Business Africa

Ghana marked 55 years of independence from colonial rule on 6 March 2012 – “no mean achievement” in the life of any nation, according to President John Evans Atta Mills speaking at the national celebrations. He added that “certainly, we

Read the rest of Ghana at 55 – poised for a great leap forward? – By Nana Ampofo at Songhai Advisory »

Among the extractive industry stakeholders who gathered in the Sussex countryside last month to discuss transparency were representatives of some of the world’s leading oil companies.  Under fire on several fronts, they were there to do their bit for the

Read the rest of Africa’s new energy giants may have transparency on their side, by Thalia Griffiths at African Energy »

Corruption of previous governments is likely to be targeted by new Sata regime, particularly in infrastructure, energy and retail sectors. In the next six-months, President Sata is unlikely to ease his anti-corruption drive, which was one of his key campaign

Read the rest of Zambia: Sata and co. follow through on election pledge to fight corruption – By Exclusive Analysis »

Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono’s proposal in November to peg a new Zimbabwean dollar to the Chinese yuan made a splash of headlines. The Asia Times, for example, announced “Zimbabwe’s yearn for yuan,” while Al-Jazeera asked “To Yuan or not

Read the rest of ZANU-PF and China: does Zimbabwe really ‘yearn for the Yuan?’ – By Andrew C. Miller »

Some of the discussion at this week’s Emerging Markets Funds conference in London is around the notion of ‘pivotal powers’ and their role in politics and prosperity in a volatile world. Does it make sense to include Nigeria as such

Read the rest of Nigeria: a ‘pivotal power’ in emerging markets? — by Jolyon Ford at Oxford Analytica. »

Election fever grips West African nation of Senegal in presidential polls Incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade fails to emerge victorious in the first round against 13 other challengers Run-off vote expected before 1 April between Wade and former protégé, Macky Sall

Read the rest of No Condition is Permanent: A Look at Senegal’s Presidential Polls Thus Far – By Kissy Agyeman-Togobo, Songhai Advisory »

There is a limit to what one can read into visual impressions made during the Mining Indaba in Cape Town earlier this month. For one thing, the paucity of Chinese mining, banking or government delegates at a large African mining

Read the rest of Rethinking investor risk in contemporary Zimbabwe – by Jolyon Ford at Oxford Analytica. »

The country risk score for Nigeria on Exclusive Analysis’s Foresight Country Risk Platform is now 4.3, which is in the Severe Risk Band. Only the country risk scores for Somalia and Sudan are higher in the sub-Saharan African region. President

Read the rest of Nigeria: The Risks of a Coup or Civil War – Exclusive Analysis Ltd »

Last Friday (4th Feb), the Ugandan government finally signed Production Sharing Agreements with UK based Tullow Oil. The deal has been in waiting for months as a bargain was struck on the one hand between the government and the oil companies,

Read the rest of Tullow begins Uganda farmdown after PSA signing with Uganda Government – By Angelo Izama »

If 2011 was a record year for elections in Africa, it was also the year frontier exploration for oil and gas came of age. Global crude oil prices have risen steadily since mid-2010, and with annual growth in Africa’s oil

Read the rest of Sub-Saharan Oil and Gas 2012: a Business Africa guide – By Rolake Akinkugbe, Ecobank Capital »