African Business articles from January 2003

African Business archives from January 2003

Letters.
January 1, 2003... Politics CONGO - FITTING THE PIECES As usual, your December Cover Story, Congo, Rejigging the pieces (African Business, December 2002), was comprehensive and accomplished. It was perhaps the neatest summery of the chaotic events in the...

Tanzanite named December's birthstone. (Gems).
January 1, 2003... Tanzania's already booming tanzanite mining industry has received another shot in the arm. The deep blue gemstone has been named as a December birthstone by the American Gem Trade Association, the first time the list has been amended since...

Funding for juniors. (Mining).
January 1, 2003... Africa's mining entrepreneurs have received a significant boost from the International Finance Corporation (ICC), the World Bank's private-sector lending arm. It has set up a $l00m private capital equity fund to nursemaid fledgling African...

SA relaxes forex controls. (Investment).
January 1, 2003... South African companies with an eye on investing in Africa can now afford to be a lot more expansive. They can use up to R2bn to fund direct foreign investment on the continent, up from a limit of R750m, through new relaxed foreign exchange...

Moz tops SA trade and investments. (Trade).
January 1, 2003... Mozambique has surged ahead of Zimbabwe as South Africa's biggest trading partner and investment destination in the region. South Africa's department of trade and industry reports that exports to Zimbabwe totalled R5.38bn for 2001 while those...

Blood diamond trade targeted. (Diamonds).
January 1, 2003... More than 40 countries have ratified the so-called Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to reduce the flow of rough diamonds to finance armed conflict and fund terrorism. After 18 months of talks, the process came into effect on January 1,...

Smugglers assist Angolan needy. (Aid).
January 1, 2003... Wrongdoers and smugglers in South Africa are unwittingly contributing to a large-scale relief campaign for people in Angola who have been displaced by the nearly two-decade-long civil war there. Now that more peaceful times have arrived United...

SA condoms don't measure up. (Manufacturing).
January 1, 2003... At a time when the South African government is throwing its weight behind the 'Proudly South African' campaign that urges its citizens to buy locally made products and promote them abroad, it seems that domestically-produced condoms just don't...

Agoa bonanza for BMW SA. (Autos).
January 1, 2003... America's Agoa export promotion incentive for African countries has resulted in a massive boost for South Africa's motor industry. BMW SA reports car exports worth 3.2bn to the United States in 2002. Operating under the duty-free provisions of...

AB guide to African currencies.
January 1, 2003... AB Guide to African Currencies [POUNDS COUNTRY CURRENCY STERLING]STG $US EURO ALGERIA (Dinar) 124.45 79.03 79.66 ANGOLA (New...

Kenya bears brunt of Mombasa terror. (Editorial).
January 1, 2003... Kenya is still counting the cost of the terror attacks on the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa which left 16 people dead, most of them Kenyan. Mercifully, a more horrific scenario was avoided when the surface-to-air missiles launched from the...

Who caused the Malawi famine? (Cover Story).
January 1, 2003... When news broke that Malawi, suffering widespread food shortages had sold its strategic reserves, condemnation flowed from every quarter. But was this the whole truth or were others equally guilty? Kwesi Owusu and FRANCIS NG'AMBI undertook a...

A legend reborn: manding swing returns. (Music).
January 1, 2003... Bembeya Jazz BEMBEYA Marabi 468022 In 1961, shortly after Guinea had voted for complete independence - the only territory to decline to join the Communaute proposal offered by France to 12 colonies in West and Central Africa -...

Africa untainted by weak global recovery. (View from the City).
January 1, 2003... While global economic recovery remains weak and could be wrecked if a war breaks out, Africa's growth has continued to be robust, underpinned by strong demand for oil and commodities such as cocoa. The most striking feature of the world...

Taking a refined approach to oil. (Oil and Gas).
January 1, 2003... Although Africa is one of the major oil producers in the world, it has proportionally a very small refining sector, thus forcing many producers to import their refined requirements. Now is the time to invest in this potentially lucrative...

Durban: port in a storm. (Shipping).
January 1, 2003... The Durban Container Terminal (DCT) is key to South Africa's export ambitions. But, as Andrew Maiden reports, current traffic, employment and privatisation issues are stalling those plans. Congestion at the port of Durban in South Africa...

Pirates increases insurance costs. (Shipping).
January 1, 2003... Shipping companies using the trade routes off the coast of Somalia face a heavy increase in insurance costs following recent pirate attacks. The use of heavy weapons by Somali pirates off the East African coast and the Horn of Africa has...

Onions' rogue enzyme makes you weep. (Genetics).
January 1, 2003... In case you were wondering, it's a roguish little enzyme in onions that makes you weep when you peel them. If Japanese scientists are to be believed, they are close to developing the perfect onion - one that doesn't make grown men and women cry...

From effluent to gas. (Energy).
January 1, 2003... A recent expo in Bangkok, Thailand, was devoted to low cost energy and purification in remote regions of developing countries. Amongst the most innovative was a producer of heating and cooking gas from that most abundant of all resources -...

Africa: Malaria-free zone? (Health).
January 1, 2003... Dare we Africans hope that the deadly scourge of Malaria might be at an end? An international team, led by British and American scientists, has deciphered the DNA code of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and of Plasmodium falciparam,...

Be prepared panties. (Aids Prevention).
January 1, 2003... Like policemen, condoms are sometimes never around when you need them. However, innovation abounds in the fight against Aids. Researchers know there's no cure for the disease and so the focus has swung to its prevention. Now a new range of...

Fun pump. (Water).
January 1, 2003... The drudge of water collection in rural Africa is a problem governments continent-wide take seriously and spend billions of dollars of their own and aid money in trying to make easier. Many developing countries can only afford to supply hand...

A free university for Africa's disadvantaged. (Education).
January 1, 2003... Only 3% in Africa have university education and an even small number obtain degrees. Cost is often the culprit. Now, an inspiring project in South Africa will allow financially disabled students to obtain invaluable business degrees at...

Agoa: an unprecedented opportunity for Africa. (African Business Special Report).
January 1, 2003... The second Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum is being held in Mauritius from the 13 - 17th of January. US President George W Bush is expected to make his first visit to Africa as Head of State when he inaugurates the forum. He will...

AGOA - the nuts and bolts. (Mauritius Forum).
January 1, 2003... What is AGOA and how does it benefit African economies? What will the Mauritius Forum achieve? Milan Vesely discusses these and other questions. Former US President Bill Clinton signed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) into law...

Africa's economic dynamo. (Mauritius).
January 1, 2003... Mauritius with an average growth rate of 5% and one of the highest per capita incomes in Africa, is the continent's Indian Ocean economic powerhouse. With AGOA and NEPAD now on stream, this dynamic island nation is all set for a new era of...

African airline of the year. (Air Mauritius).
January 1, 2003... One of the major factors behind Mauritius' inspiring economic success has been the excellent communications provided by Air Mauritius. The airline operates an extensive network in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. Although the airline...

Investing in Africa's future. (Ireland Blyth Ltd (IBL)).
January 1, 2003... Ireland Blyth Ltd is one of the largest and most diverse groups in Africa. Its activities range from retailing, through shipping and aviation, to travel and tourism. The firm, which has formed strong regional alliances, is poised to use ACQA as...

Trying to get rich quick can make you poor in a hurry. (Topic).
January 1, 2003... Another year, and in the past 12 months the criminal mind has demonstrated yet again the lengths it will go to in conning their fellow citizens out of their hard-earned cash. TOM NEVIN issues his annual warning. Some of the creativity...

In the line of heavy US fire. (Dateline USA).
January 1, 2003... For the US military, Djibouti at the tip of Africa's horn is a gift from heaven for training purposes. The large empty spaces allow the live firing of heavy weapons. But who will pay for the clean-up? Despite the bitter memories of bloody...

Learning business from our ancestors. (At Large).
January 1, 2003... Africa is constantly being lectured about private enterprise and entrepreneurship as if these concepts were completely alien to the continent. In fact, as Dr Sonko points out, private enterprise was the norm during Africa's golden period. ...

Angola: the blessing and curse of oil. (Countryfile).
January 1, 2003... Oil and diamond revenues will fill government coffers but will not necessarily provide the mass of the people with income. Unless Angola's economy can begin an upturn, writes Neil Ford, the current peace may not last. Mhile the...

Egypt: Mubarak walks a tightrope. (Countryfile).
January 1, 2003... A war against Iraq would cap what has been a troubled 2002 for President Mubarak's regime with the economy growing sluggishly and the political arena showing greater volatility. For Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, the past year has been...

South Africa: African slave labour in Australia? (Countryfile).
January 1, 2003... South African and Australian police are intensifying investigations into a 'slave ring' exporting cheap labour, lured by promises of big money, from Africa to Australia. African Business has confirmed that a criminal probe has been...

Son of Hummer. (Wheels).
January 1, 2003... If going to the shopping mall is a mission, GM have just the vehicle for you. The Hummer is the civilian version of the Humvee US army vehicle, and - like Daimler-Chrysler's Jeep range - its military antecedents have strong appeal. Stephen...

Kampala summit will host African tourism. (Tourism).
January 1, 2003... A major international tourism conference on Africa, sponsored in part by the World Bank, is to be held in Kampala next October. The aim of the summit is to stop Africa losing out in one of the most competitive sectors in the world. The...

A gesture of simplicity. (Cinema).
January 1, 2003... Abouna, an African film shot in Chad for only $500,000, has been a major critical success at international film festivals. Stephen Williams caught up with the writer/director in London. After the triumphant screening of his latest film,...

Vice law and policy: a new approach for South Africa? (Books).
January 1, 2003... RAINBOW VICE BY TED LEGGETT R98.95 (inc. VAT) David Philip (SA) ISBN 0-86486-503-1 After more than five years working in South Africa with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the United Nations Office for Drug...

Robert Mugabe. (Reviews).
January 1, 2003... A LIFE OF POWER AND VIOLENCE By STEPHEN CHAN [pounds sterling]14.95 I.B.Tauris ISBN 1-86064-873-8 With this book, Stephen Chan is attempting to explain a paradox. That paradox is tied up in the character of one man - Robert...

The Tuareg. (Reviews).
January 1, 2003... PEOPLE OF AHAGGAR BY JEREMY KEENAN [pounds sterling]14.99 Sickle Moon ISBN 1-900209-14-4 The Sahara, which has effectively been closed by civil-war, rebellion and revolution for a decade, is rapidly reopening for Western...

Encyclopedia of African History and Culture. (Reviews).
January 1, 2003... VOLUMES 1-3 EDITED BY WILLIE F. PAGE [pounds sterling]193 FACTS ON FILE INC ISBN 0-8160-4472-4 This comprehensive set covers African history from ancient time to 1850 as never before. In three volumes, each devoted to a major...