African Business articles from December 2004

African Business archives from December 2004

African pride: countering negative perceptions.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Many thanks for Anver Versi's editorial 'African and Proud of It' in the November 2004 issue of African Business. It is one of the best analyses I have read on the Western perception of Africa and Africans--and their obsession with the...

Complaints corner: Ethiopia is also Africa.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I read African Business every month at my local bookstore here in Washington DC. I must say, I like your magazine but I am disappointed by one thing. African Business does not seem to know that Ethiopia is also in Africa! With a population...

Confused and bemused: excellence the benchmark?(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I read the November 2004 issue of African Business with extra enthusiasm as, once again, you have compiled a superb report on my North Africa homeland, Tunisia. I always enjoy the way that you are able to describe my country and the huge...

Small is beautiful: banking on development.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I read with great interest your survey of African banks (African Business, October 2004 issue) having worked in the industry for a number of years before my retirement in 1999. The feature article was extremely well researched and written, and...

Highlife blues: a pan-African carrier the answer?(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I was very sad to read of the apparent demise of Ghana Airways in the October issue of African Business. Yet again a major African carrier has, it would seem, gone to the wall for one reason or another, unable to compete in the tough commercial...

Prize letter: win a free annual subscription!(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... African Business will award a free one year subscription to the reader whose letter is chosen as the Prize Letter for that month. (Existing subscribers will receive a free annual renewal). Your views on Africa and matters affecting Africa are...

Development: stop Africa's debt squeeze--UN.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Africa received $540bn in loans between 1970 and 2002, and although it had paid back $550bn in principal and interest, it still owed $295bn at the end of 2002. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new UN report, Debt Sustainability: Oasis or...

Media: ThisDay suspends S. African publication.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Nigerian publishing millionaire Nduka Obiagbena's dream of a major daily newspaper in South Africa has ground to a halt in just over a year. ThisDay, an echo of the successful Nigerian newspaper, was suspended at the end of October. ...

Finance: Devbank's $9bn regional boost.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Development bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has committed $9bn to develop new infrastructure in a five-year plan to boost economic growth and job creation. DBSA's CEO, Mandla Gantsho says the bank will "redouble its efforts in the next five...

Economy: S. Africa--economic big brother?(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... South Africa has accepted that it is the continent's economic saviour and will continue to prioritise Africa's development. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told parliament during his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament, Cape...

Legislation: S. African mercenaries in Iraq.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Salaries of over R75,000 ($12,350) a month have attracted some 100 South African soldiers to work in Iraq's security industry, but they could be jailed on return to South Africa because they're contravening the country's Foreign Military...

Power: five nations to build DRC hydro plant.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Democratic Republic of Congo)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Five southern African governments have joined resources to build a $7.3bn hydro-electric power station in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Equal partners will be Angola, Botswana, DRC, Namibia and South Africa. Each will own equal shares in...

Trade: possible sweetener for Africa's sugar prices.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Decades old EU sugar policies are in for a makeover to streamline pricing structures long branded as "skewed, distorted and unfair". Price guarantees for European sugar producers could be first to go, delivering an export windfall for African...

AB guide to African currencies.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... COUNTRY CURRENCY [pounds sterling]STG ALGERIA (Dinar) 134.73 ANGOLA (New Kwanza) 160.71 BENIN (CFA) ...

The horror in Sudan must stop--now.(EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2004... What is going on in Darfur is a shame for Africa. There is no excuse for the consistent persecution of totally innocent men, women and children in that benighted region of Sudan. God knows these are some of the poorest and most vulnerable...

Danger! The hidden perils of GM crops.(BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD SAFETY)(Genetically Modified crops)
December 1, 2004... Rapid development in the field of biotechnology in recent times has provided a wealth of new possibilities for food production and agriculture. In the developing world in particular, these opportunities could herald a revolution in food...

The private sector holds the key to prosperity: a well-regulated and open market economy is a powerful engine for growth and poverty alleviation in the developing world. But bureaucratic and other hurdles are getting in the way. Is there a way out?(VIEW FROM THE CITY)
December 1, 2004... The World Bank, in its 2005 World Development Report, says that governments across the developing world are discouraging entrepreneurial activities because they are failing to address excessive red tape as well as corruption and other crimes....

Red tape strangling Africa: it is ironic that Africa, desperately in need of much more productive business, is also the continent considered the most difficult to do business in because of red tape. While the rest of the world is slashing red tape, Africa is drowning in it. What should be done? Neil Ford offers some thoughts.(TRENDS)
December 1, 2004... Much has been made of the success or otherwise of economic reform in many African states over the past 10 or 20 years. Some have claimed that more rapid growth in Tanzania, for example, has been achieved on the back of a reduced role for the...

African Church prepared to cut US financial lifeline: the consecration of a gay bishop in the US has thrown up sharp divisions within the Anglican Church worldwide. The Anglican Church in Africa is threatening to break away, but doing so will mean cutting off its main financial lifeline.(DATELINE USA)
December 1, 2004... No issue has so polarised the Anglican Church as the consecration of the Right Reverend Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop recently appointed to head the Diocese of New Hampshire in the US. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a total...

Nigeria banking reforms gain a new impetus: until quite recently, Nigeria, Africa's second biggest banking market after South Africa, was largely an undisciplined, poorly regulated mess. The turnaround began some five years ago when the Central Bank started imposing order. As Moin Siddiqi reports, the weeding and clearing is gathering pace as Basle 2 Accords loom ever closer.(FINANCE)
December 1, 2004... A lot has changed in the Nigerian financial services industry during the past two decades. The structure and regulatory environment has been improved substantially, especially during the late 1990s, when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was...

The Chad-Cameroon pipeline test: it is now just over a year since the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline was officially opened. Oil production is rising and the two governments are beginning to benefit from the oil revenues generated by the project. What has been the impact of the project?(OIL AND GAS)
December 1, 2004... The Chad-Cameroon pipeline scheme is important for so many different reasons, that any number of organisations are taking a keen interest in the success or otherwise of the venture. For example, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are eager...

Who should pay for health care? The Kenyan government's decision to offer free basic health care and medicines to poor citizens has reawakened the debate over how to pay for health care in Africa. Analysis by Neil Ford.(HEALTH)
December 1, 2004... At independence many African countries, particularly those in anglophone Africa, sought to provide health and education services free of charge, but the continent's poor economic performance in the 1970s and 1980s prompted many governments,...

Locust clouds darken African skies: a plague of locusts is once again darkening the skies of the Sahelian region and moving north to attack crops in the Maghreb. The damage left behind is immense. Yet we now have the science to both predict and prevent this plague. Milan Vesely reports.(AGRICULTURE)
December 1, 2004... They start off as harmless little grass-hoppers living solitary lives--until the rains are plentiful and the scrub and desert foliage blooms. Then they change colour from a lime green to a dusty camouflage tan, congregate into voracious swarms...

Giving witchcraft the boot: juju, mutu, urongo and other magical terms are common throughout African football. Witchdoctors have made fortunes selling their 'special powers' to clubs and players alike. But, Milan Vesely reports, the practice is now coming under sustained attack in Tanzania.(SPORTING BUSINESS)
December 1, 2004... Africa loves its football and its stunning achievements in the World Cup championships inspire millions across the continent. Little wonder then that African soccer teams, from local to national level are always looking for an extra edge, a...

Economy will be election battleground: Ghanaians go to the polls on December 7. The main rivalry will be between the ruling NPP led by President John Kufuor and the NDC, led by John Mills. Both have based their campaigns on the state of the economy. George Frank Asmah reports from Accra.(GHANA)(National Democratic Congress (Ghana))
December 1, 2004... Six political parties will contest the Ghanaian elections but the major battle will be between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by President John Agyekum Kufuor and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), formed by former head of state Jerry...

Economy moves into decisive territory: there were no surprises in the Tunisian elections held in late October. The country voted overwhelmingly for the team that has brought it economic success and social cohesion. But, says Anver Versi, the country is now entering a critical phase.(TUNISIA)
December 1, 2004... With legislative and presidential elections now done and dusted, Tunisia can focus on what may well prove the most crucial five year period in its modern history. In 2010, the Association Agreement with the European Union comes fully into...

Is democracy a step too soon? Under President Yoweri Museveni, Uganda has been generally stable and is beginning to become prosperous. But international donors and opposition groups now want a full transformation to multi-party democracy. Will this be a step too soon, wonders Neil Ford.(UGANDA)
December 1, 2004... This is an important time for Uganda. The country has made steady progress since the chaos of the 1970s and early 1980s finally came to an end in 1986 with the rise to power of President Yoweri Museveni. Although the country has been dragged...

Soweto--the sleeping giant stirs: South Africa's biggest dormitory, Soweto--a sprawling, unorganised conurbation of dwellings--could soon become a thriving, proper city in its own right. Tom Nevin has the story.(SOUTH AFRICA)
December 1, 2004... When South Western Townships (Soweto) was established in the 1950s as a dormitory for black mineworkers in the pits and shafts around Johannesburg, that's all it was intended as: a place for them to sleep, safely away from white residential...

Voters refuse to rock the boat: Botswana's voters have confounded critics by once again demonstrating their confidence in the incumbent president, Festus Mogae, and the ruling BDP party, by returning both in a landslide victory. Tom Nevin reports.(BOTSWANA)(Botswana congress Party)
December 1, 2004... In an election widely expected to expose the cracks in the ruling party's fortress-like hold on political power, President Festus Mogae's Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) cruised to another overwhelming victory, while the opposition could do no...

A play-it-safe budget: Nigeria's budget for 2005, announced early in order to speed up implementation, has chosen to err on the safe side--despite the high crude prices. Neil Ford analyses the figures.(NIGERIA)
December 1, 2004... Economies heavily dependent upon oil exports to generate government revenues face a common problem in deciding their spending plans. Revenues tend to fluctuate widely from year to year according to changes in crude prices, so the governments of...

Title deeds could unlock trapped wealth: millions of Tanzanians who own plots of land and other property have no documentation to prove their claims. All this is set to change as the government embarks on a major property formalisation campaign. Herald Tagama reports.(TANZANIA)
December 1, 2004... Announcing the property formalisation programme, Tanzania's President Benjamin Mkapa said it was "aimed at freeing and strengthening the informal sector, to integrate it into the mainstream economy". The lack of title deeds and other...

Mubarak the younger leads economic reforms: President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, is leading a coterie of free-market ideologues who seem determined to swing the country into free-market economics. A series of radical reforms is already altering Egypt's economic landscape. James Badcock reports.(EGYPT)
December 1, 2004... Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak seems to be clearing the way for a successor in the near future. He decided last summer to give a new prime minister, Ahmed Nazif, the reins of government for the last year of his fourth term in power. But the...

Mining leads diversification drive: gold-mining has become a major foreign exchange earner for Mali. Now, with the urgent need to upgrade its transport infrastructure, other extractive resources may finally be exploited. Stephen Williams reports.(MALI)
December 1, 2004... Gold, phosphate, kaolin, salt and limestone are all currently being mined in Mali, but it is the gold sector that is booming. Since the opening of several mines in 2001, Mali has become Africa's third-largest gold producer after South Africa...

I.O.U.: The Debt Threat and Why We Must Defuse It.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... I.O.U. THE DEBT THREAT AND WHY WE MUST DEFUSE IT By Noreena Hertz [pounds sterling]16.99 Fourth Estate ISBN 0-00-717898-0 Fresh out of Wharton, the US business school, Noreena Hertz was hired as a consultant by the...

Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA A TRUE STORY OF SURVIVAL By Dean King [pounds sterling]16.99 William Heinemann ISBN 0-434-00889-3 The western Sahara is a baking hot and desolate place, home only to nomads and their camels, and to...

The New Financial Order: Risk in the 21st Century.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... THE NEW FINANCIAL ORDER: RISK IN THE 21ST CENTURY Robert J Shiller [pounds sterling] 22.50 Princeton University Press ISBN: 0-691-12011-0 In his best-selling Irrational Exuberance, Robert Shiller cautioned that society's...

High Stakes: How I Blew [pounds sterling]14 Million.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... HIGH STAKES How I BLEW [pounds sterling]14 MILLION By Nigel Goldman [pounds sterling] 9.99 Mainstream Publishing ISBN 1-84018-853-7 Nigel Goldman wrote the autobiographical High Stakes while in prison, paying the price...

Moving Mountains.(antiretroviral drugs)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... MOVING MOUNTAINS By Anne-Christine d'Adesky [pounds sterling]20 Verso ISBN 1-84467-002-3 In dispatches written from around the world, Anne-Christine d'Adesky reports on the greatest challenge facing us today: the global...

Design Your Own E-Shop: Creating and Promoting Successful Small Business Sites.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... DESIGN YOUR OWN E-SHOP CREATING AND PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS SITES By Molly Holzschlag [pounds sterling]19.95 AVA ISBN 2-88479-021-7 Want to get your business online, or improve the success of your current...

The Economic Decline of Zimbabwe: Neither Growth Nor Equity.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... THE ECONOMIC DECLINE OF ZIMBABWE NEITHER GROWTH NOR EQUITY By Carolyn Jenkins and John Knight [pounds sterling]67.50 Palgrave ISBN 0-333-97027-6 When Zimbabwe achieved political independence, its new majority government...

What Went Wrong with Africa? A Contemporary History.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... WHAT WENT WRONG WITH AFRICA? A CONTEMPORARY HISTORY By Roel van der Veen 32.50 KIT (Netherlands) ISBN 9068325485 The last 50 years has seen unprecedented changes in people's standards of living all over the world. Despite...

Red and Green: Ali Farka Toure.(Sound Recording Review)
December 1, 2004... RED AND GREEN ALI FARKA TOURE World Circuit Records Cat: WCD070 Available for the first time in over a decade, 'Red and Green' is a two set CD by the great Malian musician Ali Farka Toure. Originally released as vinyl records...