African Business articles from March 2007

African Business archives from March 2007

China-Africa: a win-win strategy.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I refer to the China-Africa Tie the knot (African Business, December 2006 issue). China's President Hu Jintao's visit to 10 African countries last month has inspired me to write to you to offer some views on this 'new' relationship. ...

Entrepreneurs: the new global citizens.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... There is an ongoing and emotionally charged debate on the issue of illegal immigration. This is typified in France with Jean Marie Le Pen's manifesto, in the US government's decision to build a wall along the frontier with Mexico, and with the...

No man an island: CSR and small business.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Although your coverage of the issues surrounding Corporate Social Responsibility was very interesting (African Business, February 2007), while I can see that CSR policies in a large corporation can really make a difference, I was left wondering...

Mo Ibrahim award: a protection racket?(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I was shocked to see you, among others, lauding the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's African Leadership Prize quite so effusively (The World's Biggest Prize, African Business, December 2006 issue). Personally, I feel it is absolutely scandalous that our...

Mobiles lead growth in African media.(Media)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The ubiquitous cellphone and satellite sport are helping to drive impressive growth in African media--along with greater choice for consumers and a more influential voice in continental politics. A new 17-nation study by the Africa Media...

Africa more attractive to investors.(Snapshot Africa by Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming a more attractive and hospitable destination for investors, according to a new report--Snapshot Africa--by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a private sector arm of the World Bank Group. ...

S Africa won't send troops to Somalia.(South Africa)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... South Africa has its hands full with peacekeeping duties around Africa and does not have the military spare capacity to get involved in Somalia. This was the South African government's response to a call for troops by the African Union (AU)....

A threat to world food security?(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Stem rust, a wheat disease now on the move from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, could devastate world wheat crops and threaten food security. According to Science Development magazine the new form of stem rust has spread from Ethiopia, Kenya...

Big changes in Angola's diamond laws.(Legislation)
March 1, 2007... In a sweeping liberalisation of its diamond industry, Angola has issued diamond mining licences to 19,000 companies out of 28,000 which applied when the country recently opened the formerly tightly government controlled sector. It is estimated,...

Matola coal exports target is 8m tons.(Resources)(Matola terminal planning for higher exports)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Exports of coal through Mozambique's Matola terminal near Maputo are set to increase more than four-fold to 8m tons by 2012. Matola is the second-largest terminal for the export of South African coal after Richards Bay. According to API...

Zambia aims for middle-class status.(Economics)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Zambia plans to spend nearly $15bn over the next five years in developing its economy. Africa's biggest copper producer intends using the money to reduce unemployment, boost education and health sectors and for the reduction of poverty. This...

Algeria eyes oil windfall profits tax.(Oil industry)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Algeria has become the latest African country to consider slapping windfall profit taxes on foreign oil companies. South Africa, Chad, Gabon and Angola have already served notice that proposals giving host government a bigger cut of oil...

Nigerian bank's massive dividend.(Finance)(Intercontinental Bank PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Over 250,000 shareholders of Intercontinental Bank Plc, one of Nigeria's foremost financial institutions will start off the new-year with smiles as the bank has set aside a whopping N3.2bn ($26m) to be paid as interim dividend for the half year...

AB guide to African currencies.(Business Briefs)(African Business)(Statistical table)
March 1, 2007... AB Guide to African Currencies Country Currency [pounds sterling]STG Algeria (Dinar) 139.36 Angola (New Kwanza) 156.17 Benin (CFA) ...

China is good for Africa.(Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Africa, extending economic support)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... Chinese President Hu Jintao's third visit to Africa (which concluded in February), drew starkly opposite responses from Africa and the West. Wherever he went in Africa, the red carpet was rolled out and he was given the kind of welcome that is...

Africa is global star again: the travel and tourism sector in Africa is thriving as never before. Preliminary statistics for 2006 indicate that the continent has yet again been the star of the global industry, outperforming all other regions. African Business editor, Anver Versi reports.(Industry overview)
March 1, 2007... In 2006, Africa was once again the star of the global tourism industry, registering an 8.1% growth and outperforming all other regions. This is the second year in succession that Africa has come top of the pile. And 2007 is projected to be even...

Land of history, culture & luxury: Ethiopia has identified tourism as a crucial sector in its attempt to diversify the economy and attract foreign currency earnings. Stephen Williams recently visited the country.(Travel and Tourism in Africa)
March 1, 2007... While it may not have a coastline to attract the tourist yearning for the traditional sun, sea and sand formula holiday, Ethiopia does have many other assets. These include one of the world's best hotels, located in the capital Addis Ababa, a...

African tourism in brief.(Travel and Tourism in Africa)(in briefs)
March 1, 2007... China grants Nigeria tourist destination status In February, the Chinese government granted Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, tourist destination status. Nigeria joins 25 other countries in Africa that have achieved this status. ...

Peace through tourism.(International Institute for Peace through Tourism)
March 1, 2007... One of the most critical, and interesting conferences on African tourism will be held in Kampala, Uganda May 20-25 2007. This will be the 4th International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) Africa conference. The conference is being...

Commodity windfalls spur African economic growth: Africans countries have shown remarkable resilience over the past year, with most achieving positive growth figures. Higher oil and commodity prices, coupled with greater foreign exchange inflows, have sustained growth and are likely to continue doing so over this year.
March 1, 2007... Over the last year, the boom in commodity markets has had a distinct impact on African economies, clearly reflected in robust growth and improving fiscal and external positions. What is so striking, compared with the past, is that non-resource...

Good business, bad policy: South Africa's Sasol is the world's largest producer of synthetic fuels from the country's vast reserves of coal. But as carbon emisssions regulations tighten, is there a future for this industry?(Energy)
March 1, 2007... Synthetic fuel technology has something of an odd track record. Developed by both Nazi Germany and Apartheid-era South Africa to avoid reliance on foreign energy supplies, it has attracted support from some infamous sources. Yet South African...

Beware strangers bearing gifts: there are few places in the world as besieged by charitable organisations and NGOs as Africa. But is their presence beneficial or harmful to Africa? In whose interests do these charities operate and what are their motives? Mark J Sorbara takes an intriguing viewpoint.(Column)
March 1, 2007... From Madonna shopping for a child in Malawi to Warren Buffet donating most of his $42bn fortune to the Gates Foundation, philanthropy was high on the agenda of individuals and corporations with disposable income in 2006. [ILLUSTRATION...

Cameroon: power of diversity.(SPECIAL REPORT)(Company overview)
March 1, 2007... The economy Cameroon, which is often described as 'Africa in miniature' has a very wide diversity of physical forms, flora and fauna. The landscape varies from dense tropical forest, through savannah type grasslands and semi-desert in the...

Guinea smelter--the perfect model for Africa? Katrina Manson and James Knight continue their odyssey through West Africa, this month filing an exclusive report from Guinea Conakry on a new aluminium smelter that could transform the country's economy and the people's quality of life.(Business in Africa)(Global Alumina arrives in Guinea)
March 1, 2007... The first thing you notice about Sangaredi is the electricity. In the middle of rural Guinea, miles from the national grid, streetlamps shine brightly, and there are no power cuts. The juice comes courtesy of the giant, open-pit, bauxite mine...

S African bacteria linked to life on Mars.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The discovery of bacteria living three kilometres down in a South African gold mine has sparked new speculation about the possibility of life below the surface of the planet Mars. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ancient bacteria were found...

Explosive detecting bees.(Research)(new findings)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Bomb-sniffing bees are the latest in the fight against terror. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in California have found that honey bees can be trained to detect explosives, even in the tiniest quantities. According to bee...

Revolutionary sun ray technology.(water purification)
March 1, 2007... South Africa has emerged as a leader in a new technique that uses the sun's rays to disinfect water. It entails putting contaminated water in a two-litre bottle, shaking it and then leaving it in the sun for around six hours. That simple...

Professional training for angry Delta youth.(Society)(Deskon Marine Group to give technical training for sidelined youths)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Denying the devil idle hands is the aim of a new manufacturing company in Nigeria's oil industry. It has embarked upon a project to train some 1,800 warring youths as part of efforts to curb ongoing unrest in the troubled Niger Delta region....

Hello, hello! Your parking spot is available.(Innovation)(SpotScout develops new method for parking cars)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A new service is being blueprinted in the US that will let car drivers find parking by using their mobile phones. SpotScout.com will be on the market anytime now marketing anything from driveways that owners want to rent out for a few hours, to...

China will use sun power to heat Olympians' water.(Deskon Marine Group)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Hot water for contestants at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will come compliments of the sun. A massive, state-of-the-art solar power system embarked upon a project to train some 1,800 warring youths as part of efforts to curb ongoing unrest in...

Current from currents.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Determined to bring about the end of fossil fuel usage, some small companies in the US are using the power of sea tides. Champions of tidal power say the technology is "wind turbines on steroids", spinning like windmills in the current. ...

Circumcision can combat Aids.(Medical Moments)(treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome by circumcision surgery)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Medical researchers say they now have conclusive evidence that circumcision can halve a man's chance of contracting HIV/Aids. Clinical trials in Uganda and Kenya have confirmed South African research into the protective benefits of having the...

Trick your heart.(Thymosin protein can be used for repair of damaged parts of the heart)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... British medical scientists say your heart can be tricked into healing itself by coaxing cells on the edge of the heart into repairing damaged areas. Researchers at University College London's Institute of Child Health have found that a...

Trick your brain.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A virtual reality system that can help amputees cope with phantom pain by giving them the illusion that their missing limb is still there has been developed by British scientists. PLP (phantom limb pain) is a mysterious sensation...

No cells in cellphones.(Medical Moments)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A study that followed 420,000 mobile phone users in Denmark over a 21-year test period has shown that cellphone users have the same chance of developing cancer as the general population. The largest and longest-running investigation into...

Full steam ahead for Coega: with Canadian company Alcan finally agreeing to develop an aluminium smelter at the industrialised zone surrounding the new Eastern Cape port of Coega, it is all systems go for the province. Neil Ford describes the impact of the new developments on the province's economic future.(SOUTH AFRICA)
March 1, 2007... After years of delay and uncertainty, Canadian aluminium producer Alcan has finally agreed to develop an aluminium smelter at the new site of Coega in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED]...

Budget--timely wake-up call: after enjoying an annual growth rate of 9% for four decades, the economy of Botswana has stagnated amid a slowdown in the mining sector. The challenge now is to produce new goods and services for a global market. Barry Baxter reports.
March 1, 2007... Botswana's finance minister, Baledzi Gaolathe, presenting the 2006/07 budget told a visibly surprised House of Assembly in Gaborone there had been no measurable real growth in the economy over 2005/06. Neither did his speech include any...

Tenders invited for Dar general cargo terminal.(TANZANIA)
March 1, 2007... The experiment with private-sector management of Dar es Salaam container port has proved so successful that the Tanzania government is now inviting management tenders for the port's general cargo terminal. Neil Ford argues that this could be...

Uranium mining likely to get green light: Malawi's annual exports are expected to reach an all-time high should the government grant a licence to Paladin Resources Limited to mine uranium at Kayerekera in the country's northern district of Karonga. Lameck Masina discusses the implications.(MALAWI)
March 1, 2007... Economists estimate that Malawi's annual exports will rise by over (Malawi Kwacha) K14bn, around $105m at today's exchange rate, if Paladin Africa Ltd, a Malawian registered company wholly-owned by Australia's Paladin Resources Ltd, starts...

Striking gold from waste.(MAURITIUS)
March 1, 2007... Thousands of tons of domestic waste, presently dumped in the only landfill site on Mauritius, will soon be used to generate electricity and produce compost. Two major projects, worth millions of dollars, are expected to start operations soon,...

The long haul back to normality: it has been little over a year since Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the first female head of state in Africa when she was elected to the leadership of a collapsed economy and a failed state that Liberia had become. What is her track record a year later? Neil Ford provides some answers.
March 1, 2007... When Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf took over as head of state in Liberia in January 2006, her rise to power was warmly welcomed by the international community. As an economist of some standing, she appeared to have both the personal and technical...

Riding the copper rollercoaster: Zambia's economic fortunes have traditionally fluctuated with the international price of copper, which by the middle of last year had risen dramatically but has now seen a decline. Can China help Zambia to escape the cycle of boom and bust, asks Neil Ford.
March 1, 2007... The Zambian economy has traditionally moved in tandem with fluctuations in the international price of copper. High prices meant higher income and encouraged increased production that further boosted export revenues. Yet lower copper prices had...

The birth of a nation: ethno-nationalism and patriotism.(Reconstructing the Nation in Africa)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Reconstructing the Nation in Africa By Michael Amoah [pounds sterling]47.50 Tauris Academic Studies ISBN 978-84511-259-2 Fifty years ago this month, the Gold Coast gained its independence from British colonialism. Renamed...

Tip & Run: The untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Tip & Run The untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa By Edward Pace [pounds sterling]25.00 Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN: 978-0297-84709-0 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the aftermath of the Great War the East Africa...

Guide to Economic Indicators: Making Sense of Economics.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Guide to Economic Indicators Making Sense of Economics [pounds sterling]20 The Economist ISBN: 1861979479 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is essential in business and many professions today to have a thorough understanding of...

The New Sinosphere: China in Africa.(Book review)
March 1, 2007... The New Sinosphere: China in Africa By David Mepham [pounds sterling]9.95 Institute for Public Policy Research ISBN 1-86030-302 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last November's China Africa Co-operation Forum in Beijing was the...

The Unwritten Laws of Business.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... The Unwritten Laws of Business By W J King Updated by James G Skakoon [pounds sterling]9.99 Profile Books ISBN 1846680379 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the summer of 2005, the magazine Business 2.0 published a cover...

Cloth Girl.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... Cloth Girl By Marilyn Heward Mills [pounds sterling]14.99 Time Warner ISBN 0316731889 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warm, humorous and finally very moving, this marvellous first novel by Marilyn Heward Mills is set in British...

The Belly of the Atlantic.(Fatou Diome's book, The Belly of the Atlantic)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2007... The Belly of the Atlantic By Fatou Diome [pounds sterling]8.99 Serpents Tail ISBN 9781852429034 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Salie lives in Paris. Back home on the Senegalese island of Niodior, her football-crazy brother,...

Damned by Debt Relief.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2007... Damned by Debt Relief [pounds sterling]10 WORLDwrite DVD (28mins) Chew on It Productions [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even as Ghana celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence, there is a growing controversy regarding the...

Plugging-in the kora: mandinka tradition updated.(Electric Griot Land)(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Electric Griot Land Ba Cissoko Totolo Cat: Totolo 001 For Ba Cissoko, born into a griot family in Guinea-Conakry, to play the multi-stringed kora was a god-given privilege--when born a Cissoko, one is a kora player and he was...