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Tanzania’s energy regulator raises retail fuel prices, citing costly crude

3 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Tanzania’s energy regulator raised maximum retail prices on fuel on Friday, citing higher international crude oil and refined product prices, a move expected to exert upward pressure on inflation.

Fuel prices have a big effect on the inflation rate in the east African country, which slowed to 5.1 percent year-on-year in April from 5.4 percent the previous month.

The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) raised the retail price of petrol by 4.49 percent and the price of diesel by 1.95 percent.

Maximum kerosene prices were raised 1.84 percent in the latest monthly price caps, which take immediate effect.

“To a large extent, increases in wholesale and retail local petroleum products prices have been caused by the continued increase of petroleum products prices in the world market,” EWURA said.

The regulator increased the price of petrol in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam by 80 shillings ($0.0366) a litre to 1,865 shillings, and the price of diesel in the capital by 31 shillings to 1,633 shillings.

Kerosene prices in the commercial capital rose 29 shillings to 1,607 shillings per litre.

 

($1 = 2,187.0000 Tanzanian shillings)

 

(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng’wanakilala; editing by Elias Biryabarema and Adrian Croft)

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OPEC fails to agree policy but Saudis pledge no shocks

2 June 2016 Comments (0) Business, Latest Updates from Reuters, Middle East

VIENNA (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia promised on Thursday not to flood the oil market with extra barrels even as OPEC failed to agree on output policy, with Iran insisting on the right to raise production steeply.

Tensions between the Sunni-led kingdom and the Shi’ite Islamic Republic have been the highlights of several previous OPEC meetings, including in December 2015 when the group failed to agree on a formal output target for the first time in years.

Tensions were less acute on Thursday as Saudi Arabia’s new energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, showed Riyadh wanted to be more conciliatory and OPEC decided unanimously to appoint Nigeria’s Mohammed Barkindo as the group’s new secretary-general.

Several OPEC sources said Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies had tried to propose a new collective ceiling in an attempt to repair OPEC’s waning importance and end a market-share battle that has sapped prices and cut investment.

But OPEC sources said the organisation had failed to agree on output policy and set a new ceiling.

Despite the setback, Saudi Arabia moved to soothe market fears that failure to reach any deal would prompt OPEC’s largest producer, already pumping near record highs, to raise production further to punish rivals and gain additional market share.

“We will be very gentle in our approach and make sure we don’t shock the market in any way,” Falih told reporters.

“There is no reason to expect that Saudi Arabia is going to go on a flooding campaign,” Falih said when asked whether Saudi Arabia could add more barrels to the market.

The market has grown increasingly used to OPEC clashes over the past two years as political foes Riyadh and Tehran fight proxy wars in Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia effectively scuppered plans for a global production freeze – aimed at stabilising oil markets – in April. It said then that it would join the deal, which would also have involved non-OPEC Russia, only if Iran agreed to freeze output.

Tehran has been the main stumbling block for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to agree on output policy over the past year as the country boosted supplies despite calls from other members for a production freeze.

Tehran argues it should be allowed to raise production to levels seen before the imposition of now-ended Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Tehran would not support any new collective output ceiling and wanted the debate to focus on individual country production quotas.

“Without country quotas, OPEC cannot control anything,” Zanganeh told reporters. He insisted Tehran deserved a quota – based on historic output levels – of 14.5 percent of OPEC’s overall production.

OPEC is pumping 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd), which would give Iran a quota of 4.7 million bpd – well above its current output of 3.8 million, according to Tehran’s estimates, and 3.5 million, based on market estimates.

 

POLITICAL TENSIONS

That “OPEC could not agree on a relatively benign deal which would have been constructive for price is a sign that political differences are undermining the organisation”, said Gary Ross, founder of U.S.-based PIRA consultancy.

“It is bearish short-term for oil prices. But what is also important is that Saudis are not planning to flood the market and want higher prices,” he added.

Falih was the first OPEC minister to arrive in Vienna this week, signalling he takes the organisation seriously despite fears among fellow members that Riyadh is no longer keen to have OPEC set output.

“There could be shorter-term situations in which, in our view, OPEC might intervene and yet other situations — such as long-term growth of marginal barrels — in which case it should not,” Falih told Argus Media ahead of the meeting.

At its previous meeting in December 2015, OPEC effectively allowed its 13 members to pump at will.

As a result, prices crashed to $27 per barrel in January, their lowest in over a decade, but have since recovered to around $50 due to global supply outages.

Until December 2015, OPEC had a ceiling of 30 million bpd – in place since December 2011, although it effectively abandoned individual production quotas years ago.

For a Take-a-Look on Reuters stories on OPEC, click on

 

(By Reem Shamseddine, Rania El Gamal and Alex Lawler. Additional reporting by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shadia Nasralla⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson)

 

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Zambia shortlists bidders to build two large-scale solar plants

2 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambia has shortlisted bidders to build two large-scale 50 megawatt (MW) solar power generation plants as the nation battles a power deficit which threatens industrial output.

Zambia’s power shortfall has risen to 1,000 MW from 700 MW in November due to lower hydro generation as water levels have dropped because of drought.

NEON S.A.S./First Solar Inc and Enel Green Power SpA are front-runners for the two projects, Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation said in statement.

The two bidders put their tariffs at 6.02 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) and 7.84 cents per kWh, respectively, and the proposed tariffs would remain fixed for 25 years, the statement said.

“The two provisional winning tariffs are both well below those typically offered under unsolicited proposals from solar developers in Zambia or elsewhere in Africa,” it said.

The two projects would be the first large-scale solar Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in Zambia developed with support from the World Bank, which acted as the lead transaction advisor.

 

(Reporting by Chris Mfula)

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IMF team in Angola for loan talks, economy diversification on agenda

2 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

LUANDA (Reuters) – A team from the International Monetary Fund is visiting Angola to negotiate a loan facility after lower oil prices hammered the finances of Africa’s second largest crude exporter, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

The ministry said the IMF team will be in Angola from June 1 to June 14 and would discuss options on how to diversify the economy and reduce the dependence on the oil sector.

“The initial negotiations focused on recent economic developments, fiscal, monetary and exchange rate policy in the country, as well as the evaluation of the reforms that the government has been implementing,” the ministry said in a statement.

Angola said in April that it would begin loan negotiations with the IMF on a three-year loan facility.

Angola’s economy grew rapidly after a 27-year civil war ended in 2002, peaking at growth of 12 percent three years ago, but a sharp drop in oil prices has sapped dollar inflows, dented the kwanza and prompted heavy government borrowing.

Oil output represents 40 percent of Angola’s gross domestic product and more than 95 percent of foreign exchange revenue.

 

(Reporting by Herculano Coroado; Writing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Alison Williams)

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An African first, Casablanca hosts the Smart City Expo

2 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Featured

smart city expo casablanca

Casablanca became the first African host to the Smart City Expo this month.

Casablanca achieved a first for Morocco and Africa when it played host to the international Smart City Expo between the 18th and 20th of May this year. While it was a new experience for one of Morocco’s most famous cities, it was also an event with a new focus. The Casablanca Smart City Expo saw a subtle shift in discussions, away from simply technology, to greater emphasis on environmental issues and sustainability.

Technology will always be at the forefront of events such as this, but it appears there is now a commitment to finding ways to use technology for more than just human convenience.

An eclectic and international event

The motto for the May 2016 event was “An open city, inclusive and innovative,” and with guests from around the world, working across multiple platforms, it appears to have lived up to its theme. Academics, researchers and business representatives attended various meetings and workshops, while several events encouraged members of the public to participate too.

Hundreds of participants from across the globe attended the 2 day event, which featured an opening speech from Casablanca’s mayor, Abdelaziz El-Omari, and was officially endorsed by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Casablanca was chosen to host the event by the US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, while the various exhibitions and public events were organized by Casablanca Events & Animation.

The project saw more than 80 speakers host talks on the integration of technology into city life, and how it can be utilized to improve various aspects of urban living. The four main themes for discussion were Sustainability and Resilience, Mobility and Urban Planning, Collaborative Cities and Citizen Engagement, and Technology and Green Development.

Engaging the local citizenry was a clear priority at the Expo as four major grassroots events looked to attract public involvement. These involved free city-wide Wi-Fi for 4 days, a University showcase of public-centered smart initiatives, a public showing of a new film Human, and a 3 day event for people to try and create new apps.

Aawatif Hayar, Cluster Smart City director of Casablanca, spoke about the significance of reaching out to the people of the city, saying, “This participatory approach will allow us to build projects and interconnected sites in order to gradually develop a smart city…capable of transforming societal and economic challenges into business opportunities.”

Smart Cities aim green

Technology and environmental issues are often viewed as separate or even clashing entities. However, looking at how intelligent use of technology could help solve environmental issues was a key aspect of the Smart City Expo.

Creating technology that cleans up urban environments is intrinsically linked to human welfare, and the desired experience of living in a smart city was central to many platforms.

One of the opening speeches came from Uwe Seidel, a senior consultant from German VDIVDE, who highlighted his views on the cities of the future saying, “The most important thing in building smart cities is to put people first.”

Experts such as Boyd Cohen, urban climate strategist and Entrepreneurship & Sustainability professor at EADA Business School Barcelona, were among other key speakers who reiterated the desire and need for technology to create greener solutions.

Many of the most successful green urban advances have come from Scandinavian cities, and the Expo allowed examples from places such as Finland to be presented to the multinational event.

The United Nations’ Chief of Sustainable Lifestyles, Arab Hoballah, highlighted how integral technology could be for future urban life, saying that cutting edge technology can “be used for achieving sustainability and quality of life.”

Importantly for the African representation in Casablanca, this was an area that Mr. Hoballah felt African nations could make huge progress in. When asked about African nations’ ability to follow in the footsteps of Scandinavia, Hoballah said, “African cities can, and probably will, develop fast, because of digitality…because of smart phones, the kids have the world in their pockets.”

It is fitting that as technology spreads rapidly in Africa’s developing markets, an event that placed great focus on utilizing this for human well-being was held in a major African city. Africa’s first Smart City Expo has come to a close, but after such a large and successful event, it would be no surprise if the continent plays host once again in the near future.

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South Africa’s Imperial Holdings buys Britain’s Palletways

1 June 2016 Comments (0) Africa, Business, Latest Updates from Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African logistics group Imperial Holdings will buy a British express delivery service for 3.8 billion rand ($242.26 million) to continue its expansion beyond its home market, the firm said on Wednesday.

Imperial said it will acquire all of Palletways Group, which delivers small consignments of palletised freight to 20 European countries, from private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners Limited.

“The acquisition of Palletways is in line with Imperial’s stated strategic intent to expand its presence beyond South Africa through the acquisition of asset light logistics businesses,” Imperial said in a statement.

Imperial, which sells imported vehicles and runs a car rental agency in South Africa, has sold assets it considers non-core, including a short-term insurance unit as its aims to make the firm’s business less vulnerable to swings in the value of its home market’s volatile rand currency.

“Palletways’ business model and geographic reach will be complementary to our existing services and networks in the logistics sector,” said Chief Executive Mark Lamberti.

Palletways has annual sales of 3.1 billion rand and its management will invest alongside Imperial to acquire a 4 percent stake in the business, Imperial said.

The deal is conditional on its approval by European antitrust authorities.

Shares in Imperial were up 3.1 percent at 144.34 rand by 1038 GMT, outperforming a 0.66 percent decline in the Johannesburg Securities Exchange’s All-share index.

($1 = 15.6859 rand)

 

(Reporting by TJ Strydom; editing by Susan Thomas)

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Will Kenya’s ambitious Konza City project prove doubters wrong?

1 June 2016 Comments (1) Africa, Business, Featured

konza city

The construction of Kenya’s Konza City has begun, but will the city of the future fulfill its designers’ grand dreams?

When Kenya announced the hugely ambitious Konza City project in 2008, it was seen by most as a statement of intent by the President Mwai Kibaki. While the president is no longer in power, his dream of creating a tech-based city of the future, which would create a wealth of jobs, has remained at the forefront of Kenya’s Vision 2030 project.

The project aims to develop a strong, adaptive economy that turns Kenya into the leading tech nation within Africa. Konza City is to be the jewel in the crown of the project, and a city quite unlike anything seen on the continent before.

A grand vision

The main goal of the Konza City project is to revolutionize Kenya’s economy in terms of how it is structured, and how it develops throughout the 21st century. Kenya is one of Africa’s largest economies, with a GDP of $65.89 billion in 2015, yet up until 2013 75% of national assets were still in agriculture. As economies evolve, it is common for a shift into less production based means, and for a nation with Kenya’s climate it makes sense to redirect assets into areas that do not rely on uncontrollable forces of nature.

With Nairobi already a blossoming tech hub, the Kenyan government wants to create a designer city that both entices foreign investment and fosters local talent. Konza is to house 1,500 students and have an additional 35,000 homes for people working across its offices and research centers. The “Silicon Savannah,” as it has been dubbed, aims to be a hotspot of tech startups, and a regional base for global giants such as Google, Samsung and IBM.

What made the Konza City idea so bold was that this was not to be a glorified office space, but a genuine city with homes, schools and families being raised there. A bustling metropolis, built from scratch, is unprecedented as a feat of engineering and marketing, so unsurprisingly there have been obstacles.

The site of the future city

The site of the future city

Concerns over infrastructure and timing

The biggest worry for potential investors has been whether this new city can guarantee the everyday essentials that allow a place to run. The utilities that most of us take for granted – water, electricity and transport – are vital for a city to function.

Hamish Govani, Chairman of Kenya Association of Property Developers, voiced his concerns over power reliability earlier this year, saying, “By the time we come in to begin developments, we want to have guarantee of world-class infrastructure. We have big multinationals looking to set foot at Konza, we need proof that we will not be let down.”

The very same concerns were expressed by a project assistant for the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Kenya, Mr Thilo Gabriel Vogeler, who is interested in investing but said, “Since frequent power blackouts are a common occurrence in Nairobi, I would like to know how they will ensure reliability and constant supply 60km away.”

Other doubters have felt that construction would not begin in the time delineated under the plan, and it would therefore become an economic burden. However, the government has moved to silence such concerns by beginning the ground breaking for the first plots of land last month.

Moving forward

It appears that the Konza City project is truly beginning to move.

Konza Technology City Development Authority (KoTDA) CEO Eng John Tanui told reporters earlier this year that the first parcels of land are ready for investment now and that “we are completing the design for the provision of utilities including waste water management, street lighting, water, power and Internet systems to ensure that these are laid out in the right way.”

The project has interest from Blackberry, IBM, Google and many other multinational companies, but it is also ensuring that locals have an opportunity to invest and become part of something unique. ICT Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i spoke at a news conference in October last year saying, “Together with the National Treasury, I am working on a Public Private Partnership framework that will see government source for funds to support local investors.”

If the project is a success, then 200,000 jobs could be created by 2030, and by 2018 the city aims to account for 2% of Kenyan GDP. With groundbreaking for construction already underway, investors from far and wide will be watching with interest, to see if the Konza City dream becomes a prosperous reality.

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Algerian president fires central bank governor

1 June 2016 Comments (0) Business, Latest Updates from Reuters, Middle East

ALGIERS (Reuters) – President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Tuesday fired Algeria’s central bank chief, who had been under pressure from ruling party critics over his management of fall-out from the global oil price drop, two government sources said.

No official declaration had been made so far about the dismissal of Mohammed Laksaci, who had been the central bank governor for more than a decade. Bouteflika had held a cabinet meeting early on Tuesday, according to state news media.

 

(Reporting by Lamine Chikhi; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Technip signs $500 mln deal to refurbish Libya’s Bahr Essalam oil platform

31 May 2016 Comments (0) Business, Latest Updates from Reuters, Middle East

PARIS (Reuters) – French oil services company Technip has signed a deal worth $500 million with a consortium that includes Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) and Italy’s oil and gas major ENI to refurbish an offshore oil platform.

A statement from the French foreign ministry where a Libyan delegation was visiting on Tuesday, said the platform is for the Libya’s Bahr Essalam oil field off Tripoli.

The deal was signed by NOC’s chief executive Mustafa Sanalla and Technip’s CEO Thierry Pilenko.

 

(Reporting by John Irish; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Ingrid Melander)

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Private equity investments grow across Africa

31 May 2016 Comments (1) Africa, Business, Featured

africa private equity

Africa’s burgeoning economies increase their growth, as private equity investor’s step up their interests.

Private equity investments look set to transform Africa, as the continent’s economies continue to grow and adapt. Emerging markets have long been of interest to private equity firms, and in the space of a few years Africa has transformed its image among investors.

One of the most important factors, for attracting foreign investment, has been a general decline in the armed conflicts that have mired much of Africa’s recent history. While there are ongoing issues, every region of Africa has seen nations emerge with increased stability, and thus increased potential.

Interest at an all-time high

The emergence of a well-developed private equity industry in Africa is not entirely new, but it is only in the last 15 years that things have taken off. This growth has continued year on year, with last year’s fundraising, transactions and exits hitting exciting highs, with impressive levels of upturn. A 2015 EY appraisal of private equity developments in Africa, found that fundraising had risen by 24% on the previous year, and transactions by 90%.

Africa has begun to shape a new image for itself in the eyes of foreign investors, and one of the clearest signs of this change is that foreign direct investments (FDI) are increasingly targeted at consumer facing businesses. Previous investments (in many African markets) would look to commodities that could be extracted and exported. In contrast, many investors are now allocating funds to enterprises, which provide immediate services to local people.

Additional good news for Africa is that the second largest source of FDI across the continent as a whole is intra-African business. African nations are investing in private equity inside the economies of their neighbors, which helps create a cycle of growth within the continent.

The raw figures provide a good picture of just how strong private equity is within Africa and how much it is likely to grow. According to African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, fundraising in 2015 was the highest it had been in years, with a total of nearly $1.9 billion.

Bloomberg reported that through the course of last year, private equity firms amassed an investment pot of $4.3 billion for ventures within African business, and the range of these investments continues to broaden.

Exits also hit a 9 year high, and while financial services remained the largest sector at 24%, exits in goods and services, industrials and healthcare were significant in number.

Graham Stokoe, EY’s Africa Private Equity Leader, stated that, “The last two years have seen an increase in the number of PE firms making exits in the African markets. PE firms clearly are focused on adding value to their portfolio companies and are diversifying their approaches to help achieve this.”

The future looks promising

Given the growth across fundraising, transactions and exits, private equity in Africa is patently in strong health. What promises to help build upon this strong base is the sheer scale of new investment packages that have already been raised and designated for Africa.

KKR & Co are one of the world’s largest private equity firms, and they have allocated $100 million for Africa in 2016. Senior advisor, Dominique Lafont, told Reuters, “We want to use Nigeria as regional base and springboard for West Africa…we are not limited to one sector.”

Such funds are impressive, and yet they are dwarfed by other revenue streams that are set to find their way into the African markets. The Dubai based Abraaj Group, has raised $375 million for private equity investments in North Africa for the coming year. The exciting aspect to Abraaj’s presence is that they have already raised a huge sum, for Sub-Saharan Africa, which when combined with their latest fundraising, will total $1.4 billion of African investments.

A rival to Abraaj, the Helios Group, have already assigned $1 billion for Africa, taking the continent’s private equity industry onto a new, unprecedented level of investment.

Across the industry, there seems to be a climate of positivity, and an appetite to capitalize on the continent’s new, developing markets.

Michael Rogers, EY’s global deputy private equity leader, summed up the optimistic feelings, saying, “I think increased investment from local and foreign investors across (a) wide range of industries… is really driving the story, and PE is becoming an important part of that narrative.”

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