African Review of Business and Technology articles from September 2006

African Review of Business and Technology archives from September 2006

Editor's note.
September 1, 2006... SOUTH AFRICA IS in the spotlight this month as Moin Siddiqi examines the nation's achievements. Prudent policies are paying dividends and the current upturn in commodity prices is having very positive effects. "This economy is going great...

Lagbus asset management.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... LAGBUS ASSET MANAGEMENT has been set up by the government of Nigeria's Lagos State to operate public transport services. An initial fleet of Mercedes-powered Marco Polo buses is being operated, each carrying 79 passengers. Every bus is...

Japan's ambassador in Abuja.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... JAPAN'S AMBASSADOR IN Abuja said recently that rural development is seen as one of its main focuses for development assistance. Rural electrification is seen as a key part of this, and and a new allocation of US$8.2mn has recently been made...

China's commercial counsellor.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... CHINA'S COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR said recently that two-way trade with Nigeria doubled last year to US$2.8bn. Over 300 Chinese enterprises are now thought to be registered there, including 10 producing shoes. Nearly half of China's exports to...

Zambia's Mopani copper.(signed contract with SMS Demag SA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ZAMBIA'S MOPANI COPPER has ordered technological process equipment for a modern anode foundry from SMS Demag SA. The two furnaces and casting wheels will be installed at Mufulira, increasing concentrate processing capacity to 850,000 t/yr by...

Botswana's Imara African Opportunities Fund.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... BOTSWANA'S IMARA AFRICAN Opportunities Fund has been negotiating for a listing on the Irish Stock Exchange. With funds already placed successfully in numerous African countries the managers believe an EU-bourse listing at this time will...

The mount Soche hotel.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... THE MOUNT SOCHE hotel in Blantyre is undergoing a major renovation programme by owners Sunbird Hotels. The entire 132-room building has been refurbished, including the restaurant facilities which have been expanded to make them more welcoming...

Angola's economy sees rapid expansion.(Commercial Review)
September 1, 2006... ANGOLAN FINANCE MINISTER, Jose Pedro de Morais says Angola has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with the estimated rate for this year reaching 20.6 per cent. This is based on an increase in oil production and recovery in...

South African agent appointed.(Tideland Signal Corp. selected Marine Data Solutions)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... LEADING NAVIGATIONAL AIDS supplier Tideland Signal has appointed Marine Data Solutions as agent in South Africa. It will supply and support the complete range including buoys, beacons, lanterns and advanced electronic equipment such as racons...

Trade and Development Report 2006.(by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... IN THE TRADE and Development Report 2006, UNCTAD economists warn that while the world economy has shown encouraging growth, there are real risks that crises could result from international financial imbalances. They also analyse the...

Zim investigates the Kenyan market.(Commercial Review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A TRADE DELEGATION from Zimbabwe has been visiting Kenya on a fact-finding mission to explore new markets. Acting director for regional and international trade in the Industry and International Trade Ministry, Angelica Katuruza, said the tour...

Economists foresee slight slowdown in growth.(CESifo and the International Chamber of Commerce survey of global economy)
September 1, 2006... AFTER TWO YEARS of robust economic growth, prospects for the global economy dimmed slightly in the third quarter, according to the latest World Economic Survey by CESifo and the International Chamber of Commerce. This slight tempering in...

Ghana gets largest ever grant from MCC.(Millennium Challenge Corporation.)
September 1, 2006... GHANA HAS WON the largest ever grant from the Bush Administration's Millennium Challenge Corporation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The US$547mn over five years is focused primarily on improving the country's agricultural production, a...

Copper prices up on Escondida strike concerns.(Commodity Report)
September 1, 2006... COPPER HAS CONTINUED its latest rally begun in the fourth week of June, with the three-month price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) reaching US$7,950 a tonne by 31 July. Continuing concern about tight supply, particularly after workers at...

Cocoa futures under pressure.(Commodity Report)
September 1, 2006... LIFFE cocoa futures have come under pressure during August after trading at near 15-month highs of around UK[pounds sterling]996 a tonne during the first half of July. The 15-month high was a culmination of a rally that had started in early...

Gold loses momentum.(Commodity Report)(spot prices)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... HAVING REACHED A two-month high of US$676 a troy ounce on 17 July amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, gold came under pressure in late July as a result of the lower oil price and a stronger US dollar. Spot gold opened...

Tea output falls.(Commodity Report)
September 1, 2006... AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED Kenyan tea output this year has been hit by unfavourable weather conditions. Tea production in the six months to 30 June fell by 19 per cent--about 32.5mn kg--to 134mn kg compared with the same year earlier period....

Mixed direction for arabica whilst robusta rallies.(Commodity Report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ARABICA FUTURES ON New York's Board of Trade (NYBOT) have been boosted by the soaring London robusta market, although the gain has been tempered by forecasts of increased production and seasonal influences. September front-month arabica...

Angola.(Oil News)
September 1, 2006... TULLOW, WHICH WON the operatorship of the 1/06 licence earlier this year, said it plans to start drilling in late-2007. The firm said the block holds three undeveloped oilfields--Pitangueira, Bananeira and Sapesapeiro--two of which will be...

Mauritania.(Oil News)
September 1, 2006... GAZ DE FRANCE is to carry out a study into the country's gas resources, focusing on a possible LNG facility and the use of gas for electricity generation, under a memorandum of understanding signed with the government. The firm holds...

Cote d'Ivoire.(oil well news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE COUNTRY'S ESPOIR field started flowing oil and gas in late-July, when the first well came on stream at 5,000 barrels of oil-equivalent/day. Output is targeted to double by the end of next year, when the planned five production wells are...

Nigeria's Brass LNG plan firms up.(Oil News)
September 1, 2006... THE PLAN TO construct a liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex adjacent to the Brass oil terminal, on the southern coast of the Niger delta, firmed up in August with the news that France's Total is to join the project. Brass LNG had been looking...

Nigeria.(Oil News)(Exxon Mobil Corp. joint venture with Nigerian National Petroleum Corp.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE EXXONMOBIL (40 per cent) and NNPC (60 per cent) venture started up its East Area Additional Oil Recovery project in late-July, under which gas is reinjected into offshore oil reservoirs to cut flaring and to increase oil recovery. In...

Congo (Brazzaville).(TOTAL S.A.'s oil discovery in Moho-Bilondo licence )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... TOTAL MADE AN oil discovery offshore in its Moho-Bilondo licence with the Mobi Marine-2 well, which found two new oil-bearing structures. A development plan is already being prepared, Total said. The field is likely to be tied back to the...

Libya.(Oil News)
September 1, 2006... TOTAL MADE THE first oil discovery in the southern NC 191 block, in the Murzuq basin. The D1 well tested 675 barrels/day.

Congo (Kinshasa).(Oil News)
September 1, 2006... A SEISMIC SURVEY is due to start next year over the Nganzi block, an 800 square kilometres onshore area where there has been little previous exploration. A licence to Nganzi was awarded to the UK's Soco, which carried out an aeromagnetic and...

Executives' calendar.(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... SEPTEMBER 2-5 Expo Cameroon DOULA International trade show for consumer and industrial products. Innovation Exhibitions Organiser, Dubai. Tel: +971 4 2828664. Fax: +971 4...

Tourists pour into South Africa.(Business Travel)
September 1, 2006... WHEN SOUTH AFRICA held democratic elections in 1994, few dreamed the nation would become one of the world's top vacation destinations. But recently tourism surged, bringing more than 7.4mn tourists to South Africa last year. "We expect...

Emirates adds Beijing to schedule.(Business Travel)(Emirates Airline introducing nonstop service)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... EMIRATES AIRLINE HELD a road show in Beijing in July to in preparation for the launch of its daily nonstop service to the city on 1 September. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Addressing the media conference in China's capital Emirates...

Dakar-Washington direct with SAA.(Business Travel)(South African Airways)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... SAA HAS LAUNCHED daily non-stop flights from Washington Dulles to Dakar, Senegal. The existing daily non-stop service from New York's JFK to Dakar has been extremely successful and will continue to be offered for a combined total of 14...

Golden Tulip Hospitality.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... GOLDEN TULIP HOSPITALITY has opened its sixth hotel in Morocco. The five-star Hotel des Arts, which is on the coast at Dar Bouazza, has 30 guest rooms, 12 suites and 44 residential apartments.

Tunis will Be added to the Emirates Airline's timetable.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... TUNIS WILL BE added to the Emirates Airline's timetable, as of 29 October. The airline will serve Tunis five times a week, via Tripoli. On Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, an Airbus A330-200 will depart Dubai at 09:00 hours, and following a...

The Nigerian NICON group of companies.(acquired EAS Airlines and introduced NICON Airways)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE NIGERIAN NICON group of companies has launched NICON Airways following its acquisition of EAS Airlines. The group MD, Jimoh Ibrahim, noted that the government allocates lucrative routes to foreign carriers because of its belief that...

North American airlines.(Briefly)
September 1, 2006... NORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES, has launched a scheduled service between Lagos and New York. North American, which is the only US airline operating nonstop scheduled service between Africa and the US, now offers thrice weekly roundtrip flights with...

More stability at home than overseas.(foreign exchange rates)
September 1, 2006... LITTLE CHANGE IN local exchange rates against the US dollar was seen in August, although the rise in interest rates in the South helped the rand--not as volatile a currency as it used to be due to the accumulation of reserves--recover. The...

Exchange rates.(Financial Forecast)
September 1, 2006... Exchange Rates The currencies shown below are valued at the middle rates between buying and selling on 21 August. 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)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Forecast movements against the dollar 21 Aug 2006 end-Sept November March Country (actual) 2006 2006 2007 Japan (Yen) 116.5 115-117 ...

Planning ahead for the next ten years: sustained prudent policies and the commodity boom are underpinning South Africa's vigorous performance. Now the overriding agenda is to build a solid 21st century economy which would promote greater wealth equality, and help make the Rainbow Nation a leader in emerging-market regions.(South Africa)
September 1, 2006... SOUTH AFRICA, THE backbone of the sub-Saharan African economy and a growing source of investment in the region, has made a "remarkable" transformation from a previously sanctions-gripped apartheid economy into a flourishing country with vast...

Rainbow nation leads the way in mining expertise: South Africa has over 150 years of mining experience and, as Ronald Watts reports, this expertise can be of great benefit to other African nations. One company to watch closely is Richards Bay Minerals which is both exploiting the sand dunes and protecting the environment.(South Africa)
September 1, 2006... AFRICAN COUNTRIES THAT aspire to improve their economies by exploiting their own resources are looking towards increased trade with neighbouring countries and those overseas. In the case of the traditional exports such as cotton, cocoa or...

Barclays boss discusses business in Ghana: Margaret Mwanakatwe, MD of Barclays Bank (Ghana) Ltd, talks to Kofi Asante about the impact of ICT innovations on Ghana's banking industry, and the contribution that Barclays is making to the national economy.(Interview)
September 1, 2006... KA: To what extent has development in information and communication technology (ICT) changed banking services in Ghana? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MM: Anyone who has been using the services of a Ghanaian bank for more than 15 years will...

Colour printers launched into SA market.(IT News)
September 1, 2006... OKI HAS ANNOUNCED two new products in its midrange C3000 colour laser printer range, and three new solutions in its midrange to high-end C5000 range. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Neil Rom of Printacom, sole importer and brand...

Shared internet access in SA.(IT News)
September 1, 2006... MOBILE OPERATOR MTN has teamed up with entrepreneurs in the South African province of Gauteng to provide high-speed wireless Internet access to internet cafes in townships lacking affordable fixed-line connections. The pilot project, which...

Printer, copier and scanner for SOHO environments.(IT News)
September 1, 2006... OFFERING USERS EFFICIENT printing, copying and colour scanning, the new FS-1016MFP from Kyocera is ideal for reception areas, branch offices or home offices--any busy office with little space. With its standard functionality the FS-1016MFP...

Customer management--dream or nightmare? Will the new mantra of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) mean more power to the company, less to the individual? You can bet on it, says a confused Karen Young.(Information Technology)
September 1, 2006... WAS THERE ever really a time when the customer was king? With a few exceptions, it seems to me that the history of commerce pretty much equates to selling less and less for more and more. Consider this--shouldn't commodity prices and...

Junisat delivers world-class bandwidth solutions.(IT News)
September 1, 2006... JUNIPER SOLUTIONS LIMITED, a global ICT company with over 20 years experience, has great expertise in delivering complete IT and telecoms solutions. Its service gives customers and partners the flexibility required in the dynamic IT and...

Toshiba partners with AI Futtaim Technologies in East Africa.(IT News)
September 1, 2006... TOSHIBA RECENTLY APPOINTED AI-Futtaim Technologies, a member of the Al-Futtaim Group's electronics division, as distributors for its notebook PCs product range in East Africa, covering Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The partnership aims to focus...

Surge in Uganda's it sector.(telecommunications industry)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... THE GOVERNMENT OF Uganda says the country's fast growing telecom sector has registered a total turnover of US$810mn, and also attracted US$180mn of private investment since January 2004. "Total private investment in the telecommunication...

More power protection please: modern UPS systems provide power protection for applications such as servers, traffic control and intensive-care facilities, all 'mission critical'. Special types are available for the small home office right up to the complex factory, energy facility or government department.(Information Technology)
September 1, 2006... UNDER-INVESTMENT IN power generation and distribution in Africa coupled with drought have resulted in a continent plagued by power cuts, brownouts and fluctuating line condition. At the same time more and more sensitive electronic equipment...

Internet Solutions and MGE UPS Systems South Africa.(Company Focus)
September 1, 2006... INTERNET SOLUTIONS (IS), one of South Africa's leading internet solutions providers, offers ISP solutions as well as secure network hosting facilities. Internet Solutions has expanded rapidly and now hosts over 3,000sq m of state-of-the-art...

A new form of commuter transport: Parry Associates has come up with some fresh ideas on light rail technology, designed specifically to respond to the challenge of urban transport in Africa.(Company Focus)(JPM Parry & Associates Ltd.)
September 1, 2006... ONE OF THE world's biggest transport challenges lies in the growing cities of the developing world, not least in Africa, where poor transport hampers livelihoods and damages lives. An explosion in motor vehicle use, coupled with poor roads...

Cargo sector continues with strong growth: airline profits are still hard to find, but the freight sector's revenue is growing at three per cent or more a year. September-November 2006 will feature some important events at which the issues discussed here--including some exciting new aircraft--will be explored.(Aviation)
September 1, 2006... THREE ISSUES MATTER most to delegates to the International Air Cargo Forum & Exposition in Calgary this September. Some of the biggest names in African air freight such as Cargolux and DHL, will be hosting displays as well as the main...

Revamp for KIA will boost trade and tourism.(Aviation)
September 1, 2006... AS REPORTED IN the August issue of African Review, Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is to undergo a Ksh 7.2bn facelift. Initially designed to accommodate 2.5mn passengers a year, the airport currently caters for over 4mn,...

Aerial survey specialist provides mapping services.(Aviation)
September 1, 2006... PHOTOMAP is continuing to forge ahead with aerial surveys for mining, agriculture, environmental studies, forestry, rural and urban development. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From its operational bases in Nairobi, Kenya and Arusha, Tanzania...

Afriqiyah opts for Airbus.(Aviation)
September 1, 2006... LIBYA'S AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS is planning to purchase six A320 and three A319 aircraft from Airbus. It is holding an option on five more of the latter. The carrier also wants to acquire three new A330-200s, with an option on three more of these....

Special saloons live up to appearances: executive cars certainly provide image. But top quality in automotive design goes deep, and these vehicles offer exceptional safety as well as comfort on the road--and security.(Executive Cars)
September 1, 2006... HIGH-CLASS EXECUTIVE cars are associated all over the world with the three automotive "S's"--Safety, Security and Show. In Africa there's another S that needs to be taken into account, and that's Serviceability. How appropriate then that one...

Solar power brings end to energy poverty: throughout the continent lack of reliable power is badly affecting peoples' quality of life. Health, social activities, commerce and education are all suffering but, says Alan Hurst, the use of solar power could bring about dramatic improvements.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... IN HIS BOOK The End of Oil, Paul Roberts writes that: "Energy poverty is the biggest thing holding back rises in living standards". We, collectively, need to answer four questions in order to understand how to work toward the alleviation of...

Cashing in on the wind: Mwangi Mumero reports on Kenya's growing interest in wind power.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... WITH THE RISING fuel bill from fossil sources of energy such as natural gas and petroleum, most nations are looking for renewable alternatives. In developing countries like Kenya, matters are complicated by lack of funds, which reduce...

South Africa turns to private sector.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... THE SOUTH AFRICAN Government is well on its way to introducing private sector participation in the country's power sector with the recent launch of the request for proposals (RFP) for two new open-cycle gas turbine power plants. This will...

Wartsila extends BioPower product range.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... WARTSILA CORP HAS added two sizes of biomass-fuelled plants to its BioPower product range employed for electricity generation and local heating applications. The new BioPower 3 and BioPower 7 plants each deliver approximately 3.0 and 7.5 MW...

Tanzania uses natural gas in power plant.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... THE TANZANIA ELECTRIC Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) has awarded a contract valued at approximately euro57mn to Wartsila Corporation. Wartsila has signed an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract for the delivery of a...

Industry hit by power shortages in Nigeria.(Power Supply)
September 1, 2006... NIGERIA'S DEEPENING POWER crisis is taking a huge toll of the manufacturing sector, according to a Nigerian press report. Investigations at nine sampled companies are said to have shown that they spend almost N70bn on independent power...

Solving Nairobi's supply problems: Nairobi's water shortage is a result of drought and organisational weaknesses, writes Mwangi Mumero.(Water Supply)
September 1, 2006... LIVING IN ONE of Nairobi's sprawling informal settlements Josphine Ndile has to grapple with daily water problems while catering for her six-member family. A single mother of six, Ndile has to spend a huge part of her meagre salary, as a...

Wastewater purification with UV lamps: Dr Terry Mabbett presents the facts about a water purification system that is rapidly gaining popularity both in Africa and overseas.(Water Supply)
September 1, 2006... WATER COVERS MOST of the planet, but fresh water is not an infinite resource and therefore needs to be re-cycled. Wastewater is invariably contaminated with physical and organic matter and chemicals which restrict the extent to which it can...

Nigeria: an attractive venue for trade events; Sixty exhibitors--two-thirds of them from outside Nigeria--have already booked display space at the Water Africa 2006 and Building, Construction Nigeria 2006 trade fairs in Lagos in November. They say they are thrilled by the business climate found in the country today.(Water & Construction)
September 1, 2006... ABOUT 60 FOREIGN and indigenous firms have lined up to showcase their products and services at the forthcoming Water Africa 2006 and Building, Construction Nigeria 2006 exhibitions that are scheduled to be held in Lagos from 15-17 November....

Building problems in Uganda.(projects violates building standards)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A REPORT COMMISSIONED by the government last year indicates that most buildings in the three districts of Kampala, Mpigi and Wakiso do not meet basic building standards and are likely to cause deaths, injury and loss of property. The chairman...

Titan 7820 paver offers massive width in one pass.(Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. launches new road paver)
September 1, 2006... THE ABG DIVISION of Ingersoll Rand launched the Titan 7820 road paver-finisher earlier this year. It offers superb performance with low noise and is equipped with the new Electronic Paver Management/EPM II system which was announced at this...

Zambia turns to PPPs to solve its housing crisis: new methods of finance and construction are being used to narrow the yawning urban accommodation gap. Humphrey Nkonde reports on the latest developments in Lusaka.(Construction)
September 1, 2006... SUB-SAHARAN COUNTRIES have started implementing private public partnerships (PPPs) to speed up construction of houses, roads, clinics and other social facilities. Some countries already have legal frameworks for PPPs and there is a replica at...

Cutting the cost of compressed air: the balance between fixed and variable costs has to be carefully considered when choosing an air compressor.(Compressors)
September 1, 2006... FEW MODERN INDUSTRIES can operate without a reliable supply of compressed air to power tools and machinery, move materials around and ensure a proper working environment is maintained. The quality required of that air varies greatly from the...

Glittering prizes on offer in Ghana: twenty years ago new mines typically took a year to get the go-ahead. Now it can be six as a result of environmental and other pressures. Priscilla Ross reports on a key factor pushing up the price of Ghana's gold.(Mining)
September 1, 2006... NEWMONT, THE WORLD'S second largest gold producer after the merged Barrick and Placer Dome, announced in early July that its Ahafo project in the Brong-Ahafo region of Western Ghana had commenced production. The project development schedule...

Latest trucks are in for the long haul: technical options now available give mines more freedom to optimise truck specifications for individual operations. Kyran Casteel charts the progress of these vehicles and makes some predictions for their future development.(Mining)
September 1, 2006... LARGE, 150 (SHORT) ton payload and greater, mine truck development has progressed as a result of three main breakthroughs, each contributing to today's product range, and may soon make a fourth. With alternative body designs and engines also...