Africa

NEWSMAKERS: MOROCCO   By Michael Shari   Minister until recently in the reigning government's cabinet in Morocco, Salaheddine Mezouar is now the official leader of the opposition party in the country's parliament.   Making his vote count: As opposition leader, ...

NIGERIA BUILDS BIOFUEL CAPACITY AS ZIMBABWE BRACES FOR ENERGY SHORTAGE   By Antonio Guerrero   The Nigerian government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Global Biofuels, a Nigerian biofuels producer, for the construction of 15 integrated biofuels refineries at ...

MILESTONES: NIGERIA   By Michael Shari   The government of Nigeria took a calculated political risk when it removed gasoline subsidies on January 1.   Paying at the pump: Nigeria ends gasoline subsidies The sudden move more than doubled local ...

NEWSMAKERS: NIGERIA   By Anita Hawser   Nigerian central bank governor Lamido Sanusi believes the likelihood of European banks going into a major crisis is quite high, and is concerned over the impact on Nigerian oil exports.   Sanusi looks to Asia ...

NIGERIAN INBOUND INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK IMPROVING   By Antonio Guerrero   Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says his administration is reviewing industrial policies to encourage foreign companies exporting finished goods to Nigeria to instead manufacture them locally.   New policies encourage local assembly ...

SOUTH AFRICA EASES RULES ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP   By Antonio Guerrero   South Africa’s National Treasury is studying a plan to allow offshore companies traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), known as inward-listed companies, to be regarded as domestic ...

  AT A CROSSROADS By Jonathan Gregson Africa is at the cusp of major change. Whether that change involves greater economic growth and an improved standard of living depends on both internal and external events over the next few years. ...

BOOSTING SME AGRICULTURE INVESTMENT   By Antonio Guerrero   The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has partnered with several non-profit organizations to launch the African Agricultural Capital Fund (AACF).   New fund will stimulate agriculture sector The fund ...

Global Finance names the Safest Emerging Market Banks 2011 in Sub-Saharan Africa NEW YORK, November 3, 2011 — Global Finance magazine ( GFmag.com ) has named the top 5 “Safest Emerging Market Banks in Sub-Saharan Africa” in an exclusive survey ...

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES   By Antonio Guerrero   Tanzania plans to invest $742 million by the end of 2012 to tackle its crippling energy deficit.   African energy projects to get PPP boost Under an emergency power rescue ...

CLOUDY HORIZONS   By Antonio Guerrero   While South Africa is attempting to get out from under its recession, countries in sub-Saharan Africa are dealing with the impact of volatile global oil markets and decreased investment from their neighbor to ...

NEWSMAKERS: NIGERIA   By Antonio Guerrero   Nigeria’s new economic chief, former World Bank managing director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says she will focus much of her efforts on diversifying her nation’s economy away from overdependence on oil and gas revenues.   ...

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Angola José de Lima Massano Grade: B The performance of Angola’s economy depends more on oil prices than on monetary policy. José de Lima Massano, former CEO of Banco Africano de Investimentos, was appointed central bank ...

Global Finance ranks the 50 Biggest Banks China Breaks Into The Top 10 NEW YORK, September 7, 2011— Global Finance reveals its annual ranking of the World’s 50 Biggest Banks , as measured by total assets. The world’s biggest banks ...

CHINESE INVESTMENT BOOSTS SIERRA LEONE IRON ORE SECTOR   By Antonio Guerrero   China’s Shandong Iron & Steel Group (SISG) takes a 25% stake in Britain’s African Minerals.   Sierra Leone’s iron ore output is becoming the country’s key export ...

Global Finance names the World’s Best Global Banks 2011 NEW YORK, August 22, 2011 – Global Finance magazine (GFmag.com) has announced its World’s Best Banks 2011 Awards. The annual listing includes the best bank worldwide for corporate, consumer and private ...

Global Finance names the World’s 50 Safest Banks 2011 NEW YORK, August 18, 2011 – Bank stability is an ever-more pressing concern for the world’s corporations and investors. It is within this context that Global Finance announces it’s 20th Annual ...

Global Finance names the World’s Best Internet Banks in Middle East/Africa 2011 NEW YORK, July 22, 2011 – Global Finance has announced the First Round winners in the “World’s Best Internet Banks” competition in Middle East/Africa. This is the 12th ...

EMERGING MARKETS ROUNDUP: AFRICA   by Antonio Guerrero     Sierra Leone opts for controversial biofuel production Africa is poised to enter the world’s growing biofuels market. The biotechnology unit at Addax, a Switzerland-based investment firm, plans to open a ...

INVESTORS FALL FOR AFRICA’S CHARMS   By Antonio Guerrero   Foreign direct investment into Africa will reach $150 billion a year by 2015, according to a May report by global accounting firm Ernst & Young.   Africa’s consumer goods boom ...