Africa

BP has announced the sale of its Southern African forecourt network to Puma Energy, a unit of international commodities trader Trafigura, for $296 million.

BP is selling its interests in forecourts and supply businesses in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. The sales do not include BP's refining and marketing businesses in Mozambique or South Africa.

Angola's state-owned oil company Sonangol will buy a 10 per cent stake in Puma's newly acquired assets.

SEMS Exploration has built its reputation as a mineral exploration service consultancy on a unique business model. Managing director Simon Meadows Smith talks to Gay Sutton about the secrets of retaining staff through good times and bad.

Hatti Zeppel, CEO of Green Cross Manufacturing, South Africa’s leading comfort footwear manufacturer, has been caught off guard by the company’s success over the past year. Jayne Flannery reports.

Under new ownership, the South African fast food franchise DoRego’s has achieved a significant turnaround. Gerald Brown talks to Gay Sutton about revamping the brand and introducing operational management improvements.

Anvil Mining is about to become one of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s leading copper producers. A defining characteristic of the company’s presence in the DRC is the degree to which it is taking a leading role with a carefully crafted corporate social responsibility strategy. President and CEO Bill Turner talks to Jayne Flannery.

Anglo Swiss mining giant Xstrata has raised its cash offer to buy Australia’s Sphere Minerals by 20 per cent to A$514 million (approximately €365 million).

Zug, Switzerland-based Xstrata said the offer was final and would lapse if shareholder acceptances stayed below 50 per cent by 12 November. 8.1 per cent of Sphere’s shareholders had accepted the initial offer as of 2 November.

Webb Construction is playing an increasingly major role in support of West Africa’s mining boom, as Ben Sansom reports.

2010 has been a stellar year to date for Rockwell Diamonds Inc. CEO John Bristow talks to Jayne Flannery about the trends and factors moving in the company’s favour.

2009 was an awful year for the diamond industry, with markets recording an unprecedented plummet in prices of around 50 per cent. As the global recession hit, it seemed that diamonds were no one’s best friend. Girls the world over were finding themselves compelled to downgrade and weigh up cheaper options.

Owen Silavweand Aaron Botha talk to Gay Sutton about a transmission line project that will make Copperbelt Energy Corporation the export route for DRC’s power for another generation; and the construction of a new hydro power plant in an area of historic significance for Zambia.

Electrical contractor Cegelec Morocco has found itself poised to capture some very promising new markets, as CFO and business development director Michel Bouskila explained to John O’Hanlon.

Since its creation in 1946, Cegelec Morocco has been an important partner to the large state electricity, mining and water enterprises, as well as the country’s oil company SAMIR in providing electrical engineering services. It employs over 2,000 people, many of them highly specialised engineers.