African Business articles from April 2003

African Business archives from April 2003

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... DRCongo WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN! I am writing in reference to John Rosenthal's letter published in your magazine and titled: Congo - Fitting the pieces (African Business, December 2002). Having spent a quarter of his life in Congo -...

Africa's fish stocks could be devastated. (Fisheries).
April 1, 2003... Africa's marine ecology and fish stocks are in danger of being devastated through fishing rights sold to the European Union, according to Andrew Mwangura, an official of pressure group Ecoterra International. The agreement could ruin the...

China to develop underused land in Zim. (Development).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Zimbabwe government has awarded a Chinese company a tender to develop 100,000ha of under-utilised land. The company, China International Water & Electric Corporation, will focus on sorghum and maize production in a bid to ease Zimbabwe's...

Dogfight over Namibian landing rights. (Aviation).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The dogfight between Air Namibia and South African Airlines reached new heights with the Namibian government banning SA Express and SA Airlink from operating scheduled flights into Windhoek's Eros airport. The South African carriers will now...

Angola's 'open door' investment invitation. (Investment).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Meanwhile, Angola's Minister of Mines, Manuel Antonio Africano, has undertaken an extensive post-war tour of the country's mineral-rich provinces "to assess and promote their mining potential". The Minister's expedition was aimed at alerting...

Africans abroad could be the solution. (Diaspora).(luring Africans living outside the continent back to their homelands)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The African Union is looking at ways of luring Africans living outside the continent back to their homelands, or at least to help Africa financially. The idea aims to tap into the wealth and power of millions of people of the African diaspora...

Kenya new brooms to sweep out corruption. (Governance).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Anti-corruption, a war on economic crimes and a return to ethics top the agenda of Kenya's newly elected government with the early enactment of anti-corruption legislation. President Mwai Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition party pledged to rid...

FDI in Southern Africa heats up. (Investment).(Foreign Direct Investment)
April 1, 2003... Foreign Direct Investment in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is on the rise, but nearly half of it is from South Africa. The region attracted more foreign direct investment than forecast for the past two years, with the mining...

Harnessing Africa's mining strength. (Mining).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... African mines Ministers have set the seal on a new alliance to standardise mining codes across the continent. Launching the African Mining Partnership at a Cape Town conference, South Africa's Minerals and Energy Minister, Phumzile...

African airlines urged to form alliances. (Aviation).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A senior civil aviation expert has urged African airlines to consider forming a strategic alliance in order to improve their competiveness. Elijah Chinhosho, the technical director of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) said at a recent...

AB Guide to African Currencies.(Illustration)
April 1, 2003... AB Guide to African Currencies [pounds COUNTRY CURRENCY sterling]STG $US EURO ALGERIA (Dinar) 127.71 79.58 87.86 ANGOLA ...

Alarming new SA Aids statistics. (Health).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Shock new statistics say about 376,000 South Africans will die of HIV/Aids this year. Projections by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRG) indicate that this is more than 30% higher than estimates made in 2000. In a related study, the HSRC...

'Ghosts' costing SA a bundle. (Crime).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... South Africa's elite Scorpions crime-busters have uncovered a scam in which fake 'dead' people are costing the life insurance industry more than R3bn a year. The macabre fraud employs unidentified bodies that are then used to claim against...

SMEs gain with Mozal. (Enterprise).(Several small and medium enterprises)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Several small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have benefitted under an empowerment programme which began with the construction of the Mozal aluminium plant just outside Maputo. Mario Eisenberg of the empowerment team said that at least 21...

Tunisia and Sudan in joint venture. (Sugar).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Tunisia and Sudan have concluded an agreement for the launch of a joint sugar plant in Sudan. The agreement was signed by Sudan's Industry Minister Jalal Adigair and his Tunisian counterpart, Moncef Ben Abdallah. Under the accord, Tunisia will...

Gorilla watch. (Wildlife).(satellite monitoring to help save gorilla habitat)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Gorillas in East and Central Africa suffer from illegal hunting, destruction of their environment by farmers and even volcanic eruptions. Now scientists will be able to monitor the gorilla's progress thanks to the setting up of a new space...

Benetton to build plant in Tunisia. (Textiles).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Italy's largest fashion retailer, Benetton, will expand its presence in Tunisia by building a clothing factory at a cost of around $15.5m in Monastir. The factory is expected to be on stream mid-2004. Its production would be for exports only to...

Zimbabwe production goes up in smoke. (Tabacco).(earnings from tobacco shrank to $434 mil in 2002)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Earnings from tobacco dropped by $160m to $434 last year, and is set to fall even further in 2003, according to the Zimbabwe Tobacco Association. It reported that the size of the crop, Zimbabwe's top foreign currency earner, slumped to 143m kg...

Malawi pipeline bid. (Fuel).
April 1, 2003... Landlocked Malawi is to bid for the construction of a pipeline from the northern Mozambican port of Nacala to its capital Lilongwe. Malawian Head of State Bakili Muluzi said at an investor's conference in Nacala that a pipeline was one of his...

SA sad milestone. (Mining).(female miner killed at Modikwa Platinum Mine in the Northern Province)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Formal mining in South Africa reached a sad milestone when, for the first time in its 100 year history, a woman was killed in a mining accident. The 22-year-old mother was killed underground at Modikwa Platinum Mine in the Northern Province...

Bring home the best and brightest.(talented Africans trickling back to continent)(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... Great things often have humble beginnings, they say. Over the past couple of years, we have noticed a new trend beginning to flower - qualified Africans from the diaspora are beginning to trickle back to the continent. Elsewhere in this issue,...

Robert Mugabe: Sinner or sinned against? (Cover Story: The Case For).(Cover Story)
April 1, 2003... Depending on who you listen to, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is either one of the world's great tyrants or a fearless nationalist who has incurred the wrath of the West. But is the situation as black and white as it has been made out or...

Robert Mugabe: Africa's self-serving survivor: Tom Nevin, formally a Zimbabwean and now living the South Africa, makes the case against. (Cover Story: The Case Against).
April 1, 2003... If nothing else, Robert Mugabe is a survivor. The tragedy is that his talent for dodging political and economic bullets is entirely self-serving. Had he put these skills to work for his country and his people, Zimbabwe would not be what it is...

Pressure mounts on dollar. (View From the City).
April 1, 2003... The US dollar, hitherto the 'safe haven' international currency, is now under severe pressure. The budget and trade deficits are rising and inward investment is falling. Will the coming war with Iraq tip the balance against the dollar? ...

France pulls Africa together. (22nd Franco-African Summit).
April 1, 2003... The 22nd Franco-African summit cocked a snook at Britain and the US by inviting Robert Mugabe over their protestations. There was also a solid showing by Anglophone Africa. Francois Misser asks if this points to a different relationship between...

Friendly maggots for African hospitals? (Health).(two British hospital are using maggots to treat hospital-acquired infections)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In the battlefield trenches of World War I, maggots were known as the 'doctors' friend'. Medics and field surgeons noted that soon after the tiny worms had wriggled into wounds, soldiers recovered more quickly. Where maggots come in handy is...

African Scientists look at nano-technology for cheap energy. (Power).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... South African researchers are close to producing a new, cheap and environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. The Green Generator developed by Western Gape University's Professor Vladimir Linkoff and researcher Alvin Maluleke,...

Turning to nature to clean contaminated water. (Technology).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... There is no end to the usefulness of bacteria it seems. They not only clean up wounds (see story above), they can clean up contaminated water, a major headache for both operating and depleted mines. A common problem is that sulphates...

Spray-can artists may soon be hissstory. (It).(US company TrapTec is testing GPS-based system for stopping graffiti artists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... It happens in all the world's I cities - no sooner have you painted a wall, than someone sprays graffiti over it. New technology, however, may be saying that the days of urban spray-can artists may be numbered. Satellite 'ears in the sky' can...

Science trek-the new generation. (Education).(Eskom holds conference for young scientists in Pretoria)
April 1, 2003... Every year, South Africa's electricity provider, Eskom, holds its Expo for Young Scientists at the University of Pretoria's Sports Centre. Eskom's mission in funding the expo is "to contribute to the development of critical skills required to...

Sunflowers join the biodiesel revolution. (Agro-Processing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In the search for the ultimate I renewable liquid fuel, various extracts which have come into vogue and then faded away for one reason or another including: sugar cane, beet and various grains. The problem was the cost - renewable bio-resources...

New gel will stop sexual diseases. (Health).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An experimental vaginal gel is proving to be an effective contraceptive and HIV and herpes fighter. In animal tests reported in the US medical journal Fertility and Sterility, the compound, known as SAMMA, reduced pregnancy by 90%, blocked...

US word is not its bond. (Dateline USA).(US preoccupation with Iraq means African countries will have to turn elsewhere for aid)
April 1, 2003... The US has a long-standing habit of forgetting the promises it made when it needed cooperation from other countries. Now it is wooing some African states to its side in the Iraq conflict with generous pledges. Get it in writing, warns our US...

A brighter outlook for 2003. (Commodities).
April 1, 2003... The outlook for Africa's non-oil commodities remains positive this year, despite sluggish global growth. Gold, gemstone and even coffee prices are likely to firm up while tea and cocoa producers can expect higher revenues. The behaviour of...

Nepad-what is it and what can it really do? (Focus).(Interview)
April 1, 2003... It was hailed as Africa's answer to Africa's problems and premised on the pledge that Africa would first put its house in order, and only then look to the developed world for assistance in a partnership kind of way. It hasn't actually worked...

What a war against Iraq will mean to Africa. (Oil and Gas).
April 1, 2003... What impact will a war against Iraq have on the African oil sector? Who will be the winners and who will lose out? How will this affect African economies? Here are some answers. With the barrel price of oil substantially above the $30...

Pipeline proceeds. (West African).
April 1, 2003... The leaders of Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Benin have signed a treaty agreeing to the construction of the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project. The 20 year agreement sets the criteria for the harmonisation of regulations, the creation of a...

Exploration begins in new JDZ. (Senegal-Guinea Bissau).(joint development zone )
April 1, 2003... A three year concession has been signed for rights on the Senegal-Guinea Bissau joint development zone (JDZ). Australian company Fusion Oil & Gas was awarded the contract to explore a 1,6000sq km shallow water block of the JDZ by the zone's...

Africa's nuclear option. (Energy).
April 1, 2003... South Africa, the only African country with a nuclear capacity, wants to export its reactors to other African countries to help them solve their energy problems. Yet pressure from outside and fears from within make African governments think...

Interview: Chairman of Air Mauritius, Arjoon Suddhoo The focus is on smart. (Aviation).(Interview)
April 1, 2003... Air Mauritius, the 'small but smart' airline is becoming an increasingly crucial player of the African Indian Ocean seaboard. Anver Versi interviewed the chairman of Air Mauritius, Dr Arjoon Suddhoo. African Business: When you were...

Road test: BMW 3-Series Coupe and Cabrio Refined power: Stephen Williams test-drives new models which complete the update of BMW's all-important 3-Series range. (Wheels).
April 1, 2003... BMW's 3-Series accounts for more than six out of every 10 cars that carry the blue and white quartered circle. Although the locally built four-door sedan is by far South Africa's favourite 3-Series variant, both the Coupe and Cabrio are...

New Volvo S60D5 passes all tests: Dawn of the new age of diesel. (Wheels).
April 1, 2003... Powerful, safe, luxurious, relaxing to drive and fuel efficient, Volvo's S60D5 looks set to grab a substantial market share when it's launched in South Africa this month. In recent years, diesel engine development has undergone what is...

Tim Taylor, chief executive, Rogers and company, Mauritius. I believe in an open-door policy. (Interview).(Interview)
April 1, 2003... Rogers and Company, one of the largest companies in Mauritius, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1999. Like its rival IBL, it is now involved in a wide diversity of activities. It began as a steamship trading company importing inputs for the...

Battle lines drawn over Mozambique's Porto Dobela. (Shipping).
April 1, 2003... Plans to construct a deep-water ore port at Porto Dobela in Mozambique are at an advanced stage but controversies continue to rage both in Mozambique and in South Africa. Andrew Maiden explains what the furore is all about. When the French...

Lagos wants Dubai-style freeport.
April 1, 2003... Lagos wants to rival Dubai with its own free export zone port. The Lagos state government is in discussions with the government of Singapore with a view to establish a free export processing zone port. It is keen to attract foreign investment...

Mauritius port partnership on hold.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A partnership agreement that was due to be signed between two Mauritian organisations - the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) and the Cargo Handling Corporation (CHC) - and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of Switzerland has been...

QEII will return to Namibia's Walvis Bay. (Shipping).
April 1, 2003... Safety concerns for tourists at the Namibian harbour have prompted a rapid PR exercise to woo passenger liners back. Walvis Bay is hoping that concerted efforts by the tourist information office will help bring back passenger liners to the...

Kenyan company to develop port at Anjouan island. (Shipping).
April 1, 2003... The island of Anjouan, in the Mozambique Channel, is benefiting from huge investment made by a Kenyan company. The shipping company, Spanfreight Group, has taken over the management of the port of Mutsamudu in Anjouan. The Kenyan company will...

Oil companies oppose new SA bill. (Shipping).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Oil companies have expressed their opposition to a proposed takeover by the National Ports Authority of their R380m single-buoy mooring off Durban harbour. This mooring is used to pump 80% of the South Africa's crude oil imports from oil...

Overwhelming demand for free schooling. (Kenya).
April 1, 2003... Free primary education in Kenya, regarded at one time as indispensable to national development plans, is to be reintroduced. The public response has been overwhelming. Can the system cope with the demand? At first sight it is difficult to...

Bullet train powers past objections. (South Africa).
April 1, 2003... All bar a few systems are on go for South Africa's first 'bullet' train, a 160kph express linking Johannesburg and Pretoria. This is one of the busiest and most congested thoroughfares in the country. But, as Tom Nevin reports, not everybody is...

The Obasanjo balance-sheet. (Nigeria).
April 1, 2003... As Nigerians prepare to vote in April's Presidential elections, what does the incumbent, Olusegun Obasanjo's balance sheet look like? Neil Ford looks at the debits and credits and draws up a closing balance. Whether or not Olusegun...

Poacher turns gamekeeper: Libya's determined efforts to reintegrate itself into the international community have met with some successes but there have also been setbacks. (Libya).
April 1, 2003... However mixed the reactions and varied the consequences, there can be no doubting the seriousness of Colonel Muammar al Ghadhafi's intent to reinsert Libya into the international community. The crowning glory, or biggest joke depending on your...

Power plans face wall of objections: Namibia's plans to generate electricity using the waters of the Okavango river have led to a massive row with environmentalists and tour operators in Botswana. (Namibia).
April 1, 2003... Botswana and Angola, which share the waters of the Okavango river, have given Namibia the go-ahead to carry out pre-feasibility studies on the hydroelectric potential at Popa Falls in Namibia's eastern Caprivi. The plan has come under sustained...

In the name of God, stop abusing the name of God! (At Large).(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... This month Dr Sonko looks at how, over the centuries and in various parts of the world, religion has been used to fan the flames of hatred to achieve selfish economic political ends. It was coming from North Korea, whose government...

In the beginning...: Celebrating the divine creation. (Culture).(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... The book, Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture which accompanies an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, sets out to examine the staggering variety of ways in which African sculptors have given expression to ideas of...

A culture of ideas: taking science to the people. (Books).(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... POPULARISATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: SOME CASE STUDIES FROM AFRICA EDITED BY MIKE SAVAGE AND PREM NAIDOO [pounds sterling]13.90 Commonwealth Secretariat ISBN 0-85092-742-0 This book completes a series of...

Capricorn. (Books).(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... DAVID STIRLING'S SECOND AFRICAN CAMPAIGN BY RICHARD HUGHES [pounds sterling] 24.50 The Radcliffe Press ISBN 1-86064-919-X David Stirling is said to have founded the Capricorn Africa Society in 1949, three years after his...

Samira's song: Taking on the world. (Music).(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... YOUM WARAYOUM SAMIRA SAID EMI Cat: 07423 540989 25 Samira Said is one of the most popular contemporary singers throughout the Maghreb and Middle East, but is practically unknown in the West and sub-Saharan Africa. That is...