African Review of Business and Technology articles from March 2005

African Review of Business and Technology archives from March 2005

Editor's note.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... ALTHOUGH SECTORS SUCH as mining, construction and power continue to be so important to Africa's devlopment, tourism is also growing rapidly. The east and south of the continent have always been a big draw for international travellers, but...

D1 oils PLC.(Briefly)(expansion of D1 oils PLC)(services of BAMEX)(jatropha oil-bearing seeds )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... D1 OILS PLC, the UK-based producer of biodiesel, has announced that it is expanding in Madagascar. The company has identified approximately 17,000 hectares of existing jatropha plantations. The arrangements have been made in collaboration...

Nexans.(Briefly)
March 1, 2005... NEXANS, AN INTERNATIONAL leader in the cable industry, has been awarded a contract worth approximately Euro9mn by Perenco, an independent European oil company, to deliver power and control cables for the development of its oil fields, located...

Kumba Resources.(Briefly)(Konica Minolta hardware )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... KUMBA RESOURCES HAS awarded one of the largest tenders in the business technology industry to Bidvest Group company, Minolta South Africa. The three-year contract to provide a document optimisation output system at Kumba Resources' head...

Bank of Ghana.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE BANK OF Ghana (BOG) has directed all commercial banks in the country to maintain a minimum capital base of cents70bn starting in April 2005. Additionally, savings and loans companies are expected to maintain a minimum balance of...

From being a minor trader less than five years ago, China is rapidly becoming one of Kenya's key business partners.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... FROM BEING A MINOR trader less than five years ago, China is rapidly becoming one of Kenya's key business partners. The volume of trade between the two countries has increased by KSh10bn in the past two years, from KSh14bn in 2002 to KSh24bn...

Uganda.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... UGANDA'S EXPORT EARNINGS for 2004-2005 are projected to increase to about US$550mn up from US$522mn in 2003. These figures are projected to reach US$950mn if added to the projected earnings of US$428mn from service sector exports. Since the...

Volkswagen.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Volkswagen is to invest more than R1.2bn in South Africa over the next three years, as well as an assembly plant in Angola.

Nigeria.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Nigeria is to build four new ports while Tanzania has budgeted US$500mn for the rehabilitation of its ports.

Kenya.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Kenya has announced plans to build roads leading to Somalia and Sudan in order to take advantage of trading opportunities.

Addis-Djibouti.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The last segment of the Addis-Djibouti road has been opened.

Morocco.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Morocco is to invest E78mn in coastal fishing sectors.

World Bank.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The World Bank is providing US$25mn to alleviate power shortages in Rwanda.

IFC.(Briefly)(Graphique Industrie)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The IFC provided US$2.1mn for the expansion and modernisation of Mali's Graphique Industrie.

EU.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The EU has granted E10mn in aid to the cotton industry in Benin and funds to the Kenya Tourism Board to set up a tourism information and statistics development facility.

New banknotes, with improved security features, have been released by the SA Reserve Bank.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW BANKNOTES, WITH improved security features, have been released by the SA Reserve Bank. The new notes (in the R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200 denominations) have a number of features, which can be seen such as the watermark, a...

Industrial Development Corporation.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Corporation (IDC) of Zimbabwe is to commission a US$1.6mn factory in Ruwa in partnership with Iranian investors. The factory is designed to produce bleached cotton products and is situated in the Ruwa industrial...

Fluor Corporation.(Briefly)(joint ventures of Pangaea)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... FLUOR CORPORATION HAS been awarded a contract by Eskom, South Africa's electricity utility, to help recommission a 1,200MW power station in Grootvlei near Balfour. The total installed cost for the project is approximately US$530mn. Fluor, in...

Port of Cotonou.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE PORT OF Cotonou is to expand capacity and improve security in an attempt to capitalise on increased traffic from Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, which have been directing trade away from Abidjan since the outbreak of unrest in Cote d'Ivoire...

Nigeria's Federal Executive Council.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NIGERIA'S FEDERAL EXECUTIVE Council (FEC) has approved the design of the second Lagos outer ring road project, which is expected to decongest the chaotic traffic at a cost of N500mn. The Lagos outer ring road will link Apapa Tin Can Island to...

South African tourism.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM is working hard to reverse the decline seen in visitors from Europe in the first nine months of 2004. The most recent figures from Statistics SA show a 3.1 per cent decline in European visitors in the nine months to...

In order to improve its international network, and to benefit from the 15-member partnership's buying power, SAA Cargo has signed a memorandum of understanding to join the Star Alliance.(Briefly)(alliances and partnership of SAA Cargo )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... IN ORDER TO improve its international network, and to benefit from the 15-member partnership's buying power, SAA Cargo has signed a memorandum of understanding to join the Star Alliance. Patrick Dlamini, vice president of SAA Cargo, says:...

The readers of Business Traveller have voted Avis the best car-rental company in Europe and worldwide.(Briefly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE READERS OF Business Traveller have voted Avis the best car-rental company in Europe and worldwide. This is the fourth time in five years that Avis has won Best Car rental Company in Europe and the first time that it has won Best Car...

Africa central to global future, says Worldwatch.(Commercial Review)(services of Worldwatch Institute )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... WITH THE PROFITS of the oil majors--many of them generated here--booming and the US eyeing up West Africa as a more reliable source of imports than the unstable Middle East, the Worldwatch Institute has presented a slamming review of the...

Electronic accounts for NSE.(Commercial Review)(Nairobi Stock Exchange)(Central Depository & Settlement Corporation Limited)(services of Millenium Information Technologies Limited )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... IN A BID to improve services at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), shareholders are now required to open electronic accounts with a newly-created company Central Depository & Settlement Corporation Limited (CDSC). The company, regulated by the...

Nigeria tackles port problems.(Commercial Review)
March 1, 2005... A PRESIDENTIAL TASK force on port reform, chaired by the minister of finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been established with the objective of creating an efficient and competitive sector. The president is reported to have emphasised...

Fake goods pose major threat.(Commercial Review)(services of Ifo institute)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... COUNTERFEITING AND THEFT of intellectual property are among the most pressing problems facing business according to a poll of corporate and academic economists. The poll was conducted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the...

ADB reports 'exceptional' year.(Commercial Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... LAST YEAR WAS an exceptional one for the African Development Bank (ADB). The Group's president, Omar Kabbaj, is reported to have told representatives of the institution's 77 member countries that macroeconomic indicators for the...

Cutting red tape aids economic growth.(Commercial Review)(services of Commonwealth Business Council )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NON-ESSENTIAL AND overly complex regulation is a major barrier to wealth and job creation, productivity and investment in African countries. This was stated at a panel session on cutting red tape at the Nigeria Investment Forum in Abuja,...

South Africa forges links with Florida.(Commercial Review)(services of The National Ports Authority )(services of South African Port Operations )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SELECTED SOUTH AFRICAN ports have recently hosted the Florida Ports Mission's, political and business delegation consisting of 30 participants. The delegation of Florida businesses, sea port managers, elected officials and the Miami...

Robust at two-year high, arabica highest in five years.(Commodity Report)(ROBUSTA COFFEE FUTURES)(London Internetional Financial Futures Exchange)(Arabica futures )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ROBUSTA COFFEE FUTURES reached a two-year high in London in early February, with the LIFFE May contract, the most actively traded, touching US$872 a tonne on 7 February. This is the highest position for a second-month contract since February...

Platinum moves into surplus.(Commodity Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SENTIMENT IN THE platinum market appears to be weakening, although the continuing strength of the South African rand and strong buying in Japan provided support for prices in early February. Spot platinum moved up to a two-month high of...

Gold under pressure on talk of IMF bullion sales.(Commodity Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... GOLD FELL CLOSE to a five-month low in early February, with the spot price on the London bullion market fixed at US$411.50 a troy ounce on 8 February. The fall was largely on account of the strength of the US dollar against other major...

Tea prices fall.(Commodity Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... KENYAN TEA PRICES have been pushed lower as the country's most recent weekly tea auction, held on 14-15 February, suffered a serious lack of demand. Buyers from its largest tea market, Pakistan, were absent due to a trade dispute between the...

Cocoa currently shaky, but strong gains possible.(Commodity Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... LONDON COCOA FUTURES have continued to recover in the weeks since their fall to a six-month low in the opening days of 2005 when a number of large US investors liquidated their positions. Cocoa futures on LIFFE for March delivery were trading...

Liberia.(Oil News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE COUNTRY'S FIRST licensing round saw seven blocks awarded, out of the 17 offshore blocks on offer. Spain's Repsol YPF won Blocks 16 and 17; Australia's Woodside won Block 15; Nigeria's Oranto took Blocks 11 and 12; and European...

Congo (Brazzaville).(Oil News)(services and partnership of Murphy)(partnership of Societe Nationale des Petroles du Congo)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A WELL DRILLED BY US firm Murphy made a discovery in the offshore Mer Profonde Sud block, at a waterdepth of 1,381m. The Azurite Marine-1 well encountered a multiple-zone reservoir. Another well, Saphir Marine-1, will be drilled 18km away....

Two new LNG complexes for Nigeria.(Oil News)
March 1, 2005... PLANS HAVE BEEN disclosed for two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Nigeria, led by ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil. If they go ahead, Nigeria will become one of the world's largest LNG exporters towards the end of the decade. ...

African Petroleum Forum for London.(Oil News)(SERVICES OF Global Pacific & Partners)
March 1, 2005... THE 2ND ANNUAL African Petroleum Forum will be held from 19-20 April at the Radisson Edwardian Marlborough Hotel in London. This annual forum, with its 25 leading speakers, is acknowledged for its detailed focus on exploration in emerging...

Angola.(Oil News)(building of rig)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... BP'S PALAS-1 WELL in ultra-deepwater Block 31 came in as the fifth discovery in the block in February. The well, drilled by the Leiv Eiriksson semi-submersible in 1,602m of water, was located in the southeast part of the block and discovered...

Executives' calendar.(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... MARCH 9-10 African Banking Congress SANDTON Terrapinn, Bryanston, South Africa. Tel: +27 (0) 11 463 2802. Fax: +27 (0) 11 463 6000. e-mail: enquiry.za@terrapinn.com 9-11 Offshore West Africa...

Aviation problems hinder tourism.(Business Travel)
March 1, 2005... ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CHIEF executive officer Girma Wake has said that unreliability, high prices, and poor infrastructure are the major problems in air transport that hinder the development of African tourism. Speaking at the role of airlines...

Nigeria's illegal airstrips.(Business Travel)(International Civil Aviation Organisation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ABOUT 200 AIRSTRIPS, aerodromes and helipads have been discovered in Nigeria that are operating illegally outside the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The airstrips will henceforth be required to pay...

Flights to DRC.(Business Travel)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ON 2 FEBRUARY Kenya Airways began two weekly flights to Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the DRC. This will bring to six, the number of flights to the DRC. KA already has four weekly flights to Kinshasa. The Wednesday and Saturday...

Speedier service for SA travel agents.(Business Travel)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... QATAR AIRWAYS HAS announced that it has enhanced its e-mail service facility to help improve its service to travel agents in South Africa. Currently, travel agents address all queries via e-mails to qrresjnb@za.qatarairways.com. Based on its...

Exchange rates.(Business Travel)(Illustration)
March 1, 2005... Exchange Rates The currencies shown below are valued at the middle rates between buying and selling on 21 February. 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.(Business Travel)(Illustration)
March 1, 2005... Forecast movements against the dollar 21 Feb March May 2005 2004 2005 (actual) Japan (Yen) 105.7 104-107 102-106...

Dollar changes unwelcome in Africa.(Business Travel)
March 1, 2005... ONCE AGAIN, THE US dollar has been weakening because of the size of US deficits, and the unwillingness of overseas bankers, especially the Chinese, to keep propping it up. Most currencies in our forecast survey have, therefore, strengthened...

Regional integration is the key: the Southern Africa Business and Investment Roundtable, held in London late in January, drew together senior figures from major corporations working in the sub-region and Southern African government ministers and officials. Stephen Williams reports.(Investment)
March 1, 2005... DELEGATES AT THE Investment Roundtable discussed how best to stimulate economic growth, accelerate regional integration, define effective business strategies and evaluate developments in specific commercial sectors. After a brief...

Upswing in investor confidence: after decades of under investment Africa, the last of the emerging regions, is seeing an upswing in investors' confidence. But inward investment is still mainly targeted at extractive-natural resources rather than manufacturing and service industries. Moin Siddiqi reports.(Investment)
March 1, 2005... ENCOURAGINGLY, SOME AFRICAN countries are starting to obtain diversified investment, which bodes well for future economic development and prosperity. There have been tangible increases in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in recent years....

IT security in South Africa: a recently published report from BMI-TechKnowledge Group (BMI-T), entitled The South African IT Security Market*, reveals how important the issue of corporate IT security has become as a matter for boardroom discussion.(Information Technology)(Electronic Commerce and Transaction Act )
March 1, 2005... BECAUSE OF REGULATORY requirements and policy frameworks, and the high profile security breaches which were seen in 2003 and 2004, there is a far greater awareness of the real need for IT security in many organisations. Overall, the...

Africans make the most of the mobile: an overview of the profile of mobile ownership, access and use tells us a lot about the situation of most Africans in the information society.(Telecommunications)(marketing of MCel)(marketing of Vodacom)
March 1, 2005... EVERYONE NEEDS AND wants to communicate, and they do so with the tools at hand. Africa's needy urban people are using the most readily available communication technology for them, mobile phones, in innovative ways. But there is still a...

HP harnesses power of latest processor technology.(IT News)
March 1, 2005... HP HAS ANNOUNCED industry firsts from a major vendor with the introduction of products and solutions that harness the power of the industry's latest processor technology. Introduced at LinuxWorld, the new HP BladeSystem server blades, an...

More subscribers for MTN.(IT News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... MTN GROUP, AFRICA'S leading cellular provider in terms of revenue and profit, has recorded 13,380,000 subscribers on its networks across Africa as at 31 December 2004. This is a growth of 21.1 per cent since 30 September 2004 and an increase...

Call centres to quadruple in South Africa.(IT News)
March 1, 2005... TELECOMS ANALYSTS ARE predicting that the global market for offshore call centres will double to around 240,000 agent positions by 2008. Though India will retain its dominance, emerging locations are stepping up to the challenge. In South...

The eye in the sky: headquartered in Nairobi with a fleet of aircraft based at Wilson Airport, Photomap is one of the region's leading aerial photography, survey and mapping organisations. Whether it is for mining, agriculture, environmental studies, rural/urban development or boundary surveys, this is the company to contact.(Company Profile)(Photomap International)(Photomap (Kenya))
March 1, 2005... FROM ITS OPERATIONAL bases in Nairobi and Arusha (with associated offices around the world), Photomap International/Photomap (Kenya) provides a range of aerial survey services with the use of the latest equipment and skilled staff for all...

Destination Ghana: Kofi Asante spoke with Nana Asante-Frempong, Chairman of the Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee and MP for Kwabe, about the potential for developing the tourism industry. Eco-based activities are the answer, he was told.(Tourism)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... KA: The Minister of Tourism, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, recently launched a US$8.4mn project, dubbed the Tourism Capacity Development Initiative (TDCI), which aims at strengthening the capacity of stakeholders in the tourism sector as a means...

Nation with a new image: we look at Africa's most populous nation once more. The oil and gas sector is doing well of course, but the real progress is in this huge country's status abroad: that's what's bringing in the international investors.(Nigeria)(Nigeria Investment Forum)(National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy)
March 1, 2005... NIGERIA'S STANDING IN the world community is looking exceptionally good early in 2005. The turning point was of course the peaceful hand-over to the elected administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999--and his passing of the crucial...

Maersk: a company with a mission; Maersk Nigeria aims to be more than a leading shipping line, the company also sets out to be a good corporate citizen, says Tom Gronnegaard Knudsen, Managing Director, Maersk Nigeria Ltd.(Nigeria)(Maersk Nigeria Ltd)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... Q: Can you please give a potted history of your operations in Nigeria. When did you enter this market and how has the company evolved? A: Maersk Nigeria Ltd was established as an agent for Maersk Sealand in 1988, prior to this Maersk...

Sunrise in Swaziland? Relatively high costs and the surge in the value of the rand have hit exporters in Swaziland hard. The government in Mbabane is pressing hard for investment in new products. And help is already coming from a surprising source--Taiwan. James Hall reports from Manzini.(Country Update)
March 1, 2005... THE NEED TO diversify Swaziland's economy away from sugar and textiles took on new urgency at the beginning of 2005. "Either we find new industries for employment and government revenue, or the economic crisis will worsen," candidly assessed...

The diesel difference: vast improvements in compression engine technology mean that you won't notice the difference when a diesel engine powers your top-end car. But you will be pleasantly surprised when you pay the fuel bills writes Alan Kidd.(Executive Cars)
March 1, 2005... IN THE EXECUTIVE car market, success has traditionally come from being able to capture the spirit of conspicuous consumption, thus creating a vehicle which suggests the person driving it must be doing very well in life. In many cases,...

Sharp demand triggers exploration: Africa is tops when it comes to searching for new reserves of oil and gas, as a recent conference in Houston revealed. But, writes Newton Buliva, concerns about security remain.(Oil & Gas)
March 1, 2005... IN RESPONSE TO skyrocketing demand for oil in the international markets, African countries are opening up new exploration blocks intended to meet this challenge. Even with the traditional reserves fast fading, African countries are licensing...

Underfunding derails Nacala line: following five years of privatisation, Malawi's national railway is still not on track. Hobbs Gama looks at the problems that continue to dog the link that could be a lifeline for this landlocked nation and its neighbours.(Railways)(Nacala corridor )
March 1, 2005... FIVE YEARS AFTER the sell off of Malawi's national railway company, a move that was made to help smooth international trade and boost investment, it looks as though there is still little progress as far as transportation of imports and...

The rental sector in Africa: temporary power stations are becoming an increasingly popular solution to Africa's endemic power problems. A reliable system can be up and running in a very short time.(Power Supply)
March 1, 2005... THE IDEA THAT renting a generator in most countries throughout Africa may at first appear to be an unlikely event, particularly when you consider the total global rental market for construction equipment is worth around U$40bn a year, of...

Pumps and valves: on with the flow; Pumps and control valves are vital components of any water supply system. Buy the best quality fitments possible, get them installed by a skilled artisan and maintain and adjust them regularly are what our Special Correspondent recommends for life-long service.(Water Supply)
March 1, 2005... FIT AND FORGET is the golden rule when it comes to the initial installation or replacement of a water pump or valve. Once in place the fitment should function properly for the lifetime of the supply system, whether it is commercial or (often...

Cement price rise in Uganda.(Construction News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... BUILDERS IN UGANDA are facing new difficulties as the the price of cement has increased by an average of USh600 per 50kg bag, a rate of about 3.7 per cent. Reasons given for the increase include a rise in exports, increasing prices of fuel...

Nigeria approves N5bn for 15 road projects.(Construction News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT has approved over N5bn for immediate release to 13 contractors handling 15 different road projects in various parts of the country. The approval was granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). In a statement signed...

Ghana raises US$300mn for housing project.(Construction News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE GOVERNMENT OF Ghana has initially raised US$300mn through the national housing bond to begin construction of estate houses for workers. The money was raised by the National Trust Holding Company Limited, which was entrusted by the...

Construction plant sales buoyant.(Construction News)
March 1, 2005... AEM, THE US-BASED Association of Equipment Manufacturers which runs the Conexpo show in Las Vegas, says the industry's ales are doing fine around the world, with North America a hot spot at the end of 2004 because of the continuing pace of...

Rebuilding in Bie.(Construction News)(Kwanza river )(Ringoma/Umpulo road)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... THE BRIDGE OVER Kwanza river on the Ringoma/Umpulo road, in Angola's Bie province, destroyed by the war, will be rehabilitated this year, the provincial governor, Amaro Tati, announced. The Ringoma/Umpulo route has been interrupted due to the...

First steps in making concrete: contractors like mobile plant because it produces uniform batches at minimum cost. But what is sold as mobile is sometimes better described as portable. Just as important as the operating costs is the time it takes to install the plant on site, and to move it off again.(Construction)
March 1, 2005... MOST CONCRETE PLANT supplied in Africa today by companies like Helco (US), Maxmech Engineers (India) and Reimer International (Canada) is described as 'mobile'. But the question that the purchaser or renter has to ask is, how mobile is that?...

Building up to break records: advance attendee registrations already surpass the 2002 show, making this easily the largest equipment and materials event in the world this year. Las Vegas is where it will all be at in March.(Construction)(CONEXPO-CON/AGG)(IFPE )
March 1, 2005... EXHIBITOR SPACE SALES have topped a record-breaking 172,000sq m making the 2005 show sure to be the largest CONEXPO-CON/AGG ever. The co-located IFPE 2005 International Exposition for Power Transmission will also be the largest in the history...

JCB reaches new heights.(Construction)(Conexpo)
March 1, 2005... CONEXPO WILL SEE the wraps taken off a series of further improvements to JCB's 3CX and 4CX backhoes, delivering even greater performance, precision and serviceability. The new JZ140 zero tail-swing excavator is a breakthough product too. ...

CAT lines up more than 50 machines.(Construction)(Caterpillar Inc.)(The Caterpillar exhibits)
March 1, 2005... THE CATERPILLAR[R] EXHIBITS present the extensive product line and value that Caterpillar and Cat[R] dealers bring to customers working in road and site development, paving, building construction and trades, underground utilities, and quarry...

Metso Minerals presents major line up.(Construction)(Lokotrack LT200HP cone crusher )(ST352 mobile screen )
March 1, 2005... MINERALS WILL introduce its Lokotrack LT200HP cone crusher and ST352 mobile screen at Conexpo. In is also exhibiting a wide range of crushing equipment and services. The world leader in the rock and minerals processing industry will...

Heavy haulers pull their weight: heavy haulers are built for the toughest of conditions, usually off-road, and manufacturers are coming up with a host of new design features that will get even more mileage out of these work-horses.(Construction)
March 1, 2005... THE STORMING OF overseas markets by an excellent range of built-in-Africa articulated haulers has really shaken the construction and mining equipment industry up. International trade, the few other manufacturers assumed, would always be going...

Volvo: in it for the long haul; Still the biggest player in the market for articulated haulers, Volvo is not resting on its laurels, and product development continues apace.(Company Focus)
March 1, 2005... THE VOLVO ARTICULATED hauler family covers payload ranges of 24 to 37 tonnes and feature articulated steering, all-wheel drive, 100 per cent diff-lock on all axles and an operator-friendly comfort cab. In addition to the regular machines...

Golden prospects: Priscilla Ross reports on last year's outturn in the gold market, when supply slumped severely. A price close to US$450/oz looks likely for the next few months--good news for local producers.(Mining)(services of Gold Fields Mineral Services )(de-hedging)
March 1, 2005... GOLD PRODUCTION IN 2004 declined by the greatest annual amount--some 114 tonnes--since World War II, according to GFMS, the precious metals consultancy, in their latest report on the global gold market. Full year production was down four per...

2004: resources revisted; From Mauritania to Madagascar strengthening of the non-precious metal markets has encouraged progress at deposits that have been on hold. Kyran Casteel looks at an action-packed year.(Mining)
March 1, 2005... STARTING WHERE WE left off last month with iron ore in Francophone West Africa, major producer Kumba Resources agreed a mid-year deal in Senegal. By conducting a new pre-feasibility study the South African company can earn an 80 per cent...

Highway building in the fast lane: a fast-track project for the South African Roads Agency that involved the upgrading of a section of the N1 Highway, was carried out in record time. A Bomag MPH 121 made a valuable contribution to the rate of progress.(Company Focus)(Hillary Construction)(Bomag MPH 121)
March 1, 2005... THE POLOKWANE-BASED Hillary Construction, one of the construction companies contracted to carry out a major civils project involving the upgrading of the section of the National Route N1 Highway between Louis Trichardt at its southern point...