African Business articles from November 2005

African Business archives from November 2005

Africa's development: provide employment.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... The West's never-ending desire for moral grandstanding and its devotion to being the judge, jury and executioner for all ethical questions has created a continuous debate on what role the West should be playing in Africa and the wider...

Girl's guidance: support the movement.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... I commend you on your article Step Forward Daughters of Africa, in the June issue of African Business. Yes, many are gathering forces to promote the role of women in Africa. I recently heard a princess from Zambia on the BBC talking about the...

Political courage: who will bell the cat?(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... Thanks so much for your editorial, The fall of a good man, in the July issue of African Business. The truth about corruption is that it destroys any society. In many African countries today, corruption is a parasite that has eaten deep into...

A clear winner: broad analysis and comment.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... May I add to your doubtless already overflowing mailbag my congratulations for winning the 2005 Diageo Best Publication Award. For some time now it has been clear that your magazine is head-and-shoulders above the crowd when it comes to...

Prize letter: win a free annual subscription!
November 1, 2005... 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...

Conservation: 'save our apes' DRC funding plea.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Democratic Republic of Congo )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a worldwide appeal for funds to save its gorillas from extinction. Home to three of the world's great apes, the DRC says economic decline and poverty are the main causes for poachers decimating the...

Economics: FDI flows heading for record levels.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Private investment in key emerging markets is projected at $148.9bn this year and only somewhat lower ($145.8bn) in 2006, according to the Institute of International Finance. This mirrors the trend in total foreign direct investment, projected...

Science: SADC probes bioscience.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Southern African Network for Biosciences )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Nepad has established the Southern African Network for Biosciences (SANBio) to strengthen the commercial biosciences capacity in the southern African region. SANBio, a network of technology suppliers from the 13 countries within the Southern...

Telecoms: privatisation cut off.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Malawi Telecommunications Limited )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Malawi President Bingu wa Mathurika has pulled the plug on the privatisation of the country's telecoms provider after critics of the process said the sale price was too low, Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) was offered for disposal at...

Resources: hunt for Madagascar uranium.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A joint Canadian-Madagascar exploration venture, PAM Atomique Sarl, has been set up with 20% government participation to explore, develop and exploit the Indian Ocean island's strategic uranium and hydrocarbon resources. Canadian registered Pan...

Healthcare: compensating Africa for medical brain-drain.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The British government is considering compensating African countries for the droves of medical professionals who obtain their training in Africa and then migrate to the UK's National Health Service. Financial recompense is not part of the plan....

Aviation: top up your (airliner) tank in Lusaka.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Spooked by international airlines cutting flights to Lusaka in the face of rising international oil costs, the Zambia government is offering a 5% discount on jet fuel. The cutback in flights comes as several commercial airlines complained that...

Investment: Implats/Aquarius takes a tentative stake in Zimbabwe.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Zimplats platinum mining operation, jointly owned by South Africa's Impala Platinum (Implats) and Aquarius Mining are going ahead with a $14m expansion at Mimosa mine in Zimbabwe. The move is against a general trend of disinvestment in the...

Outlook: Africa's best economic growth since 1970s.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The continent is successfully countering the effects of HIV/Aids and other debilitating epidemics as it heads for faster economic growth and healthier investment. According to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook, the working age population...

Defence: South Africa can protect itself.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Thanks to its R60bn military upgrade, South Africa is ready and able to protect itself against any aggressor, says the country's defence minister, Mosiuoa Lekota. "There is absolutely nothing we can't respond to," he says. Unhappy with...

Industry: absenteeism a headache in S. Africa.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Work stay-ways in South Africa are reaching epidemic proportions and could be costing the country as much as R12bn ($192m) a year. An average of 4.5% of a company's workforce is absent on any given day. In certain companies this figure is as...

AB guide to African currencies.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Illustration)
November 1, 2005... AB Guide to African Currencies COUNTRY CURRENCY [pounds sterling] STG ALGERIA (Dinar) 128.36 ANGOLA (New Kwanza) 157.56 BENIN (CFA) ...

Let us embrace the African diaspora.(EDITORIAL)(Setorwu Gagakuma passed away)
November 1, 2005... Every year in Britain and the US, one month is dedicated to 'Black History'. The idea behind Black History Month (BHM) is to reconnect the very large communities of African descent living in Britain and the US with their own history. A good...

Can Africa join the investment revolution?(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... The United Nations' latest report on Foreign Direct Investment global trends shows that FDI flows into Africa in 2004 stood still, exactly equalling 2003 inflows. However, there has been a seismic change elsewhere, with a massive tilt in favour...

G8 pledges: old wine in a new bottle? The Gleneagles G8 Summit in July pledged a major increase in aid to Africa and the removal of trade-distorting tariffs against African exports. Is this a real change in policy or merely yet more rhetoric?
November 1, 2005... Five years ago the international community set ambitious global targets to liberate the citizens of poorer nations, by the year 2015, from "the abject and dehumanising conditions of absolute poverty". [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Africa's role key for petroleum future: given the currently volatile profile of crude and refined oil in global trade and politics, the 18th World Petroleum Council Congress in Johannesburg assumed a more than usual significance. Associate editor Tom Nevin attended the congress.(CONFERENCE)
November 1, 2005... When the world's oilmen and women, energy ministers and bureaucrats, media representatives and exhibitors packed up and departed South Africa after a mammoth get together at the 18th World Petroleum Council (WPC) Congress, they left behind a...

Can cassava solve Africa's food crisis? The solution to Africa's persistently poor food security situation could well be the humble cassava. It is a staple food in many countries and it thrives where other food crops wither. Taye Babaleye explains why cassava can be Africa's food saviour.(AGRICULTURE)
November 1, 2005... Over the past five decades, Africa's food security situation has hardly shown any substantial improvement. Every year seems to bring a new food crisis in some country or region. After the famine in Niger and reports of acute food shortage in...

Nigeria's most transparent licensing round: Nigeria's latest exploration licensing round is perhaps the most transparent of its recent history. Bidding has been competitive and intense despite provisions tying downstream activities to contracts.
November 1, 2005... The Nigerian government has in its latest licensing round attempted to move away from its reliance on traditional high profile upstream deals with the majors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A greater range of...

Africa's fishing industry faces crisis: Africa's fishing communities must change the way they operate if they are to meet demand and reduce poverty and hunger. Tom Nevin reports.
November 1, 2005... The world's fishing industry is edging towards crisis, and most at risk are Africa's millions of fishermen and women, among the continent's poorest communities. This is the view of a joint Nigeria-World Bank study and the trigger for a global...

Africa's science revolution begins: without a strong foundation in science, no region has been able to make social or economic progress. Yet, sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world, is bottom of the heap in terms of science and technology. But, as Dr. Hippolyte Fofack writes, all this is about to change, thanks to an exciting new initiative.(SCIENCE)
November 1, 2005... History tells us that no region in the world has been able to achieve economic and social progress without the knowledge and application of science and technology. All modern advances are built on a solid foundation of scientific knowledge. Yet...

African projects win Ashden Awards: the annual Ashden Awards are the world's most important prizes given to scientific initiatives for sustainable energy in the developing world. This year they honoured two African projects. Stephen Williams reports.(SCIENCE)
November 1, 2005... The prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 2005 have announced that two African projects have won substantial cash prizes that will help them both continue and expand the work they have pioneered. The awards, now in their fifth...

Sovereign credit rating--how it works and why it is vital: why are organisations such as Moody's and Standard and Poor's so influential? Who are they and what do they do? What is sovereign credit rating? Neil Ford provides answers to these and other investment related questions.(INVESTMENT)
November 1, 2005... One of the main factors that deters foreign companies from investing in sub-Saharan Africa outside the oil, gas and mining sectors is ignorance. Many globally well known conglomerates simply do not know much about the region. Investors use many...

Africa's 'dirty man' starts clean-up act: South Africa, called the 'dirty man' of Africa because of its use of pollution-emitting coal-based energy is set to clean up its act. There is state support on offer for alternative, renewable sources of cheap power and, as Neil Ford reports, they are plenty of takers.(ENVIRONMENT)
November 1, 2005... Global efforts to cut emissions of green-house gases generally focus on the industrialised world and the large, rapidly growing economies of Asia. The debate centres on whether there is any point in Western Europe and North America cutting...

The UN's 'peace railway' project for Central Africa: The UN, with the personal backing of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, has produced a rail-and-ferry programme to link the various Central African economies together. This will not only result in higher growth but is likely to ensure peace and stability in the region. But who will fund this project, asks Neil Ford.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
November 1, 2005... Behind the headlines generated by peacekeeping operations in the Mano River states, the war in Iraq and the Iranian nuclear question, one of the UN's biggest challenges over the next decade and longer is to bring long-term peace and stability...

Internet connections for the price of two old tin cans: just solder together two tin cans, add a receiver and you can have you own internet antenna at an exceedingly low cost. At least that is the aim of an imaginative Dutchman who is trying to bring cheap internet connections to rural Uganda. Tristan McConnell met him.
November 1, 2005... Ibrahim Mbazira is a blacksmith in Kayabwe trading centre--an hour's drive outside the Ugandan capital Kampala. Every day tourists speed past in their 4WD vehicles: a kilometer up the road they have watched a funnel of water drain clockwise...

Tunisia, S Africa, Botswana beat India, China in WEF ranking: the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report is now regarded as the most accurate barometer of how well--or badly--countries perform year by year. Some African countries have done exceptionally well this year, outranking the likes of India and Japan. Gordon Feller reports.
November 1, 2005... The World Economic Forum (WEF) has been producing The Global Competitiveness Report for 26 years and its unique mix of hard and soft data has made it possible to accurately capture the broad range of factors seen to be essential to a better...

Africa report: a unique platform to the world for people who make things happen in Africa.
November 1, 2005... Africa Report is a weekly television series broadcast on the world's leading business channel CNBC Europe. AFRICA REPORT provides a unique platform reaching out to over 60 countries for the people who make things happen, the political and...

Customised style: standing up for your identity.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Here's a way to stand out in the crowd: DIY personalised clothing and shoes. Nike, the world's largest athletics shoemaker, lets you design your shoes--from the colour combo to your name on the tongue. In one of the globe's most competitive...

A moving tale: another household miracle.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Problem: how to get that heavy piece of furniture--like a piano--from one end of a room to another. Solution: fluoropolymer and plastic composite moulding technology--Smooth-Move, for short. Smooth-Move is the technological innovation of a...

The Shesha system: need to use the phone? Call a cab ...(Taxifone)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... South Africa's upgraded taxi fleet has a new passenger plus--onboard telephones. Targeting the 12m or so South African commuters travelling by minibus taxi every day. Taxifone enables passengers to make cashless calls en route. Called Shesha...

Plant removal: getting to the root of the problem.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Uprooting small trees, shrubs and bushes need no longer be backbreaking work, thanks to the Tree Popper. Farmer Terry Negus needed a solution to invader plants in his Western Cape, South Africa, vineyards. Herbicides were expensive and offered...

Foal play: when Alex met Allison.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... It happened across the species line, and is causing a stir amongst biologists in Africa and the Caribbean. It is the arrival of a foal with a brown body and striped legs--the product of crossing a zebra named Allison from Botswana and donkey...

Medical moments: thumbs up for Safura.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Safura Abdool Karim )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Durban schoolgirl, 13-year-old Safura Abdool Karim has made South African medical history in becoming the youngest-ever contributor to the SA Medical Journal. Her contribution was a study of 'PlayStation Thumb' based on a survey of 120 of her...

Medical moments: pomegranate juice and pregnancy.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A daily dose of pomegranate juice during pregnancy may reduce infant brain injury, a new US study shows. The fruit contains high concentrations of polyphenols, a substance shown to potentially have anti-ageing and neuroprotective effects, and...

Medical moments: veg memory booster.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A folic acid vitamin pill has been found by Dutch researchers to slow the mental decline of ageing. Folate, a B vitamin abundant in certain dark-coloured fruit and vegetables, has been found to protect the brain if taken in large, double-dose...

Medical moments: snores go for a song.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Forget expensive medicines and surgical treatments to cure your snoring. All you need is a song! British researchers are convinced that by exercising your vocal chords, you'll stop snoring. They've now launched a two-year trial that involves...

Medical moments: why women live longer.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Medical researchers now believe that the hormone oestrogen is the reason why women live longer than men. In Britain, for instance, males can expect to reach 75 years and women typically 80, and that's because the hormone guards against free...

Medical moments: new hope for osteoporosis sufferers.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Osteoporosis, a bone-degeneration condition of the ageing process affecting mainly women, might soon effectively be treated by a simple new drug. Currently treated with biphosphonates that are difficult to use and must be taken often, a new...

Medical moments: stem cells from hair.(PRODUCTS & PROCESSES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Stem cells, those controversial microbiological human tissue building blocks, might soon be as plentiful as the hair on the head. US medical researchers have discovered that stem cells found in the follicles of human hair can develop into nerve...

Medical moments: needles point the way.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Scientists are finding that acupuncture is an effective treatment for high blood pressure and other ailments of the cardiac system, but they don't yet know why. It works on rats, say researchers at the University of California who found that...

Take a memo: a day in the life of ...(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The older generation--these days anyone over 30--have enough trouble mastering the cellphone's SMS or text messaging facility; now, along comes Sense-Cam--a micro camera that you attach to your jacket lapel disguised as a piece of jewellery or...

Handheld guide: a step ahead for the blind.(Ultracane )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The power of ultrasound to detect obstacles has been harnessed in the development of a new cane for the blind. Borrowed from the way bats can navigate in the dark by bouncing sonic waves off nearby objects is the key to the revolutionary new...

Sensing substances: and now, bug sniffer!(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A portable device that quickly detects and identifies unknown chemical and biological substances from safe distances has been patented by scientists at the US Department of Energy. Reports Alan Duggan of Popular Mechanics magazine: "The...

Up in the air: soon flying will never be the same.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... As executives are discovering in the cut-throat competition of the airline business, it's no longer as simple as transporting passengers from one destination to another as quickly as possible. Finicky flyers are always on the lookout for...

Formalising the informal: although South Africa's formal economy has enjoyed a growth boom since the ending of apartheid, paradoxically, poverty levels have also been rising. This, says Tom Nevin, is the result of the marginalisation of the informal sector. He reports on fresh efforts to steer this vast second economy into the mainstream.(Southern African Regional Poverty Network)(International Monetary Fund)
November 1, 2005... For a while now, a new catchphrase has been doing the rounds in politico-socio-economic circles. Apparently it was conceived in South Africa, has since been adopted into the lingua franca of other southern African countries, and it probably...

Where are the local shipowners? As part of its masterplan to modernise and rationalise its ports, the Nigerian government wants domestic companies to take more control of activities than it does at present. But hurdles remain, as Neil Ford reports.(NIGERIA)(Nigerian Ports Authority)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2005... While Nigeria's port reform process continues to make slow if steady progress, efforts to promote the growth of domestic shipping lines in the face of dominant international firms have made less headway. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The...

Cake is bigger, but the slices are smaller: good cocoa exports have boosted Ghana's economic growth rates over the past two years, but new policies are needed if the benefits are to reach the common citizen. Neil Ford examines the issue.(GHANA)
November 1, 2005... After several years of disappointment, the Ghanaian economy has gradually been turned round and must now feature on any list of recent African success stories. Growth rates of 4.5%, 5.2% and 5.8% over the past three years have partly been...

Low cotton prices blunt growth spike.(MALI)
November 1, 2005... The IMF believes that Mali is becoming an increasingly attractive place to invest but despite its impressive fiscal performance, the government continues to struggle with the age old conundrum facing African states. How can economic growth be...

Diamonds are not enough: the Central African Republic, once the 'personal domain' of 'Emperor' Jean Badel Bokassa, seemed to have disappeared off the continental radar until an exodus of refugees recently turned the spotlight back on this small country. Neil Ford analyses the current trends in CAR.(CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC)
November 1, 2005... Despite rich natural resources, including diamonds, gold and uranium, the Central African Republic (CAR) remains one of the least developed countries in the world due to the mismanagement of resources, political instability and its geographical...

Vieira finally claims victory.
November 1, 2005... Joao Bernardo Vieira has finally taken up the post of president of Guinea Bissau after a series of post-electoral difficulties. The final round of voting was held at the end of July but the ruling Partido Africano da Independencia da Guine e...

A fake economy: the world's fastest growing crime wave.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Knock Off The Deadly Trade in Counterfeiting By Tim Phillips [pounds sterling]16.99 Kogan Page ISBN 0-7494-43790 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the introduction to this book, author Tim Phillips writes that "measuring the...

Art in the Service of Colonialism: French Art Education in Morocco.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Art in the Service of Colonialism French Art Education in Morocco [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Hamid Irbouh [pounds sterling]45 I B Tauris ISBN 1-85043-851-X Author Hamid Irbouh throws new light on how the Moroccan...

Underdevelopment in Ethiopia: Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Underdevelopment in Ethiopia Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Eshetu Chole [pounds sterling]22.95 OSSREA ISBN 1-904-855-350 Before his death in 1998,...

Contours of Descent.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Contours of Descent [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Robert Pollin [pounds sterling]9.99 Verso ISBN 1-84467-543-3 This book, the author tells us, began its incubation as a conference paper for the January 2000 Allied Social...

African Womanhood in Colonial Kenya.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... African Womanhood in Colonial Kenya [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Tabitha Kanogo [pounds sterling]45 James Currey ISBN 0-8214-1568-9 This social study fills a gap in the colonial history of Kenya. Kenyan women negotiated...

The State of Africa: A history of 50 years of independence.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The State of Africa A history of 50 years of independence [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Martin Meredith [pounds sterling]20 Free Press ISBN 0-7432-3221-6 This book is a sweeping history of post-colonial Africa, exploring...

The Man in my Basement.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Man in my Basement [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Walter Mosley [pounds sterling]7.99 Serpent's Tail ISBN 1-85242-790-6 Hailed as a masterpiece and the finest work yet by the great African-American novelist Walter Mosley,...

African Wisdom 365 Days.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... African Wisdom 365 Days [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By Danielle and Olivier Follmi [pounds sterling]24.95 Thames & Hudson ISBN 0-500-543119 This book takes us to the heart of African life and thought. Husband and wife team...

All aboard the orient express: a musical odyssey.(Orientation)(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2005... Orientation Thione Seck Sterns Cat: STCD1100 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thionne (pronounced 'Tchon') Seck has been an important figure on Senegal's music scene since the 1960s. Not yet as well known to the world at large as...