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Zambia’s H1 copper output rises 8%

9 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambia’s copper production rose by 8 percent to 368,371 tonnes in the first six months of this year from 340,510 tonnes in the same period last year, the country’s chamber of mines said on Tuesday.

Full-year copper production in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer was expected to rise by 5.4 percent to 750,000 tonnes this year from the 711,515 tonnes produced last year, the chamber said in a statement.

 

(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Louise Heavens)

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South Sudan inflation surges to more than 600% in wake of conflict

8 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) – South Sudan’s inflation more than doubled in July to reach an annual rate of 661.3 percent, its statistics office said on Monday, as the economy of the 5-year old nation continued to reel amid civil conflict.

The National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement that inflation jumped from 309.6 percent a month earlier due to rising food and non-alcoholic drinks prices. Prices rose 77.7 percent month-on-month in July.

Oil-producing South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011 but in December 2013 slid into a two-year civil war after a dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.

The economy has been battered, driving prices higher.

In June, U.N. agencies said up to 4.8 million people in South Sudan face severe food shortages, the highest level since a conflict began.

 

(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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South Africa’s business confidence rises to 96.0 in July

8 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s business confidence index rose to 96.0 points in July from 95.1 in June, lifted by a firmer rand and improvements in export volumes and retails sales, a South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) survey showed on Monday.

“South Africa experienced stronger merchandise export trade in June and July 2016, while the rand gained a healthy plus 10 percent on a weighted rand exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, British pound and the euro,” SACCI said in a statement.

SACCI, however, said it was concerned that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the South African Reserve Bank had lowered economic growth projections for Africa’s most industrialised country.

“A concerted effort will be necessary to avoid even tighter economic conditions in 2017 as such lower economic growth holds additional repercussions for public finance, unemployment and the real cost of borrowing,” SACCI said.

The IMF expects South Africa’s economy to grow by 0.1 percent this year, while the central bank cut its 2016 growth forecast to zero.

 

(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by James Macharia)

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How telemedicine promises to change Africa

8 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Featured

telemedicine africa

Telemedicine is making a big difference is African disaster zones; however the technology has huge potential to benefit the whole continent.

Technological disruption is rife across Africa. The developing continent is perfect for new technologies to be used in ways that were either impossible or just unnecessary in the Western world. From solar energy to mobile banking, new technologies are helping plug gaps and solve problems at an astonishing rate. In Africa, one lesser known but incredibly important technology is telemedicine, and it’s only just getting started.

In practice, telemedicine is simply the transmission of medical information via modern telecommunications, allowing for remote diagnosis, consultation and treatment. This straightforward concept is finding a broad array of applications across Africa, as the continent wrestles with its unique set of healthcare challenges.

Telemedicine is changing humanitarian healthcare

Telemedicine has become a critical tool for medical treatment in disaster and conflict situations. One recently reported example came from doctors working under healthcare charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF.) In a recent interview with SciDev.net, MSF Doctor Raghu Venugopal recalled a story about a young girl who had been shot in the hand in war-ravaged eastern Congo. Medical staff on the ground were unsure how to treat the wound, and whether or not they would have to amputate the girl’s hand. Through MSF’s telemedicine “store and forward” consulting services they uploaded photographs and other information about the wound, which were then assessed by specialists overseas. Recommendations were then relayed to the medics on the ground not to amputate, but to remove specific unrecoverable tissues, ultimately saving the girl’s hand.

This is just one such example. Unfortunately, warzones aren’t exactly abundant with top-tier western trained specialists. However through telemedicine services, humanitarian medics and field doctors are able to access expert advice within a matter of hours. Dr. Raghu spoke positively about how quickly MSF’s telemedicine service is being adopted: “What we’re seeing is the time needed for 1,000 cases (on MSF’s system) to accrue, to 2,000 cases to accrue, and then for 3,000 cases to accrue is dropping from years to months, to even shorter periods of time, so we’re seeing very promising uptake.” Additionally, Dr. Raghu commented on how the doctors in the field were highly positive about the service, highlighting the relevance and timeliness of the advice, cost savings and invaluable learning they obtained.

Tech tackles Ebola

Telemedicine technology has also been a valuable tool in tackling the most infamous African health issue in recent years, Ebola. The highly contagious virus poses an extreme threat to frontline healthcare workers. However, by using robot mounted iPads to examine quarantined individuals, doctors have been able to assess symptoms, communicate with patients and provide treatments while minimizing risk. In a similar fashion to MSF’s service, information on Ebola cases is often relayed to overseas specialists for consultative advice. For those undergoing treatment, telemedicine services also offer the opportunity to communicate with their family and loved ones without risk of spreading the virus. Undoubtedly, telemedicine services are transforming the quality of treatment available in areas of humanitarian crisis.

Huge benefits to internal programs

Merck Telemedicine partnership in Kenta

Merck Telemedicine partnership in Kenta

Some African countries are taking note of Telemedicine’s effectiveness, and making moves to implement their own programs on a national level. In May 2015, Kenya announced a collaborative partnership with the German firm Merck Group. Together they are rolling out a new telemedicine scheme designed to connect rural communities in the nation’s east with specialists at Machakos Level Five Hospital, the top referral destination in the country. So far the program has been highly successful, prompting the government to expand the scheme to additional regions. Kenya’s Health Secretary, James Macharia, encouraged other countries in the area to follow suit: “I urge all stakeholders and county governments to invest in telemedicine as a way of bringing specialised services closer to the rural poor.”

Connectivity is key: Google, Microsoft and Facebook can help

While other countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have also seen successful schemes take off within their borders, major telemedicine services remain off limits for most African nations. Locked away behind poor broadband infrastructure and financial limitations, the technology will remain scarce, restricted to programs provided by humanitarian organizations in crisis zones, until conditions change.

Telemedicine is already revolutionizing emergency care in disaster areas. The technology also has the potential for remote training and up-skilling of Africa’s healthcare sector. However the biggest change to Africa’s healthcare fortunes will occur when telemedicine services become widely available to rural populations across the continent. Fortunately, this change may be on the horizon. Telemedicine should be able to arrive quickly, riding on the back of major internet rollouts pledged by the likes of Google, Facebook and Microsoft. If this is indeed the case Africa stands to benefit immeasurably.

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Wage strike starts at South Africa power utility Eskom, supplies stable

8 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Workers downed tools Monday at three South African power stations with more set to follow as a wage strike began at state-run utility Eskom, but the company said its operations had not yet been impacted and branded the stoppage illegal.

Paris Mashego, NUM’s energy sector coordinator, told Reuters that wage talks with the utility were in deadlock over the weekend. Eskom provides almost all the power to Africa’s most industrialised economy but it was not immediately clear what impact the strike may have on its ability to keep the lights on.

An Eskom spokesman said operations had not yet been impacted and reiterated the utility’s view that its members are prohibited by law from striking.

“Across all of our 27 power stations everything is operating as normal at this stage,” spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said.

“And no one from Eskom is allowed to go on strike because we are defined as essential service providers. Technically anyone who is not at work today will have to explain themselves to their bosses,” he said.

He added that Eskom did not feel that negotiations had collapsed. The utility is offering pay hikes of 7 to 9 percent while NUM is looking for increases ranging from 12 to 13 percent.

Phasiwe also said NUM members early on Monday morning had blocked roads leading to the Arnot power station east of Johannesburg but police had been called in and the roads were now clear.

NUM has around 15,000 members at Eskom, close to a third of its workforce.

The stoppage coincides with a wage strike by around 15,000 workers in the petrochemical industry that has led to some shortages and was entering its second week on Monday.

 

(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by James Macharia)

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Nigeria fine pushes MTN to first interim loss, dividend cut

5 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

By Tiisetso Motsoeneng

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator MTN Group Ltd cut investor payouts by almost 50 percent as it reported its first-ever half-yearly loss after taking a hit from a hefty regulatory fine in Nigeria.

MTN agreed in June to pay a 330 billion naira ($1.05 billion) fine in a settlement with Nigeria for missing a deadline to cut off unregistered SIM cards from its network.

MTN said the fine, a third of the proposed initial penalty, wiped 10.5 billion rand ($768 million) — 474 cents per share — from headline earnings, South Africa’s main measure of profit, in the first six months of the year.

MTN had in any case been struggling to accelerate subscriber and profit growth as years of price wars and regulatory pressure hit margins and weakening economies squeezed consumer income.

“What you have here is a company that was gung-ho about Africa, where the operating environment has become difficult but they have shot themselves in both feet by losing control of the key markets and not paying attention to regulators,” said one MTN shareholder, who declined to be named.

MTN, held by many investors for its dividend flows, will pay out 250 cents per share for the first half of the year, down nearly 50 percent on a year earlier.

However, the company said full-year dividend could top the previously forecast 700 cents per share if operating conditions materially improve.

INTO THE RED

The headline loss came in at 4.9 billion rand, or 271 cents per share, in the six months. This is compared with headline earnings of almost 12 billion rand, or 654 cents per share, a year earlier.

MTN also said the results were affected by unfavourable currency swings, underperformance in its home market and in Nigeria, where it had to cut off another 4.5 million SIM cards to comply with local registration requirements.

Founded with the South African government’s help after the end of apartheid in 1994, MTN had been seen as one of post-apartheid South Africa’s biggest commercial successes.

It has hired Vodafone European head Rob Shuter to lead its development, aiming to persuade its millions of clients to use their handsets for everything from shopping, paying bills to storing money.

Shuter, who will take over as chief executive by next July, replaces Sifiso Dabengwa who resigned last November after Nigeria imposed the penalty — which will be paid by the Nigerian business in the local currency.

Nigeria has been trying to halt the use of unregistered cards over concerns they are being used for criminal activity, including by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Shares in MTN, which had dropped by nearly one-third since October when Nigeria imposed the fine, see-sawed as investors digested the earnings statement.

They rose as much as 2.5 percent shortly after the market opened, before retreating to trade 2.8 percent lower at 129.8 rand as of 0930 GMT.($1 = 315.0000 naira)

($1 = 13.6714 rand)

(Editing by Jane Merriman/Keith Weir)

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Morocco jobless rate falls year/year to 8.6% in second quarter

5 August 2016 Comments (0) Business, Latest Updates from Reuters, Middle East

RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco’s jobless rate fell to 8.6 percent in the second quarter this year from 8.7 percent in the same period last year, mostly on employment growth in the construction and services sectors, official figures showed on Friday.

Services, building activity and industry added 149,000 additional jobs to help offset 175,000 jobs lost in the agricultural sector due to a severe drought, the High Planning Commission added.

The government expects the 2016 cereal harvest to fall sharply after last year’s record crop of 11 million tonnes due to bad weather and more farm job losses are expected in 2016.

The woes of the farm sector have put further pressure on the Moroccan government, which is already facing protests over austerity measures.

The industrial sector created 38,000 jobs, the data showed. Construction and services added 70,000 and 41,000 jobs respectively, more than in previous years, a sign that the Moroccan economy has started to recover from years of recession caused largely by the euro zone debt crisis. The euro zone is Morocco’s main trade partner.

However, jobs created by construction and services are mostly precarious, the agency warned.

The Finance Ministry has forecast the economy will grow this year by less than 2 percent, slowing from 4.4 percent in 2015. However, the planning agency said the drought would drag growth down to 1.3 percent in 2016.

Informal labour abounds in Morocco, making it hard to produce reliable employment figures.

 

 

(Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Ralph Boulton)

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Pokemon Go fever seizes Africa

5 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Featured

Pokemon Go South Africa

Pokémon Go has only been out for a month, but its popularity has led to global game-play including in many African countries.

The world has caught Pokémon fever and Africa has not been immune. Even though there is no official launch date for Pokémon Go anywhere in the continent, it is easily available to download from the app stores for those savvy and desperate enough to play ahead of its release. In the month since its launch it reportedly has more than 75 million players worldwide, overtaking Twitter for global users.

Pokémon Go is a 2016 release from Niantic, in collaboration with Nintendo who released the original game 20 years ago. Unlike the archetype which was played in a world contained inside a handheld Gameboy, Pokémon Go is set in an augmented reality universe. Players roam their real world which is overlaid with computer-generated imagery, attempting to catch creatures and battle them in simulated fight scenes. This is the first release of the game and it is predicted to launch versions where players can battle other players instead of AI characters.

Pokémon Go captures attention throughout the African continent

The game has been particularly popular in South Africa, with regular ‘meet-ups’ throughout the country, including in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Recent meet-ups in Port Elizabeth have even been coupled with aid drives for animal charities, capitalizing on the success of the app and need for players to gather in prime locations.

Similarly in Nigeria, there has been a veritable craze for Pokémon catching all over the country. Not long ago, an online craze would have been unthinkable in a city like Lagos, famous for its patchy mobile coverage. Recent improvements have changed matters however, with providers promising 3G coverage for 90% of the country and fiber-optic rollouts imminent.

Ghana and Kenya paint a similar picture with players roaming the streets looking for creatures and convening in “hotspots” in all major towns. Unlike in the western world, where Pokémon Go is widespread, in Africa it’s only the affluent and developed areas that seem to be picking up on the craze. This is due to the higher than average ownership of smartphones, coupled with access to mobile data services, along with generally higher socioeconomic circumstances.

Pokemon Go gathering in Cape Town

Pokemon Go gathering in Cape Town

Pokémon Go’s success drives sales for other businesses

While Nintendo has seen a rise in $7.5 billion to its market value, Pokémon Go has also been profitable for local businesses, utilizing their location or certain elements of the game to attract customers and drive sales. Many bars and restaurants, such as Beerhouse and Steers Fast Food in South Africa are offering unique promotions connected to the game, and using social media to promote Pokémon locations near their business. Some venues have even been placing Pokémon “lures” to promote their happy hours and organizing walks and Pokémon Go-themed events. Many South African “meet-ups” have also combined Pokémon catching with charitable drives, such as for local animal charities in the area.

With increased real world interaction and a new global interface, the drawbacks are obviously related to player security. According to insurance group Dialdirect, users in South Africa need to be cautious when playing, as they could become easy targets for crime. Many areas in Africa are dangerous for solo pedestrians to be walking around at night, or with their smart phones clearly on display. Crime that has been seen in other countries could be amplified in some of Africa’s more unsafe regions, particularly if users enter into those areas unknowingly and without weighing up necessary risk factors. “We usually recommend that consumers conceal their smart phones and that they don’t unnecessarily brandish them about” said Dialdirect spokesperson, Bianca de Beer.

Playing can be a real life danger to users

Users risk their online security as well as their real-life security by irresponsibly playing the game. While Pokémon Go is not officially available in Africa, illegitimate users risk their phone’s security by accessing the app via third party channels, leaving their device open to hackers. According to a statement by IT security company Sophos‚ there is already one “malware” mirror version of the Pokémon Go app out there and being downloaded. Users are urged to play with caution and not put themselves into risky situations, in real life or otherwise.

As the technology wave surges across Africa, connecting ever more people to internet and data services, Pokémon Go and its successors are likely to usher in a new generation of avid gaming enthusiasts. With such popularity in Africa even before its official release, Pokémon Go seems to be here to stay.

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Cameroon’s 2015/16 cocoa production rises 16% y/y

4 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

YAOUNDE (Reuters) – Cameroon’s cocoa production rose nearly 16 percent year-on-year to 269,495 tonnes in the 2015/16 season, National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB) data released on Thursday showed.

Africa’s fourth-largest cocoa producer has targeted annual production of 600,000 tonnes by 2020. The 2016/17 season opened on Wednesday.

The 2015/16 figure surpassed the central African country’s previous record of 240,000 tonnes during the 2010/11 season. Output since then has fluctuated due to pests, crop diseases and a prolonged dry season.

Cameroon’s government is trying to encourage young people and women to grow the crop and to prevent illegal export to neighboring countries.

Last year, Cameroon announced plans to double its cocoa processing capacity to about 30 percent of its total production, by adding 10 new processing units.

Cameroon’s cocoa season runs from Aug. 1 to July 1. The main harvest is from October to January/February, followed by a light crop harvest period from April/May to June/July.

 

 

(Reporting By Sylvain Andzongo; writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Adrian Croft and Alexandra Hudson)

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South Africa’s rand hits 9-month high as election results trickle in

4 August 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s rand touched a nine-month high against the dollar and government bonds firmed on Thursday as the smooth running of local government elections and expectations that interest rates in leading economies will remain low boosted sentiment.

At 1104 GMT, the rand traded at 13.7100 per dollar, 1.44 percent firmer from its New York close on Wednesday, its strongest level since Oct 29.

The yield for the benchmark government bond due in 2026 dipped 10.5 basis points to 8.55 percent.

“You can attribute some of the movements to the smooth running of the elections without any major incidence of violence or reports of cheating. On the day (the rand) is outperforming other emerging currencies against the dollar,” ETM market analyst Ricardo Da Camara said.

South Africans cast their votes in local elections on Wednesday and the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) led in three major cities on Thursday as votes were counted, threatening to deal the biggest electoral blow to the African National Congress (ANC) since the end of apartheid two decades ago.

The ANC – which ended white-minority rule when it swept to power in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994 – held a big lead in the national count.

“It’s not entirely clear that the DA is good and the ANC is bad but the market generally welcomes more contested democracy,” Nomura analyst Peter Attard Montalto said.

Other traders said the rand also got support from investors seeking higher yields after the Bank of England cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 on Thursday, while near-term U.S. rate hike prospects cool.

On the bourse, stocks also gained with Sappi surging more than 7 percent after the paper maker reported an eight-fold jump in quarterly profit as of 1117 GMT.

The blue-chip JSE Top-40 index was up 0.3 percent at 45,671 and the broader All-share index added 0.3 percent to 52,650.

 

(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Ed Cropley and Richard Balmforth)

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