African Business articles from October 2006

African Business archives from October 2006

Black and white issues: a disturbing experience.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I recently returned from Africa and saw the African Business March cover story (South Africa, Still Shackled by Apartheid?). I would like to share my experience as an Africa, born in America, on my first trip to Africa. I arrived in Cape Town...

Business is vital: initiative and enterprise.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I am an African and a junior high school student in Japan. I always read your magazine and I wanted to write to say how much I agree with your views that business is vital for Africa in providing employment and promoting economic growth. If you...

Corporate social responsibility: the nature of companies.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... In the editorial column of the August issue of African Business, Anver Versi writes about the very topical issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The way Versi describes CSR--and he is surely not alone--one might think that companies...

Wanting to be heard: a bushman puts his case.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... We Bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve are happy that African Business magazine has been talking about the eviction of our people from their land (African Business, July 2006 issue, 'The Bushman Saga'). We want the whole world to hear...

Kenya's shame: embracing risk preparedness.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Without a doubt, it was highly disturbing to watch TV late in August and witness one of the most important office blocks in Nairobi, International Life House, go up in flames. Even more disturbing was that innocent people were trapped in the...

The price of energy: world's most expensive power.(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Thanks as always for a great magazine which I have enjoyed reading now for some 20 years! In your African Business July 2006 edition in 'Business Briefs', it is stated under the headline 'SA electricity no longer the cheapest', that Denmark has...

Prize Letter: win a free annual subscription!(THIS MONTH'S PRIZE LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... 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...

Gold star for Mozambique.(Economic performance)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Mozambique continues to be Africa's star performer and gets a special mention in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report that applauds the southeast African nation for its sustained high rate of growth--7.5% in 2005 with much of the same...

Uranium find lifts Malawi.(Mining)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Malawi could join the elite uranium club if exploration results from the south of the country confirm the presence of economically extractable grades. "The exploration is proving positive, with the definition of strong total-count radiometric...

Seal-clubbing fracas in Namibia.(Conservation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Namibia could lose millions of dollars in foreign revenue if the conservation group Seal Alert-SA can convince the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) that the slaughter of seal pups is in...

Zimbabwe foresees light at year end.(Finance)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Drastic exchange control liberation will result in the recovery of the Zimbabwean economy within a year, says the president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI). "Give it another 12 months and we'll be back on our feet," maintains...

Ecobank lists in three countries.(Banking)(Ecobank Transnational Inc)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In September, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) was listed simultaneously on the three West African stock exchanges: The Nigeria Stock Exchange, Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange, Accra, and the BRVM, Abidjan This was the first time a...

Entertainers to pay up in advance.(Taxation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Entertainment and sports stars earning fees in South Africa will be taxed in advance in terms of a new provision brought by the Revenue Service. A withholding tax, in force from 1 August this year, is aimed at performers and sports stars who...

Peace can pay dividends.(infrastructure investment)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Foreign investors with deep pockets are waiting to put their money into African infrastructure development but need assurance that the continent is serious about good governance and fighting corruption. World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz...

Not so smart digital thieves.(Kenya Wildlife Service)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... About 60 alleged con artists are behind bars on charges of defrauding the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) of millions of dollars by cloning park access smart cards. The suspects, KWS staff, tour guides and drivers, are accused of defrauding the...

AB guide to African currencies.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)(Statistical table)
October 1, 2006... AB Guide to African Currencies Country Currency [pounds sterling]STG $US Algeria (Dinar) 134.48 72.11 Angola (New Kwanza) 149.89 ...

Hail the small-scale entrepreneur.(Editorial)
October 1, 2006... The word 'entrepreneur' derives from the French for 'somebody who undertakes'; its more common business usage describes people who are initiators, risk-takers, financiers. They are the people who set up enterprises--they can range from the...

Botswana: potrait of Africa's best economy.(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... Botwana celebrates 40 years of freedom this year (Independence date: 30 September, 1966). This has been a period of almost uninterrupted bounty with Botswana achieving a world-record breaking run of economic growth. While there is no doubt that...

Crunch time for world trade deal: once again the developing countries have failed to convince the rich nations to play fair in world trade. The Doha Treaty, which would reduce poverty in the developing world while keeping the rich wealthy, has been shuttling backwards and forwards with no agreement in sight. The implications of a stalemate are serious.(VIEW FROM THE CITY)
October 1, 2006... The Doha Development Agenda--the ninth round of global free trade talks launched in November 2001 by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist outrage--presented what was described as an 'unparalleled opportunity' for...

End of Bakassi impasse could boost Cameroon oil.
October 1, 2006... The long-running dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon over the sovereignty of the oil-bearing Bakassi peninsula is now all but resolved. Nigeria has adhered to the International Court of justice's ruling and withdrawn its troops from the south...

The deadly scourge of fake drugs: counterfeit drugs, which are not only ineffective in treating illnesses but can and do actually kill patients, now form 25% of all medicines in the developing world. The menace is increasing in Africa, as Tom Nevin reports.(HEALTH)
October 1, 2006... According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 25% of all medicines in less developed countries (LDCs) are counterfeit. In some countries, the prevalence is far higher. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The report Counterfeit medicines in less...

Economy in best shape for years: a number of factors, including record prices for oil and gas, have left Nigeria in a healthier economic position than it has been in for many years. But union opposition to civil service reform and other issues are looming on the horizon. Analysis by Neil Ford.(NIGERIA)
October 1, 2006... The Nigerian economy is certainly in a better state now than it has been for many years. Record oil and gas production would be cause for celebration enough but it has been achieved at a time of record oil and gas prices. Accompanied by the...

2010 World Cup: coach pay signals spending spree; The South African Football Association has decided that no 2010 problem is so big that it can't be solved by throwing money at it. But the government is not amused at the national coach's R1.8m-a-month salary, Tom Nevin reports from Johannesburg.(SOUTH AFRICA)
October 1, 2006... Germany 2006 is a hard act to follow. The virtually flawless soccer World Cup was run with precision and flair, and now South Africa must show that Africa can do as well, at least, and South Africa, the 2110 host, is sparing no expense in...

Agri-business takes centre stage: thousands of agri-business enterprises are being established in Mauritius. With government support and incentives, these companies are processing and exporting agricultural products to new markets in Europe and Australia. Nasseem Ackbarally reports from Port-Louis.(MAURITIUS)
October 1, 2006... Revenues from Mauritius' non-sugar agricultural sector contracted to under $81m in 2005. Alarmed at this trend, Agriculture Minister Arvin Boolell has given new vigour to agri-business by elaborating a national and regional strategy for the...

Lack of data mars golden opportunity: gold has the potential to outshine diamonds in Sierra Leone if local geologists' predictions prove to be correct and the numerous deposits of gold in the country can be productively and efficiently mined. But lack of data could be the stumbling block. Victoria Averill reports.(SIERRA LEONE)
October 1, 2006... Gold has been discovered in the north, east and south of Sierra Leone, but in the absence of any comprehensive geological survey, sizes of deposits in the country, at this stage, are unknown. Until now, it has been diamonds that have been at...

Kabila and Bemba face off in second round: the first round of voting in presidential elections in Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) failed to produce an outright winner and so a second round of polling will be required. The country, and Africa, waits with bated breath. report by Neil Ford.(DR CONGO)(Report)
October 1, 2006... Although the incumbent, Joseph Kabila, held a large lead over his nearest rival and took 45% of the vote, he failed to secure an absolute majority and must now face a run-off in the presidential election. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The...

Old man Kenya keeps rolling on: the Kenyan economy keeps rolling on as it has done in the past despite fresh exposures of scams and financial scandals. President Kibaki's low-profile attitude has nevertheless achieved some solid successes. Neil Ford reports.(Mwai Kibaki )
October 1, 2006... After several years of limited success, President Mwai Kibaki and his Narc government have finally been able to record some accomplishments that could benefit them in the next election campaign. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Although political...

Model elections but questionable democracy: the recently concluded elections in Seychelles have been described as a model for the rest of Africa but the continued victory of the ruling SWPPF party could undermine growth in the future, says Neil Ford.(SEYCHELLES)
October 1, 2006... The recent elections in Seychelles were calm and orderly but the Commonwealth Secretariat has appealed for major changes to the way the country is governed. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Seychelles has developed economically under the Seychelles...

Millions no longer millionaires: early last August, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono announced that three zeros would be knocked off all new banknotes to bring some sanity to that country's galloping inflation and money supply. Barnabas Thondhlana reports from Harare.(ZIMBABWE)
October 1, 2006... Announcing 'Project Sunrise', Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono said the introduction of a new set of banknotes, dubbed 'little heroes', would help Zimbabwean consumers deal with the country's hyperinflation, the highest inflation...

Be fair or quit, tobacco buyers warned: faced with declining prices for his country's most important cash crop, President Mutharika has gone on the offensive and warned tobacco buyers to either offer fair prices to growers or leave. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre.(Bingu wa Mutharika)
October 1, 2006... Frustrated with the ongoing 'war' on low tobacco prices which the country's farmers have been waging with tobacco buyers at auction floors, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika has taken the fight further by telling tobacco buyers to leave the...

Innovation is the key: institutions as knowledge carriers.(Learning to Compete in African Industry: Institutions and Technology in Development)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Learning to Compete in African Industry Institutions & Technology in Development By Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka [pounds sterling]55 Ashgate ISBN 0-7546-4643-2 This book is one of the outcomes of research conducted by the...

The White Man's Burden.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The White Man's Burden By William Easterly [pounds sterling]16.99 Oxford University Press 0-19-921082-9 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We are all aware of the extreme hunger and poverty that afflicts the world's poor. We hear the...

When We Ruled.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... When We Ruled By Robin Walker [pounds sterling]30 Every Generation Media ISBN 0-9551068-0-X [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Described as the best general work on the ancient and medieval history of African people, this landmark...

Elephant!(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Elephant! By Steve Bloom [pounds sterling]24.95 Thames & Hudson ISBN 0-500-51321X [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this joyous celebration of the largest land mammals on the planet, with photographs from the wildest outreaches...

Apartheid's Friends: The Rise and Fall of South Africa's Secret Service.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Apartheid's Friends The Rise and Fall of South Africa's Secret Service By James Sanders [pounds sterling]11.99 James Murray ISBN: 0719566754 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Very little has been written about the South African...

The Grand Slave Emporium: Cape Coast Castle and the British Slave Trade.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The Grand Slave Emporium Cape Coast Castle and the British Slave Trade By Williams St Clair [pounds sterling]16.99 Profile Books ISBN 1-86197-904-5 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For nearly 150 years before abolition in 1807,...

Meet Me in Mozambique.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Meet me in Mozambique By E A Markham [pounds sterling]7.99 Tindal Street Press ISBN 0-9547913-7-1 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More of a collection of short stories and anecdotes than a novel, Meet me in Mozambique was first...

Half of a Yellow Sun.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Half of a Yellow Sun By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [pounds sterling]14.99 Fourth Estate ISBN 0-00-720027-7 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who grew up in Nigeria, was short-listed for the 2002 Caine Prize...

Angry as hell: a demand for change.(Rise Up)(Sound recording review)
October 1, 2006... Rise Up Thomas Mapfumo & Blacks Unlimited Real World Cat: CDRW136 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For around three decades, Thomas 'Mukanya' Mapfumo has been the most politically influential entertainer in Zimbabwe. Now living in...