African Business articles from December 2003

African Business archives from December 2003

Beyond the tee: designing a better future.(This Month's Prize Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... My fellow golfers among your readership will no doubt have been delighted with the prospect of improving their game offered by the invention described by Tom Nevin in African Business (November, 2003). But the message of this article goes...

Africa was wealthy: wealth creation.(This Month's Prize Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... Anver Versi's Editorial hi the October 2003 issue of African Business stated that "Wealth was created and consumed in Europe." Yes, it may be true that wealth is consumed in Europe but in no historical sense was it ever created in Europe. ...

Changing perceptions of Africa.(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... There is a well-worn adage in the marketing world: 'Selling your products without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark--you know what you are doing but nobody else does'. The huge financial outlays that companies earmark for...

World lining up to buy S African arms.(Defence hardware)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Conflict-ridden countries are lining up to buy South African military hardware with Algeria and Colombia high on the list of purchasers. India, in a tense stand-off with Pakistan, is South Africa's biggest weapons-buying customer, spending...

Doubt over Angola's new oil refinery.(Oil industry)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Despite industry doubts over its viabilily, the Angolan government is determined to proceed with its plans to build a flagship refinery, although its commissioning might have to be pushed back a year to 2008. The project has slowed because...

Africa: fisherman to the world.(Fisheries)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... According to the international Food Policy Research Institute, sub-Saharan Africa will become the world's biggest producer and exporter of fish in about 16 years' time. In a study that forecasts long range fish and seafood supply and demand...

Ethiopian Airlines expands European routes.(Aviation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Ethiopian Airlines has started a regular scheduled service from Addis Ababa to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. The flights, which began operating on November 7, depart Addis Ababa on Wednesdays and Fridays with return flights on Thursdays and...

Uganda's Nile River project to go ahead.(Power)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The World Bank has agreed to fund Uganda's controversial Bujagali hydro-electrical scheme after the pullout of AES, a major American power provider. The Nile River project is aimed at generating more widely accessible and cheaper electricity...

Namibia's expensive development plan.(Transport)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Namibia will be spending millions of dollars to transform its maritime and transport infrastructure in its chase for regional trade and development. President Sam Nujoma has outlined plans to upgrade Namibia's ports and install road and rail...

Zimbabwe inflation at 1000%.(Finance)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A leap in the price of fuel, upward spirals in the price of basics and generally unaffordable transport costs will push Zimbabwe's rate of inflation to over 1000%, in real terms, by the end of the year. While the government statistical office...

Botswana lures S African business.(Investment)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Botswana is dangling low and negotiable tax rates, zero exchange controls and shrinking tariffs to lure South African investors into its rapidly expanding industrial sector. Focusing on the domestic economic hassles that most irk businesspeople...

AB guide to African currencies.(Illustration)
December 1, 2003... AB Guide to African Currencies COUNTRY CURRENCIES STG [pounds sterling] ALGERIA (Dinar) 127.44 ANGOLA (New Kwanza) ...

Africa's hunt for investments: the massive increase in global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is credited with creating unsurpassed prosperity in some areas of the world and in making globalisation possible in the first place. Where does Africa stand on the world FDI map?(Investment)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2003... Hardly a week goes by without news of African delegations, often led by heads of state, visiting foreign countries to persuade investors to put their money and expertise in their country. For the past decade, the 'foreign investment' fever has...

Investors drool over platinum: platinum, one of Africa's most precious metals, is the star of the year as far as investors are concerned. But can Ordinary Joe get his hands on any of the windfall profits expected?(View From The City)
December 1, 2003... Platinum is currently the hottest and most expensive of industrial metals. Liquid-rich investors are piling their funds into this rare silvery white metal in expectation of reaping handsome short-term profits. Large institutional funds are also...

From rags to fabulous riches: the South African government has been ordered by the courts to pay compensation to the Nama, traditional owners of one of the world's most diamond rich territories. The implications, as Tom Nevin explains, are enormous.(Issues)
December 1, 2003... After a fierce, sustained and hugely expensive legal battle, the South African government will finally have to hand over the fabulously diamond-wealthy Richterveld territory to its traditional owners, the Nama people of the KhoiSan nation. The...

US rolls out red carpet for Kibaki: Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki was given the full red-carpet treatment during his visit to the United States. While US leader George Bush seemed preoccupied with security and the fight against terrorism, Kibaki went looking for more development support. A trade-off seems imminent.(Dateline USA)
December 1, 2003... President Mwai Kibaki, First Lady Lucy Kibaki and a large Kenyan delegation were given a warm welcome by President George W. Bush during their September visit to Washington. "Kenya is building a modern, prosperous and peaceful future," the U.S....

The Gates battle against malaria: talk of Bill Gates and the words computers and billions immediately spring to mind. But there is another, less known side to the richest man in the world. His foundation is tackling some of Africa's worst diseases such as malaria.(Health)
December 1, 2003... Malaria has long been Africa's for gotten killer, a disease that receives little attention from the Western world due to its lack of glamour, unlike the equally deadly AIDS. But now there is hope that this scourge of rural Africa can be...

Can cassava replace maize? An increasing number of African governments are looking to cassava, rich in starch, as an alternative to maize that has been the traditional staple food in large parts of Africa. But cassava can be lethal. Kennie Ntonga examines the arguments.(Agriculture)
December 1, 2003... Unpredictable weather conditions and high cost of farm inputs have forced many African governments to earmark cassava as the most suitable alternative food crop, but scientists say continuous consumption of the crop may result in serious health...

Africa welcomes Zim whites: white farmers, kicked out of their agricultural holdings in Zimbabwe, are finding a warm welcome in other African countries even as far away as Nigeria. What do African governments hope to gain from them?(Topic)
December 1, 2003... Although the Zimbabwean government has clearly stated its desire to move most of the country's white farmers out of the agricultural sector, the farmers have found their services to be much in demand in the rest of the continent. While some...

An atlas for all seasons: the new Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World will be welcomed by everybody involved in international affairs. It provides the most up-to-date information on a rapidly changing world.(Business Tools)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... For the international businessperson, or for that matter for anybody involved in international affairs, one of the most important tools of the trade is a good atlas. Good atlases, unfortunately, are thin on the ground. Many in use today are out...

Southern Africa--the emerging aluminium giant: Southern Africa's aluminium industry has earned its place amongst the region's most important industrial sectors with a daring mixture of bold vision and aggressive marketing.(Industry)
December 1, 2003... Explaining why the world's metals producers thought highly enough of the southern African aluminium industry to hold the prestigious Metal Bulletin conference in the South African port city of Durban, Mahomed Seedat was forthright. Seedat, the...

Musical chairs follow Lukman resignation: the sudden resignation of Rilwanu Lukman, Nigeria's 'Mr Oil' from his position as adviser to President Obasanjo sent shock waves through the industry and triggered a series of changes of personnel. Why did he resign and what does it portend?(Oil And Gas)
December 1, 2003... The best known figure in Nigerian oil politics, the Presidential Special Adviser on Petroleum Resources, Rilwanu Lukman, has resigned. Although Lukman did not give any official explanation for his decision, it is understood that a clash over...

Glow is a great help when you gotta go.(Innovation)(bathroom seat )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... If you blunder about in the dark looking for the toilet seat, your shin-barking days may soon be over--because now there's 'Go in the Dark', a special glow-in-the-dark bathroom seat that's guaranteed to guide you to a perfect night landing. The...

Battle over GM cotton in South Africa.(Innovation)(genetically modified crops)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... South Africa is one of Africa's most liberal countries as far as bin and genetic plant modification is concerned. The fact that the government gave the green light to some genetically modified (GM) agricultural produce more than a decade ago...

Put a zip on it.(Surgery)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Stitches, staples and tapes for holding wounds together as they heal will become things of ancient medical history as a new surgical sealer takes over--the zip. Trials in the US and Europe have shown that wounds closed with a surgical zipper...

Bright idea contains hazard.(Process)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Despite legislation that requires fluorescent tubes to be disposed of in hazardous waste sites where the mercury such lighting contains will not contaminate groundwater, millions of tubes are illegally dumped in South Africa each year. It's...

Upsurge in Indian investment: trade links between India and Africa go back thousands of years but prospered relatively little after the independence period. Now, these ancient links are being re-established and Indian investment into Africa is growing.(Investment)
December 1, 2003... Thanks to the success of the Indian economy over the past decade and a gradual process of economic reform in the world's most populous democracy, firms from the sub-continent are setting up ventures in Africa in a variety of sectors. Textiles...

A new banking alliance for Africa: two of Africa major banking groups, Banque Belgolaise and Bank of Africa have formed a strategic alliance which will greatly expand the existing networks in both Africa and Europe.(Banks)(Bank of Africa)
December 1, 2003... Banque Belgolaise and Bank of Africa have reached agreement to form a strategic alliance. The new alliance will allow African and European customers to enjoy a wider geographic network on both continents, and both banking groups have agreed to...

Don't damn the dam: a project to build a new, large dam on the River Kunene has drawn the ire of global environmental activists and of local pastoral peoples who fear losing their land. Yet, the dam would totally satisfy Namibia's power needs. Neil Ford presents the pros and cons.(Namibia)
December 1, 2003... An environmental storm is brewing in Namibia over government plans to dam the River Kunene as part of a hydroelectric project. Opponents of the scheme argue that the proposed Epupa dam will destroy a huge area of forest, which is currently...

Oil to flow in two years: after years of waiting, it now seems certain that Mauritania will be producing oil in the next two years. Simon Taggart analyses what this will mean in terms of generating revenues and how it will impact on people's lives.(Mauritania)
December 1, 2003... If all goes according to plan, Mauritania should be producing oil by 2005/2006 with the government beginning to reap appreciable benefits from 2008. With the completion of production tests on the Chinguetti 4-5 well in October, the scene was...

Calm after the storm: for decades, the Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar was one of the poorest in Africa.(Madagascar)
December 1, 2003... Then a textile manufacturing and exporting explosion began to change everything. Just as the economy was reaching new highs, a political crisis practically shut down the nation. It is still counting the cost but the new man who emerged from the...

Hard times on the horizon: for decades Gabon enjoyed one of the highest per capita incomes in Africa on the back of its oil revenues. But the flood of 'black gold' has been dwindling alarmingly. Can Gabon cope with the new reality? Neil Ford looks at the options.(Gabon)
December 1, 2003... Decades of almost total reliance upon oil revenues finally seem to be catching up with Gabon. The francophone, central African state achieved per capita GDP in excess of $5,000 for a number of years on the back of its substantial oil sector,...

Reforms reap strong growth: several years of painful economic reform now seem to be bearing fruit and The Gambia and its economy has been growing steadily. Will this translate into better living standards for the ordinary people? Neil Ford has been finding out.(The Gambia)
December 1, 2003... The Gambia finally seems to be seeing the benefits of years of painful economic reform. Annual growth hit 7% in 2002 and, despite the impact of low rainfall cm agricultural output this year, national GDP is still expected to rise by over 4%....

Food shortage looming: Tanzania, once a net exporter of food grains to the east and southern African sub-regions, is facing a serious shortfall this season. A persistent drought is adding to the problems.(Tanzania)
December 1, 2003... Prolonged drought in eastern, central and southern Tanzania has raised fear over food security in a country not used to international relief food. As a result the government and donor agencies have started making contingency plans...

What will stop the rampaging rand? What is it with South Africans and their currency? When their rand collapses, they weep and wail. When it recovers, they weep and wail louder.(South Africa)(RELATED ARTICLE: Rand's neighbourly fallout)(RELATED ARTICLE: Chequebook tourism.)
December 1, 2003... It all depends on which side of this particular coin you happen to be standing. If you're an exporter, manufacturer, miner, hotelier, filmmaker or deal in anything that has a foreign sales content, then the further the rand falls, the louder...

Year of mixed blessings: the war in Iraq has been a major setback to Egypt's economic and political reform plans but the later half of the year showed considerable economic buoyancy: James Badcock reviews Egypt's year.(Egypt)
December 1, 2003... Egypt's planned trajectory into the future of free markets and a liberalised economy generating wealth for its growing population faced hurdles during 2003. This was a difficult year for the government, both politically and economically, and it...

VW tees off! The Frankfurt Motor Show saw the unveiling of VW's new Golf Mk 5, one of this year's most important car debuts.(Wheels)(Volkswagen AG)
December 1, 2003... The long awaited unveiling of VW's fifth generation Golf, due to hit showrooms worldwide from early next year, is just the latest installment in the 30 year story of one of the most popular modern cars ever built. Since the VW Golf was first...

African Textiles: a spectacular, ageless tradition.(African Textiles Colour and Creavitivity Across a Continent)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... AFRICAN TEXTILES COLOUR AND CREATIVITY ACROSS A CONTINENT By John Gillow 39.95 [pounds sterling] Thames and Hudson ISBN 0-500-511466 The striking combinations of colours and bold designs of African textiles have long been appreciated the...

Parting the Desert: the Creation of the Suez Canal.(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... BY ZACHARY KARABELL 25 [pounds sterling] John Murray ISBN 0-7195-6160-4 The building of the Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, was the greatest engineering feat of the 19th century. But, as Zachary Karabell explains in...

Angola: Anatomy of an Oil State.(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... BY TONY HODGES 12.95 [pounds sterling] African Issues ISBN 0-85255-874-0 This book was first published in 2001 as Angola from Afro-Stalinism to Petro Diamond Capitalism'. The original book derived from the author's study of Angola...

The State of the World Atlas.(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... BY DAN SMITH 11.99 [pounds sterling] Earthscan ISBN 1-84407-029-8 In the introduction to this, the seventh edition of The State of the World Atlas, Dan Smith makes an interesting observation: while the world in general has better access to...

Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe.(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... BY SOPHIE WARNE 13.95 Bradt Travel Guide ISBN 1-84162-073-4 In the introduction to this new guide book, author Sophie Warne writes: "It is both comforting and irresistible to know that there are still places stable enough to avoid coverage...

Taking Culture to the People: Madagascar's tsapiky sensation.
December 1, 2003... TULEAR NEVER SLEEPS VARIOUS ARTISTS Earthworks Cat STEW 49CD This groundbreaking album is, it is claimed, the very first compilation of tsapiky music You may be forgiven for not knowing what tsapiky music is; few outside the southwest...