“We don’t see our customers as just customers,” states Julian Lipson, General Manager of Waco Industries, “we see them as partners that we forge close relationships with from day one as we work to meet their requirements and solve their problems.” It is this approach to business that has seen Waco grow from an importer of industrial plugs and sockets into one of the biggest manufacturers and distributors of industrial electrical products in Southern Africa.

With its expanding financial, service, communications and entertainment sectors, Nigeria without question possesses all the vital components necessary to be recognised as one of Africa’s most important emerging markets. In fact, as of 2012, the country was ranked 30th in the world in terms of gross domestic product and the second largest in Africa. This places it on track to become one the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 according to a number of experts and analysts.

Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli, is one of Turkey’s most historic locations. Located in east of the country, on the southern shore of the peninsula that shares its name, the town has a rich naval legacy dating as far back as the 5th Century B.C.

Founded under Koç Group, one of the largest and most successful industrial and trading enterprises in Turkey, Demir Export has produced iron ore since 1957. In subsequent years, Demir Export also initiated production of base and precious metals such as zinc, lead, copper and silver ore concentrates in addition to lignite and chromite ore production in lumpy form and as concentrates.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone has to have a mobile phone these days and Azerbaijanis are no exception. 9.4 million people live in Azerbaijan, and while there are only a little less than 1.5 million landline subscribers there are more than ten million mobile network connections. In this, Azerbaijan is not very different from any other modern economy, but things have developed faster here than in many European countries.

Signed by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on his first visit to China, the deals are for the building of a railway line, an energy project and to improve wildlife protection.

In a statement, his office said the deals with China were a "massive boost" to his government. "The rail link, particularly, is important in the context of East Africa's shared goal of ensuring quicker movement of peoples, goods and services," it quoted Mr Kenyatta as saying.

It will link the Kenyan border town of Malaba with the port of Mombasa, one of the busiest in Africa.

The agreement with state-run Ethio Telecom will help to double the number of mobile phone subscribers in the country to more than 50 million, while at the same time increasing 3G Internet access nationwide.

Ethio Telecom’s deal with ZTE, China's second-biggest telecoms equipment maker, is part of a telecommunications expansion project worth $1.6 billion.

A short while ago, I worked with a firm to redesign their planning progress. The motivation for the assignment was described by an executive from that firm: