Africa

Operating in a wide range of marketplaces, Flexicon Piping is well placed to play a role in infrastructure development as Africa takes its place on the world economic stage. Mike Enslin explains to Gay Sutton how the company has diversified during recession.

Nigeria has approved a $2.5 billion offer for its main fixed-line telecoms group Nitel, it has been announced.

However the government is insisting that the winning consortium come up with a $750 million down-payment to secure the sale.

The consortium will have 10 days to pay 30 per cent of its offer—or $750 million—from the date it receives an official demand for payment. It will then have 50 days to pay the balance.

Russian telecom giant Vimpelcom and Egypt’s Weather Investments have agreed to merge their assets, it has been announced.

The deal, worth $6.6 billion (£4.2 billion), will create the world’s fifth-largest mobile phone company, with combined subscriptions of more than 174 million. It will also give Vimpelcom, which has operations in many former Soviet republics, access to new markets in Africa and the Middle East.

The new company will operate in 20 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Zambia is beginning to benefit as the world wakes up to the possibilities of green power—and power utility ZESCO is at the forefront of the changes.

Lafarge Cement Zambia Plc is a subsidiary of Lafarge, the world's largest building materials supplier and a major player in the Zambian construction industry. And its product is in no less demand from neighbouring countries, as John O’Hanlon learned from newly-appointed CEO Fola Esan.

International power and automation technology group ABB intends to expand its mining interests in South Africa with the acquisition of the mine hoist related business of local manufacturer Coilmech, for an undisclosed sum.

ABB plans to incorporate the acquisition into subsidiary ABB South Africa’s process automation portfolio for customers in the mining sector.

South African president Jacob Zuma told an audience in Belgium today that South Africa offers mining investors huge growth potential and proven economic and political stability.

In Antwerp for the third annual European Union-South Africa summit, Zuma said the successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup had "demonstrated to the world that we are a country that can deliver on its undertakings."

France Télécom has bought a 40 per cent stake in Méditel, Morocco’s second-largest mobile operator, for €640 million, marking the first step in its strategy to boost its presence in African markets.

Méditel (Médi Télécom) is the second biggest global telecoms operator in Morocco, with licences for fixed, mobile and 3G telephony. It has been active in the telecoms sector since 1999.

With over 10 million mobile subscribers and a market share of 37 per cent, Méditel achieved sales of over 5.3 billion dirham (€465 million) in 2009.

Trading electronically makes great strategic sense for buyers and suppliers alike; but technical complexity can be a barrier to realising the benefits of enhanced supply chain visibility, as David Grosvenor explains.

The priority of most private investors is to see a healthy return on their outlay—with ethical considerations coming second. But the two do not have to be mutually exclusive, as Becky Done finds out from Lawrie Smith, co-founder of ethical investment company Greenleaf Global.