.8 per cent in the South African printer market in 2004,...

Mauritians to get computer Visa card.(STATE BANK of Mauritius)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE STATE BANK of Mauritius (SBM) is the first bank in sub-Saharan Africa tolaunch a fully operational chip card infrastructure including chip cards, terminals which accept chip cards and related bank systems. The chip on the card is, in...

Safe supplies whatever the weather: without electric power, most of us couldn't survive and just think how much harder it is on your business. For an organisation power means survival, and loss of power means a dramatic impact on your bottom line.(UPS)
July 1, 2005... WE ARE ALL PROBABLY aware of the dangers to our IT systems of strong electrical surges or power drops; few of us think that most power-related problems are less obvious, but no less serious. But where do they come from? And what can you...

Troubled auto company seeks solace in Africa: General Motors is having a hard time yet its woes are being partly offset by encouraging news from Africa. Stephen Williams has the details.(Vehicles)
July 1, 2005... IT HAS NOT been a happy time for General Motors Corp (GM) in recent months. There is an ocean of red ink from European operations, a rapid loss of market share in North America, and problems with the China/Asia-Pacific division. ...

Fleet of commuter buses from Brazil arrives in Durban.(Vehicles)
July 1, 2005... UNITED PASSENGER SERVICES has taken delivery of 27 Mercedes-Benz OF 1730 fully built up 63-seater commuter buses from Brazil. These units arrived on the Haul MV Commodore ro-ro ship, which docked at Durban harbour. The buses will be put into...

Make the most of trade with Malaysia: imports from Malaysia are booming, and Malaysian capital is involved in several utility infrastructure projects across the continent, as well as in the clothing trade. We show you how to tap this alternative and innovative source of outstandingly successful business ideas.(services of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation)
July 1, 2005... MALAYSIA'S TWO-WAY TRADE with Africa grew by 19 per cent in the last year recorded for the whole continent--2002--according to the Trade/Industry Ministry's (MITI) Trade Development agency MATRADE. And Malaysian exporters have already been...

Safe seals for sacks and bags: R A Bontemps, of Fischbein, writes on the technology that meets customer requirements for the closure of open mouth bags.(Packaging)
July 1, 2005... INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS to close 'open mouth' bags that have been driven by the requirements of customers in the industrial sector, can also be applied to agricultural produce. The key guidelines for bag closing equipment are: *...

Winners announced of joint development zone: after delays, disputes, postponements and political complications, winners of the second Nigeria--Sao Tome and Principe joint development zone oil block licensing round have finally been announced. Stephen Williams was there.(Oil and Gas)
July 1, 2005... IN EARLY JUNE the decision on which companies would receive licences for a further five off-shore oil blocks was finally announced by the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe (STP) joint development zone administration based in Abuja. ...

Maximising telehandler versatility: truss booms, pallet forks and buckets of every type as well as a lot else are all available from your Cat[R] Rental Store. This is the company's latest Tip of the Month concerning material handling operations.
July 1, 2005... DEALERS IN AFRICA know that one of the most popular rented machines, telehandlers (or material handlers) are designed to perform a wide variety of tasks. Telehandlers are often the very first machines to be brought to a site--and the last to...

Local communities plug the shortfall: with a three per cent growth rate in the Kenyan economy anticipated this year, the government has revealed that there has been an eight per cent rise in demand for energy. Mwangi Mumero reports.(Power Supply)
July 1, 2005... KENYA'S PERMANENT SECRETARY to the Ministry of Energy reported recently that industrial and domestic energy demand has increased in the last three years, and warned Kenyans that they should brace themselves for a round of power outages...

Perkins dealers appointed in Angola, Zambia and Malawi.(Barloworld Equipment Energy-Perkins appoints dealers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SOUTHERN AFRICAN DISTRIBUTOR of Perkins engines. Barloworld Equipment Energy-Perkins, has strengthened its regional presence by appointing dealers in Angola, Zambia and Malawi. The new Perkins dealers are Barloworld Equipment's branches...

Rental fleet sets for mobile applications.(Power News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... TWO NEW GENERATING sets from Atlas Copco, the QAX 12 and QAX 20 have been designed to meet the demands of global rental fleets, construction applications and public utility companies; and complement its proven QAS range of generating sets....

Gensets protect IT network.(Power News)(Mobitel d.d. purchased Cummins-powered generator )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... MOBITEL, THE MAIN Tanzanian cell-phone network company, has purchased 20 Cummins-powered generator sets to provide emergency power for mobile phone transmission stations, some of which are located in remote areas. The generator sets provide...

Electrical hazard training for contractors.(Power News)(Hawke International)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ELECTRICAL HAZARD SPECIALIST Hawke International of the UK has set up a new demonstration and training site in the UK. The company's full range of cable glands, connectors and electrical enclosures have been installed to simulate realistic...

Backing for geothermal plant.(Power News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The European Investment Bank (EIB) has given Ksh3.2bn to expand the Rift Valley Olkaria geothermal power plant. This will help boost the national grid and reduce the blackouts to which Kenyans are accustomed. Mr Phillip Maystadt, the EIB...

Power station for Kampala.(Power News)(installation and contracts by Aggreko power station)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The 50MW/11kV & 33kV temporary power station installed in Kampala by Aggreko UK plc became fully operational on the 28 May, ahead of the contracted date. In its first contract with the Ugandan Electricity Transmission Company Limited,...

New technology revolutionises boat life.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VOLVO PENTA HAS launched a new propulsion system for boats--the Volvo Penta IPS (Inboard Performance System), which features propellers that turn in the direction of travel. Volvo Penta has placed pulling and counter-rotating propellers...

High-efficiency natural-gas-fuelled generator set.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CATERPILLAR INC. HAS launched its G3520E advanced natural-gas-fueled generator set, designed for maximum efficiency in extended-duty distributed generation and combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Driven by a Cat(R) electronically...

All about infrared thermography.(Condition Monitoring)
July 1, 2005... THERMOGRAPHY IS THE use of an infrared imaging and measurement camera to 'see' and 'measure' thermal energy emitted from an object. Thermal, or infrared energy, is light that is not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by...

Monitoring--a top tool for management: condition monitoring is used to provide data and information on how a piece of equipment, or even an entire production unit, is likely to perform in the future. It is an important management tool, but not a solution in itself, writes Dr Terry Mabbett.(Condition Monitoring)
July 1, 2005... CONDITION MONITORING ALLOWS engineers to develop and use a coherent operational strategy based on data from operating machinery. The information is collected, collated and processed and used to make maintenance decisions related to both the...

Getting kick started.(Water Supply)(KickStart opened a sales office)
July 1, 2005... AN ORGANISATION THAT started providing appropriate technologies for enterprise creation in Kenya now operates in Tanzania and Mali, too. They supply water pumps and more. KickStart the East African not for-profit organisation formerly...

Research awards to help arid lands: many prizes for water research and development are now on offer, but the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW), is one that has particular relevance to large parts of Africa. Its aim is to alleviate water shortages in arid and semi-arid lands like the Prize's home country, Saudi Arabia.(Water Supply)
July 1, 2005... THE IDEA FOR the prize, for which nominations close on 31 December 2005, originated from the Prince Sultan Research Centre for Environment. Water & Desert in Saudi Arabia, and the prize has received the patronage of Prince Sultan Bin...

Plastic components for pumps and valves: plastics are now widely used in components in water pumps and valves. Many distribution pipes and fittings are made from them, too. Use African Review's handy guide to specific advantages and restrictions to make sure that the right material is always specified.(Water Supply)
July 1, 2005... WATER PUMPING AND plumbing science makes slow progress, but one area in which real advances have been made is in the actual materials used. The appearance of plastics in the artisan's kitbag has transformed the nature of the work he has to...

Drilling the depths in South Africa and Nigeria.(Water Supply)
July 1, 2005... WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK of NEPAD Nigeria and South Africa agreed to work together on water resources development strategies three years ago. Groundwater is regarded as the key resource by SA's Water Dept. just as it is in Nigeria by the various...

Terex Africa joins Quadrem.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... TEREX AFRICA, A subsidiary of Terex, a leading global manufacturer of mining and construction equipment, has joined Quadrem's global supplier community of more than 15,000 companies. Terex Africa is a key supplier to Anglo Coal, Anglo...

Voegele updates its small-paver range.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... NEW PAVERS FROM Wirtgen's Voegele Group (Mannheim, Germany) are worthy successors to the Super Boy series of path-paving machines. The new Super 600 and 800 machines offer variable width operation and an excellent price/performance ratio for...

Hard hat housing for compressors.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A NEW ENCLOSURE FOR Atlas Copco's Series 7 portable air compressors has been introduced to eliminate the disadvantages of the previous metal housings. Designated the 'HardHat', the new housing is high impact and crack resistant and...

Hydraulic excavator for confined areas.(325C LCR)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CATERPILLAR[R] HAS INTRODUCED the 325C LCR to its lineup of compact radius (CR) excavators. The 325C LCR has been designed to rotate with a minimal amount of counterweight hanging over the tracks, which allows it to work in confined areas....

Report on Uganda's housing sector.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THE UGANDA BUREAU of Statistics (UBOS) says in its 2004 report that 63 per cent of all houses in Uganda are roofed with iron sheets. This varies from 51 per cent in rural areas to 79 per cent in towns. The survey also reveals that overall mud...

Building a better surface with asphalt: France's Fayat Group offers road surfacing equipment and sophisticated asphalt plants, now there's compaction equipment too.(Construction)
July 1, 2005... M CLEMENT FAYAT owns three high-quality AOC vineyards around Bordeaux. In the French city he has also, since 1957, built up the country's leading independent building and public works group. The Fayat Group works in six sectors: earthworks;...

Make sure your bucket's big enough: use African Review's general hints on bucket selection to get the best productivity out of your hydraulic excavator--and in complete safety, too.(Construction)
July 1, 2005... THE HYDRAULIC EXCAVATOR is easily the most versatile tool in the contractor's inventory of heavy plant. Breaking, pipe laying, lifting and loading--it can do it all. But basic excavation is the task it was primarily designed for, and to do...

Compact excavator range extended.(Construction)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT in the Bobcat range of excavators has been announced with the launch of the 12.5 tonne Bobcat[R] 444 excavator. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Though the 444 now forms the top end of the Bobcat midi-excavator range, its...

Rush for gold in Kenya's west: Mwangi Mumero reports on the impact of precious-metal finds in quiet farming villages. Some people may be making money, but not all the prospects are glittering, he says.(Mining)
July 1, 2005... IN THE LAST couple of months, te sleepy town of Lirhembe in Kakamega District in western Kenya has turned into a frenzy with discovery of substantial gold deposits. Small-scale miners working in groups have been digging out substantial...

AEL gears up in East Africa.(Pangia Minerals Ltd.)
July 1, 2005... FACING THE PROSPECT of continuing growth in East Africa, one of the continent's leading explosives producer is at an advanced stage of completing the multi-million-rand infrastructure it requires to service its latest contract in Tanzania....

Plotting platinum: Priscilla Ross reports on the latest changes in the platinum group metals market, always a major forex earner in Southern Africa.(Mining)
July 1, 2005... SUPPLIES OF PLATINUM from Zimbabwe increased by five per cent to reach 145,000 oz in 2004, with small increases in shipments from both the Mimosa and Ngezi mines. However according to Johnson Matthey's Platinum 2005 annual review the future...