Contents 12
MAY-JUNE 2015
tOP STORY
AFRICA’S WET APPETITE
Filling the Desires of Alcoholic Africa
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SPOTLIGHT COUNTRY - MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique: Full of Beans
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»» Agriculture: Harnessing The Potential »» Mining: The Next Best Thing »» Oil & Gas: Its Time To Make Money
34 Advisory Board
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To The Point
Cameroon: Brutal Attacks by Poachers Egypt: Preserving Security - Harming Tourism Kenya: Boosting Kenya Power Output Rwanda: Cross-Border Mobile Money Remittance Service »» South Africa: Spice It Up »» Uganda: On Crushing Poor Shilling
Dr. Joseph Agyepong
Outgoing Ambassador of Burkina Faso to India
Medical Advisor, Heal ‘&’ Bliss Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
»» »» »» »»
feature
Taste is King A Rough Ride? An Unpleasant Bite Shopping in Supermarkets, Anyone?
Dr. A.S. Yaruingam
H.E. Mr. Idriss Raoua OUEDRAOGO
Dr. Jagdish C. Sobti
»» »» »» »»
Executive Chairman, Jospong Group, Ghana
Mr. P.M. Heblikar
Former Special Secretary, Govt. of India
MAY-JUNE 2015
Head & Coordinator (ASC), Department of African Studies, University of Delhi
Dr. Steve Omenga Mainda
Chairman, Insurance Regulatory Authority, Housing Finance Company of Kenya Limited
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Business bulletin
Soar the Sky With African Wings
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»» Improving Internal Air Networks »» Scaling Up Tourism »» Facing Trouble in Travelling Within Africa? »» The Growing Giants »» Adding New Wings »» Creating Perfect Guest Experience
UN 4 AFRICA
WHAT’S ON
In Rendezvous With...
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»» Mr. Simon Mizrahi, Director, Quality Assurance and Results Department at African Development Bank
MAY-JUNE 2015
Editor Kanchi Batra Regional Editor (Africa) R.C. Dhingra Associate Editor (French) Divya Malhotra Contributing Editor (Burkina Faso) Albert Etsri Apemewoe Contributing Editor (Ghana) Adams Mohammed Mahama Correspondents Ekta Handa(India), Francis L. Sackitey (Ghana) Mr. Robert Kibet (Kenya) Kizito Sikuka (Zimbabwe) Aimable Twahirwa (Rwanda) Francois Essomba (Cameroon) Art Director Krishna Mohan Graphic Designer Mohit Sharma Photo Editor V.K. Murti Manager-Corporate Relations Surender Chauhan Business Development Manager (Kenya) Surender Singh Country Manager (Cameroon) Ripu Daman Malik Country Manager (Ghana) Vijay Kumar Marketing Executive Pankaj Batra Marketing Associates Barbara Eugenie (Seychelles), Tribhuwan Pratap Singh, C. Sriram (India) MIS Executives Sandeep Das, Dinesh Sharma Executive Assistants Saloni Tayal, Nikita Vishwakarma
AFROTALK
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»» End of Political Turmoil
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»» Malawi: The Warm Heart of Africa
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»» Dear Sepp Blatter, Africa is Comfortable having you!! »» Black Cat’s Fortunes have been Flouring »» Papa Gassama Rejoicing his Achievement
bon voyage
homage
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»» Homage to an Extraordinary Envoy
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»» The African Superwoman
PORTRAIT PAINTING
GUEST COLUMN
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»» Broom Again- A Symbol of Change in Nigeria »» My Journey to the End of the Earth
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REGULARS
SPOTLIGHT COUNTRY MOZAMBIQUE
MOZAMBIQUE FULL OF BEANS
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he immigration officer gazes enthusiastically at the Indian passport. It’s not a rare picture at Maputo’s International Airport as the country is progressively witnessing foreigners at its ports of entry in a pursuit to work in the country. Time has definitely changed since the early 1990s. Then, the country was left annihilated by Portuguese colonial rule and the civil war that followed it. Today, Mozambique grabs the limelight for its rising oil and gas reserves. Foreign investment flows into the country to lift the energy sector. But investment prospects in Mozambique should not stop there. Mozambique is gifted with rich and panoptic natural resources counting deposits of iron ore,
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MAY-JUNE 2015
gold, bauxite, graphite, marble and limestone. There are also exceptional and significant minerals such as tantalite and ilmenite (a source of titanium). Tete highlands have large reserves of coal, which is exported to places like India and China. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of Foreign Direct Investment. The country's economy is grounded mostly on agriculture, but industry, primarily food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminum and petroleum production, is mounting. Foreign companies have progressively chosen to invest here, predominantly in mining ventures. Worth to mention, the country's tourism sector is also rising. Mozambique is a country in Southeast Africa Follow us on
FEATURE
SHOPPING IN SUPERMARKETS, ANYONE?
I
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Africa: A Destination for Global Retailers
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t is an occasion to fill your cart with choices and maybe get furnished with a free sample while you shop. You can actually go to supermarket at any time you want. A supermarket, a large form of the traditional grocery store, is a self-service shop extending a wide range of food and household products, ordered into aisles. Africa is indeed packed with potential for global retailers, with its billion people and upward economy. It’s easy to say why many retailers consider Sub-Saharan Africa the next big thing. Its population is approaching 900 million people, mobile phones and the internet are thriving swiftly across the continent, and it is urbanizing at a rate of 3.61 percent, faster than any other region in the world. Supermarket chains are competing to serve millions of new customers in Africa and they’re not just changing the way people shop - they’re renovating the way
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MAY-JUNE 2015
food is produced in a region where agriculture affords almost 60 percent of all jobs. One chain, Shoprite supermarkets, augmented sales by 28 percent in the year. This chain established 47 new African stores, principally in Nigeria and Angola. This growth of may benefit or harm small farmers; more stores offer greater opportunity to sell produce, but also infringe on land traditionally used for farming. Lately Checkers Vergelegen Plein and Shoprite Langa opened in the Western Cape, Shoprite Ixopo started trading in KwaZulu-Natal, Checkers Parys opened in the Free State, while Shoprite Dawn Park in Gauteng greeted customers for the first time. Africa’s largest retailer recently proclaimed that trading has started in a new Shoprite supermarket close to Rustenburg in Northern Province.
With its business designed to bring low prices and value for money to consumers, the Shoprite Group’s extension model is engrossed on making its stores more approachable by taking up prospects to open supermarkets inside neighbourhoods and in or near public transport nodes. Walmart, on the other hand, who has set its marvels on Africa, made a momentous investment in Africa in 2011 with its acquisition of Massmart – the CEO Doug McMillon reiterated his commitment to the continent at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum as well. He noted that their enthusiasm to Africa imitates its mission of helping customers afford the things they need for their families. This year, Wal-Mart finalized a merger with a major African retailer. Pick n Pay, which like many chains is based in South Africa, Follow us on
SECTORAL ANALYSIS
COME FLY WITH AFRICA
The aviation industry has a dynamic role to play in accomplishing sustainable development in Africa. The extension of air services is a needed condition for the development of a more expanded export base across the continent and for the expansion of tourism to the region. This industry is determined and eager to work with all governments and stakeholders in Africa to deliver the best.
Soar the Sky With African Wings
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P
eeping around a jam-packed terminal in an African airport, it’s apparent that more commuters are flooding to the continent than ever before. Chinese and Indian businessmen stretch out on benches, seeking to catch a few hours’ sleep before continuing their journey to other African countries, while American tourists trade loud gags as they board a flight to Mount Kilimanjaro, one of Tanzania’s most prevalent holiday destinations. Many of these travelers are traders either from or to the Middle East; or to Europe. Of the total passenger traffic on the continent, 42 per cent was intercontinental, 31 per cent intra-African and
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27 per cent domestic. For eras, Asian investors have been travelling to Africa, fascinated by the continent’s developing economies. And rising numbers of labourers, executives and families flying between Africa and Asia have now made it the world’s fastest growing transcontinental route, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Air travel is actually indispensable to the fortune of Africa as it unlocks opportunities that did not exist before. Nurturing the African aviation industry may be one of the dynamic forces of regional integration on the continent. Follow us on
PORTRAIT PAINTING
THE AFRICAN
SUPERWOMAN She will Let Things Happen in Namibia She was determined to give up her desires of becoming a medical doctor, anticipating to become a central bank governor one day, but little did she know what life had in store for her, nor did she know that she would one day be at the helm of government. President-elect Dr. Hage Geingob, Namibia sworn to proceed with the inheritance set by his presidential predecessors, and announced H.E. Ms. Saara KuugongelwaAmadhila as his incoming Prime Minister to assist him accomplish that dream.
An Illustrious Career
She became the first woman Director General of the National Planning Commission and the youngest at the age of 27. She was also the first female Finance Minister; the first to record a surplus in the 2006/7 financial year; the longest-serving Finance Minister so far Namibia's first female Prime Minister. Her shining career is not only attributed to her government roles but also her work for the ruling party. When she became the Swapo Secretary for Economic Affairs, she inherited a party business empire that was on its knees. Those who were acquainted with this story gave the model of Kalahari Holdings that was N$30 million in the red when she took over, but now the party's largest company is worth more than N$200 million.
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To Get Complete Edition Just CLICK HERE H.E. Ms. Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
Prime Minister of Namibia
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