African Business articles from June 2003

African Business archives from June 2003

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER Nigeria Too MUCH CORRUPTION Despite the presence of vast oil reserves in Nigeria, a child dies of hunger and preventable diseases every two minutes of the day. Young graduates like me have left the...

South Africa's steel fingers probe Africa. (Business Briefs: Transport).(Spoornet among railroads bidding to upgrade Angola railroad system)
June 1, 2003... The steel tentacles of South Africa's parastatal rail transport provider, Spoornet, could reach into Angola if it wins a $4bn bid to upgrade the country's railway system damaged in the civil war. Other contenders include companies from the...

Nama tribe wins diamonds trove...while San get drugs reward. (Business Briefs: Legislation).(Supreme Court of Appeal returns land to ancestral owners, South Africa)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The diamond-rich Richtersveld, one of South Africa's most geographically bizarre and also one of its wealthiest areas is now about to be given back to its ancestral owners, the Nama. The Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa has recognised...

Nama tribe wins diamonds trove...while San get drugs reward. (Business Briefs: Legislation).(indigenous South Africans get patent for traditional medicine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... In another financial windfall for South Africa's indigenous desert dwellers, the San (bushmen of the Kalahari desert) have won the first round in a battle to share in the proceeds of a commercialised traditional medicine. The appetite...

Nepad braces for protests. (Business Briefs: G8 Meeting in Evian).(New Partnership for Africa's Development plans for attendance at G8 summit meeting, Evian, France)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Officials and delegates of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) are expecting vociferous demonstrations at their meeting with G8 leaders in Evian, France, this month (June). Africa-wide critics of the economic recovery plan,...

Europe, Africa seal $15M financial agreement. (Business Briefs: Peace and Security).(European Union, African Union)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Africa's peace and security agenda has been boosted with the signing of a Euro12m financial agreement with the European Union. The signatures of European Commissioner, Poul Nielson, and the Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African...

Rwandair starts operations. (Business Briefs: Aviation).(Rwandair Express)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Rwandair Express, Rwanda's national carrier, has begun operating twice-weekly flights, on Friday and Sunday, from Kigali to South Africa's Johannesburg International Airport. The airline is majority owned by the Rwandese government, in...

Platinum lining on cloudy Zimbabwe. (Business Briefs: Mining).(Anglo American Platinum invests in Unki mine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Zimbabwe mining will receive a R900m boost with an investment by Anglo American Platinum (Angloplat) to exploit the Unki platinum deposit in the country's midlands. Unki is thought to hold the world's second largest reserves of the precious...

Africa wants 'destructive' US cotton subsidies scrapped. (Business Briefs: Agriculture).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Four of the poorest countries in the world have asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to tackle the US over cotton subsidies. Benin, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali have together written to the WTO asking for the subsidies to be scrapped and to...

SAA cargo doubles Irish traffic. (Business Briefs: Transport).(South African Airways)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... South African Airways (SAA) has more than doubled its cargo traffic from Ireland since the appointment of International Airline Marketing as its GSA in April 2002. SAA's dramatic cargo growth has occurred against a backdrop of overall market...

AB Guide to African Currencies.(Illustration)
June 1, 2003... AB Guide to African Currencies COUNTRY CURRENCY [pounds sterling]STG ALGERIA (Dinar) 126.08 ANGOLA (New Kwanza) 116.12 BENIN ...

South Africa champion counterfeiter. (Business Briefs: Piracy).(country may be put on international copyright watch list)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... South Africa is in danger of seeing its name on an international copyright watch list because of the more than R1bn worth of counterfeit goods sold in that country each year. The US-based International Intellectual Property Alliance reports...

New network for Nigeria. (Business Briefs: Communications).(MTS First Wireless purchases equipment from Batcomb Communications Ltd., expands network)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Nigeria's wireless telecoms operator, MTS First Wireless, signed a N3bn order in Lagos last month with Batcomb Communications Ltd, for the supply of equipment for Internet, VSAT, and Remote Stations. This will provide a nationwide integrated...

Mozal II beats the clock. (Business Briefs: Industry).(major investor BHP Billiton reports on progress of aluminium project near Maputo, Mozambique)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The second phase of the Mozal aluminium project near Maputo in Mozambique will come in ahead of schedule and under budget, reports major shareholder resource conglomerate, BHP Billiton. "The first aluminium from the new facilities was cast on...

Same sex salaries rule in South Africa. (Business Briefs: Employment).(report finds wage gap negligible)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Gender-based pay differentials are all but a thing of the past in South Africa's commerce and industry, with most employers paying the same amount to men or women doing the same job, a new study shows. The PE Corporate Services biannual survey,...

ECOWAS seeks increased EU funding. (Business Briefs: Funding).(Economic Community of West African States, European Union)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... ECOWAS Ministers have urged the European Union (EU) to make more funds available to the region to enable it to cope with the cost of adjustments to its economy. At a one-day preparatory meeting in Accra, Ghana, ahead of a second phase of the...

Belgolaise signs novel deal with Gabonese banking giant. (Business Briefs: Finance).(BGFIBANK)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Belgolaise, the only European bank entirely dedicated to Africa, has signed a radically different commercial and technical cooperative agreement with Gabon's BGFIBANK. Departing from the traditional technical assistance norm, the agreement...

Africa's opportunity at G8 summit.(Evian, France, 2003)
June 1, 2003... When leaders of the world's richest nations, the G8, meet for their annual jamboree in Evian, France, this month (June), will they have the time or the inclination to pay any heed to Africa's requirements? African leaders, through the New...

Now Obasanjo must turn economy around.(Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2003... Nigeria's first civilian conducted elections for 20 years are now behind us and Olusegun Obasanjo, despite allegations of fraud, has retained his Presidency. Will he be able to extricate himself from the post election shenanigans long enough to...

What does the future hold for global investors? Doubts still remain over the economic fallout from the US led invasion of Iraq. While oil prices have fallen, the prospect for global growth is uncertain. (View From the City).
June 1, 2003... In the aftermath of US-led conquest of largely defenceless Iraq, resulting in losses of many innocent civilian lives and severe damages to physical infrastructures - excluding, however, the most valuable assets (the multi-billions dollars...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo: hoping beyond hope. (Topic).
June 1, 2003... If the recent peace deals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stick, this vast country can begin to tap into its enormous store of natural resources and realise undreamt of wealth. Anaysis by NEIL FORD Stability is a relative...

Africa Economic Summit 2003: harnessing the power of partnership.(New Partnership for Africa's Development)
June 1, 2003... DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 11-13 JUNE Africa Economic Summit 2003 Durban, South Africa 11-13 June The World Economic Forum's Africa Economic Summit is the region's premier gathering of leaders from business, politics and civil...

A calculated gamble. (Country Focus: South Africa).
June 1, 2003... A strengthening rand is causing havoc to South Africa's exports, its mining sector and employment but it is pulling in much needed foreign exchange. If the calculated gamble on the rand works out, South Africa could well be a global economic...

Dreaming the oil dream: a number of smaller, hitherto 'unheard of' African countries in terms of oil production, like Mal and CAR, could find themselves sitting on a bonanza if current explorations prove fruitful. (Oil and Gas).
June 1, 2003... During periods of high oil prices, Africa's oil powers are perceived by the rest of the continent to be even luckier than normal. While the possession of oil reserves seems to bring problems of its own, no African state would ever turn down...

The outlook for base metals: the price of industrial metals will depend on the pace of global economic growth, particularly in the OECD and Asia-Pacific regions. (Commodities).(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)
June 1, 2003... The pace of global economic activity is the main factor in consumption of industrial metals. Prices for metals and minerals are a good leading indicator of turning-points in world industrial output. Stronger consumption like during 1999-2000...

Nigerdock gets ready for privatisation: with new technical partners and a solid re-engineering plan, Nigerdock, Nigeria's leading shipyard, looks set to increase its operational base. (Transport).
June 1, 2003... The Nigerian Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) is set to privatise almost one-third of the country's 49% holding in Nigerdock, Nigeria's leading shipyard. The move is part of a bid to develop Nigerdock as a fully integrated maritime, oil and...

Cape Town's bus revolution: a new development in Cape Town looks set to ease traffic congestion, improve access for all and attract new investment.
June 1, 2003... Cape Town is going to turn one of its busiest traffic routes into a pioneering bus rapid transit (BRT) system that is projected to boost the local economy. The system consists of fast, efficient bus networks that clear congestion from roads....

A car that parks itself. (Technology).(from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Women drivers are hailing it as the greatest invention of the 20th century he car that parks itself. BMW has invented a car that not only detects an ideal parking space, but reverses into it as well. All the driver has to do is keep a gentle...

Filing cabinets join the dinosaurs. (Technology).(Minolta develops new information storage and retrieval system called MinoltaScan)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Every office has them - those tall, silent monoliths that ingest a seemingly endless supply of paperwork. A recent innovation, however, is threatening the filing cabinet with extinction. As digital technology and virtual filing systems...

Biodegradable plastic shopping bags? (Environment).(East Coast Flexibles teams up with Symphony Plastic Technologies PLC to make biodegradable plastic products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... South African industry has taken another step against pollution with the introduction of biodegradable plastic. East Coast Flexibles of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal have begun producing a range of plastic products that reduces to water and carbon...

A toast, Mr fog beetle. (Process).(scientists take hint on water harvesting from the Namibian fob beetle)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Ever wondered how some insects in desert regions apparently manage to live without water? The simple answer is that they don't, they just look as if they do. They are ingeniously equipped with moisture collecting body parts that they use on...

No more wobbly meals. (Invention).(businessman invents the StopRoc device to keep restaurant tables from wobbling)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A retired Durban, South Africa, businessman has taken the trials of a rocky dining past and turned them into a secure future. Keith Gild's "StopRoc" invention has endeared him to restaurateurs country-wide, frustrated with trying to stop the...

Eccentric oddball or new-age genius? (Health).(AIDS researcher and homeopathic doctor Peter Chappell)
June 1, 2003... The desperate search to find an effective treatment for Aids has attracted solution seekers from conventional medical science to eccentrics and oddballs looking for answers in unlikely places. Peter Chappell is definitely at the unorthodox...

Nutrition for the needy. (Nutrition).(Community AIDS Response, Johannesburg, South Africa, develops nutritional supplement called ePap)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A food claimed to be the ultimate for the nutrition needs of the poor has made its appearance in South Africa. ePap was developed by Community Aids Response in Johannesburg who say it is a revolutionary nutritional food supplement containing...

The 'ally' cat: with the launch of its latest model, Jaguar's new XJ sedan incorporates ultra-modern technology with all the company's traditional values of elegance, luxury and spirited performance. (Wheels).
June 1, 2003... For more than three decades, the XJ series has been Jaguar's definitive saloon, accounting for more than 800,000 sales and over half of all Jaguar cars ever manufactured. Building on this heritage, this year's new XJ model promises to be the...

ThisDay storm hits South Africa. (Media).
June 1, 2003... With a war-chest of R100m and a substantial slice of the print-related retail market under his belt, Nigeria's phenomenally successful publisher Nduka Obaigbena is all set to storm the South African newspaper scene. TOM NEVIN has the report....

Siemens flags off massive DRC project. (Energy).
June 1, 2003... While peace talks continue in the Democratic Republic of The Congo, the German giant Siemens is preparing to rehabilitate the Inga power stations as part of a massively ambitious energy programme. Francois misser, reporting from Brussels, has...

Australia takes up cudgels for Africa. (Countryfile: International).
June 1, 2003... Australia seems to have embarked on a campaign to fight, on behalf of the developing world, against first world protection policies. It is leading by example, says Tom Nevin, by abolishing tariffs on imports from all LDCs. Australia is...

Approaching the fork in the road. (Countryfile: Ghana).
June 1, 2003... Ghana has begun to turn its former lacklustre economic performance around but it will soon have to decided whether to go for accelerated growth or maintain its current pedestrian pace. Neil Ford reports. The Ghanaian economy is at something...

Debswana hotel venture to go ahead. (Countryfile: Botswana).
June 1, 2003... Diamond mining giant Debswana says it will go ahead with plans to build a five-star casino hotel in the Chobe National Park but the project faces stiff opposition. Roderick Mukumbira reports from Gaborone. Debswana's $31.75m, 100-room,...

Lake Victoria's Nile perch boom: a decade ago, Nile perch was only caught on Lake Victoria for domestic consumption, but today it is in heavy demand in European and Asian countries. (Countryfile: Tanzania).
June 1, 2003... Every week, about five cargo planes from Ukraine, Holland and Belgium land at the Mwanza airport, on the southern shores of Lake Victoria, to carry an estimated 400t of fresh Nile perch fillets to European and Asian countries. These heavy cargo...

No benefits from Geita, say locals: Geita Gold Mine is viewed by the Tanzanian government as a success story. But for local people, its benefits are less clear. (Countryfile: Tanzania).
June 1, 2003... Located about 1,000km from the Tanzania's commercial capital city of Dar es Salaam, on the western shores of Lake Victoria in Geita district of Mwanza region, Geita Gold Mine (GGM)is a often cited as a success story of President Benjamin...

Tomorrow is a different country: over the past 10 years, Mozambique has changed out of all recognition. The growth rate is accelerating as its ties with next-door economic giant, South Africa grow stronger. (Countryfile: Mozambique).
June 1, 2003... It is now 10 years since the Mozambican civil war came to a close and the country's reputation has changed beyond recognition. What was once regarded as a lost cause, one of the world's poorest countries and the scene of one of Africa's most...

Gas will fill power vacuum: Tunisia's modest oil production has, until recently, been just about sufficient for its domestic needs. But, with demand for energy increasing, it is looking for alternatives such as gas. (Countryfile: Tunisia).
June 1, 2003... While many commentators have rightly praised the success of the Tunisian economy over the past decade and have highlighted growth in the textile and agricultural sectors, very little attention has been paid to the country's oil and gas sector....

Iraq war spurs boycott of US products. (Countryfile: Maghreb).
June 1, 2003... Tension between the ordinary people and their governments in most of North Africa has increased as a result of the war on Iraq and the boycotting of US goods and companies is increasing, writes James Badcock. Despite the voices of Arabic...

Battle lines drawn over State bank privatisation. (Countryfile: Zambia).
June 1, 2003... The possible privatisation of the zambia national commercial bank, strongly urged by the IMF, has seen a massive groundswell of public opposition. Reginald Ntomba reports from Lusaka. Despite Zambia's trade unions and civil society waging a...

Golf is the new African happening. (Sporting Business).
June 1, 2003... Want to get ahead in business? Then take up golf. President Thabo Mbeki and an increasing number of Africans are now realising that more business deals are made on the golf course than in boardrooms. MILAN VESELY describes the rise and rise of...

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World. (Reviews).
June 1, 2003... EMPIRE How BRITAIN MADE THE MODERN WORLD By NIALL FERGUSON [pounds sterling]25 Allen Lane ISBN 0-713-99615-3 One hundred years ago, pink, representing the British empire, coloured each and every continent on the map of...

The Girl Who Can. (Reviews).
June 1, 2003... THE GIRL WHO CAN BY AMA ATA AIDOO [pounds sterling]6.70 African Writers Series ISBN 0-435-91013-2 In Chinua Achebe's book Home and Exile, he describes the Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo's "short masterpiece" Our Sister Killjoy...

Home and Exile. (Reviews).
June 1, 2003... HOME AND EXILE BY CHINUA ACHEBE [pounds sterling]7.99 Canongate ISBN 184195-385-7 This book came out of three lectures delivered in 1998 at Harvard University in the US. Its theme is a searching examination of colonialism,...

Caine Prize holds its first writers' workshop.
June 1, 2003... The Caine Prize for African Writing held its first workshop for African writers near Cape Town last March. Sponsored by the Ford Foundation, this was the first of a proposed series of workshops in Africa, bringing together writers from...

A golden age reborn: classic Kinshasa rumba. (Music).
June 1, 2003... EL CONGO BRAZZA KIN RUMBANELLA BAND/WENDO KOLOSOY/ANTOINE MOUNDANDA/VICTORIA BAKOLO MIZIKI Marabi Cat: 45805-2 In March 2002, surviving pioneers of Africa's most beloved dance music - Congolese rumba - came together in a...