Africa

It is now eight years since Business Excellence covered First Quantum Mines for the first time. The company had just been awarded one of almost 30 mining licenses granted by the Zambian government. Global copper prices were on a downward trend that wouldn’t bottom out until late 2015. After a $1.1 billion investment, most investors would be forgiven for feeling anxious.

Botswana is home to one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Despite being a landlocked country with a miniscule population of a little over 2 million people, Botswana is an undoubted Sub-Saharan success story. Academics argue about the reasons for this success, but two reasons are mentioned again and again. The first is good institutions. The second, has been the country’s ability to exploit and market its outstanding mining resources.

When Business Excellence last visited Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the focus of the interview was the changes that Mozambique was undergoing. The company had just received financing from the World Bank and the European Investment Bank to the tune of $200 million and plans were being put in place to improve the energy links that existed between Mozambique and neighbouring countries like South Africa.

The recently re-elected president of Tanzania, John Magufuli stated in November 2020 that his government predicts economic growth of 8% for the country over the next five years.  This isn’t unreasonable given that the country’s GDP has grown by a CAGR of around 7% over the five years of Mr. Magufuli’s first mandate. Given that over half of the country’s export income comes from gold, the success of Shanta Gold is inextricably tied with the fortunes of Tanzania.

Business Excellence last visited the Kenyan Ports Authority (KPA) in June 2014, at a time when it was planning a second container terminal for Mombasa Port to further extend its capacity. Shortly after our feature, in August of that year, it agreed to a deal worth close to half a billion dollars with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) for the construction of three new berths.

In 2017, the African country of Mozambique celebrates the proud landmark of 25 years of political stability and democracy. With stability has come significant progress on a number of levels. A recent indication of this was seen with the establishment of the Balama Graphite Project, some 300km west of the port city of Pemba.

It has been nearly seven years since Business Excellence first paid a visit to Coca-Cola Sabco Mozambique in Maputo back in 2003. At that time, the company had just entered its second decade in the east African republic. It had already undergone a journey with the country, which still viewed soft drinks as a luxury product because of price constraints.

With a coastline stretching over 2,000 kilometres, Mozambique, in southeast Africa, is home to some of the most stunning, preserved beaches in the world. Technically, this paradise should be more accessible than those in more popular tourist destinations like the Maldives and the Seychelles, but a historical lack of infrastructure has hindered progress on this front until now.

Regular readers of Business Excellence may recall our profile on Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) in South Africa back in 2013. TPT was, and remains, a central player in South Africa’s growing export-led economy. Indeed, since the time of the article, South Africa’s exports have almost doubled in volume, underlining the importance of TPT and its ilk to the ongoing success of the country.

When Anheuser-Busch InBev merged with South African Breweries (SAB) back in 2016, it was already the biggest brewer by volume in the world. As a result of the merger with SABMillerwhich is an integral part of the social fabric of South Africa, it was able to gain a foothold in Africa - widely regarded as the most prospective market in the world for beer sales.