New Forest Company's Rwandan deal will boost wood products
The Rwandan Government has reached an agreement with a South African firm to harvest 10,000 hectares of forest planted around the Nyungwe National Forest
Sectors - Construction
New US$200 million cement plant in Zimbabwe
A leading cement manufacturer has revealed major expansion plans which will increase its capacity by about one million tons a year
On the road to a KR187million improvement
The Zambian Government has signed contracts for a major infrastructure project which will see roads in two of its cities get a revamp
Two companies cement relationship in US$69.4M deal
South African cement giant PPC Ltd has taken a controlling stake in Rwandan producer CIMERWA Ltd
Major boost for Tanzania's transport network
Massive expansion plans to develop the country's air, rail and port infrastructure have been revealed by the government who have high hopes of more prosperous economic times ahead
PM praises airport expansion plan
Big strides are being made in Rwanda to upgrade its airport facilities in a bid to help cushion its economy against the Euro crisis
US$320 million mine project safeguards 3,000 jobs
The owners of a Zambian copper mine have reported good progress on a scheme to extend the lifespan of the mine and save thousands of jobs
South Africa considers state-owned construction company
Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale claims the South African government is being 'forced' to consider implementing a state owned construction company
Ethiopia signs $3.2bn deal to build a new railway line
Ethiopia has signed two deals worth $3.2 billion with Chinese and Turkish companies to construct a railway to link the land-locked Horn of Africa nation to Djibouti's Tadjourah port to export potash, officials have revealed
Africa's richest man resumes stock exchange role
Aliko Dangote has won an appeal to return to the head of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)
Dangote to float cement business on LSE
Nigerian billionaire cited as saying he will float 20 percent of company on London Stock Exchange
State-of-the-art Port holds the key to S Africa's future
The South African Port of Ngqura has been officially opened after over a decade of planning and construction work
Asphalt road through Serengeti scrapped
Plans to build a paved road through Serengeti National Park have been revised for sake of wildlife
How new drilling technology could change African mining
Innovative water hydraulic and power packs system saves energy and money
Nigerian tycoon Dangote adds to his billions
From a humble start in business, Aliko Dangote has gone on to develop and own one of the world's largest cement manufacturers
Can Durban 2020 live up to the success of the World Cup?
South African President Jacob Zuma delivered his state of the nation address last month, and his words about last summer’s tournament echoed the overall consensus of visiting teams, fans and spectators from afar.
“The experience of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup taught us the need to appreciate all that is good about our country,” he boomed.
How to raise an online profile in Africa
You would expect the main challenges when running a search engine marketing (SEM) campaign in Africa to be fairly tactical things, such as communicating with small, fragmented markets; a variety of languages and cultures; poverty; bandwidth and infrastructure constraints; and the propensity for governments under threat to simply switch off the internet.
Executive MBA: Senior managers apply within
Voted Best Business School in Africa for a third consecutive year in November 2010 at the Eduniversal Global Convention in Prague, Czech Republic, the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) offers one of the most innovative Executive MBA courses in the world.
The real deal on African IPOs
In 1989, there were only five sub-Saharan countries with stock exchanges. But today more than 16 countries have bourses with a capitalisation of more than $400 billion. Most however, have remained stagnant for years with many businesses not listing.
SEO is not the only way
Web 2.0 enables businesses to actively engage with customers and collaborate with them on product development, service enhancement and promotion. In terms of marketing, this drive towards user-created content means forming a direct link with the consumer and providing them with product news and information.
The green shoots of Africa's start-ups
A report released in August last year appeared to debunk the myth that many of the jobs created by start-ups disappear within a few years thanks to the high failure rate of startups.
According to the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation, the employment created by start-ups had a lasting impact on the US economy.
Africa in 2011: Will the continent continue to gain strength?
ABR discussed Africa’s economic prospects for 2011 with a co-author of the African Economic Report, Jean Philippe Stijns, Economist on the Europe, Middle Eastern and Africa desk at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Social Media: Word of mouth on digital steroids
Social media has taken the world by storm. Facebook consistently achieves the largest amount of weekly traffic in the US; one in every eight couples married in the US met via social networking portals and incredibly social media has overtaken pornography as the number one activity on the internet.
Bringing Africa up to speed with the cloud
The cloud concept is relatively simple. It is a way to access data and applications from anywhere, anytime, via the internet, or “the cloud”.
How to survive the office Christmas party
Christmas is nearly upon us and as Andy Williams once crooned, it’s the most wonderful time of the year... right? Perhaps he was a little optimistic with that one. The Christmas season brings infuriating queues, last minute dashes to the shops, and a never-ending list of exhausting parties.
Why Facebook is relevant to your business plan
One of the posters for the film The Social Network features the following phrase: “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”
Tablet Computers: 6 Alternatives to the iPad
In April 2010 Apple revealed the much anticipated iPad, the first of what would later become the prototype to internet tablets over international waters. Since then, competitors have been working on improving the gadget with a few notable distributors in the US, Columbia, China and the UK.
Social Networking In Africa
The general perception is that Web 2.0 is a creature of Silicon Valley: the latest hot property out of there is Flipboard which launched its first iPad app in July: 20 minutes later its servers died under the demand. You know you have a success on your hands when that happens. Flipboard allows you to ‘curate your own magazine’.
G-Mobile puts up cash for cell contract in Malawi
G-Mobile will become the third cellular operator in Malawi after agreeing to invest $150 million into its network operations over the next three years. The contract was signed earlier this week and includes plans for the construction of 22 network sites that are predicted to be fully functional by the end of the year.
The best CRM Software on the market
Although many perceive the term ‘CRM’ as old school, it’s clear that there is a bright future ahead for those willing to focus on this widely recognised and long-used strategy.
Windows 7 in Africa
Q1: Can you start by outlining the new and changed features of Windows 7 that may be particularly useful in the African business environment?
World Cup catalyst for future growth
PwC Deputy CEO, Stanley Subramoney, said: “As economic growth slowly returns to many parts of the world after the financial crisis, awareness has heightened and more sustainable approaches to transportation, building, energy, waste and water are needed to truly drive future economic success”.
ASEC Engineering to manage Sudanese cement plant
Last week, ASEC Holding announced that Portfolio Company ASEC Engineering and Management has signed a three-year renewable contract to provide technical management services for Alsalam Cement Production Company’s (ACPC) cement plant near Atbara – marking the company’s second contract in Sudan.
R44bn allocated for Ethiopia's infrastructure
The Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi announced the R44 billion budget for 2010/11 last Thursday. The 20 percent increase, from R36.4 billion in 2009/10, represents the biggest budget ever passed by the country's parliament and the largest spending in this area by any African country.
Smartphones - Africa's laptop killer?
Ever since the developed regions of the world were introduced to the first smartphones back in the 1990s, this compact ‘mobile computer’ has grown both in its popularity and capabilities.
New satellite gateway for SA
The global company is partnering with South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), one of Africa’s leading research and technology institutions, whose Satellite Applications Centre will install and maintain the facility.
World Cup jobs diminish
According to the latest Employment Index released by Adcorp, South Africa’s largest diversified employment services company, employment fell sharply between April and May this year, representing an annualized decline of 6.2 percent during the month.
Zuma praises new housing projects
During the launch of a social housing program in East London this weekend, South African President Jacob Zuma said: “All human beings strive to obtain decent shelter in a decent community. That is why as government we are doing all we can to assist our people to obtain affordable and habitable shelter.”
China invests R1.65m into SA's cement industry
Women Investment Portfolio Holdings Limited (Wiphold), an investment and operating company owned and managed by black women, and Continental Cement (Conticem), a South African limestone mining company, will begin a joint venture with China's Jidong Development Group and the China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) to construct
World Cup: FIFA signs off extra cash for SA
According to BBC Sport, FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, has said the game's governing body signed off the 25 percent increase at an Executive Committee meeting in March.
AFDB, Government of Benin: loan agreement signed
The project will mainly cover the construction and tarring of 77 km of the road Ndala-Nikki-Chicandou-Frontier Nigeria between Ndala and the Nigerian border, the total cost of which amounts to 27.2 billion CFA Francs.
Aveng looks beyond borders for acquisitions
South African construction and engineering company Aveng Ltd is looking beyond its borders to Australia for acquisitions, although it is keeping its eye on the South African market as well.
Coal of Africa launches development work at Vele coal project
Mining group Coal of Africa has received a government license to start production at its Vele coking coal project.
It will begin development immediately.
The company, which sees production beginning in the third quarter, said it would develop the project in two phases.
MW Kellogg to report misconduct in Nigeria
According to the Financial Times, MW Kellogg, which is part-owned by KBR, will tell the SFO about its own misconduct in Nigeria in a bid to receive lenient treatment over an investigation that has been ongoing for over three years.
Demand for next-generation services high in EMEA
Information released today by iBAHN, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment and internet solutions for the hospitality and meeting industries, shows phenomenal demand for next-generation services in European Middle East and Africa in 2009.
Nokia X6 now available
The Nokia X6 is now available in selected markets and, let me tell you, this phone is great.
It comes with an “all-you-can-eat” music offering, which promises to “pioneer new ways for the world to experience music”, and is expected to retail at around 450 euros.
The World Cup 2010: Lifting the spirits of a nation
The prospect of playing host to the mostwatched sporting event on earth – the FIFA World Cup – is mouth watering and the competition to host the tournament is, perhaps unsurprisingly, fierce. Already, English papers are dominated by the FA’s bid to host the event in 2018 or 2022, having famously failed in an attempt to host the 2006 competition.
