A partnership between De Beers, government and the South African diamond cutting industry has launched an Enterprise Development Project for Diamond Beneficiators in Johannesburg, which aims to facilitate the transformation and growth of the diamond cutting and polishing sector in South Africa. The holistic and developmental programme will work with selected Black South African-owned diamond cutting businesses. The South African diamond cutting businesses, particularly new entrants to the sector, face competitive challenges competing locally and internationally, and the programme has both a transformation aspect and a growth of the sector objective. It includes interventions to improve the industry and business…
Author: Editor
Africa offers tremendous opportunities for investment. This was the overarching theme of the 6th annual Africa Investors’ Conference (AIC), hosted by Standard Bank and ICBC Standard Bank in London recently. South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan re-enforced this theme in his engagement with investors attending the AIC, when he said: “Africa still offers opportunities for investment.” He said that there were many remarkable success stories of South African companies that had expanded into Africa. He hoped that recent events, such as Brexit, would not have an enduring impact on emerging markets, including Africa. David Munro, Chief Executive, Corporate and Investment…
Stanbic Bank Botswana values the importance of strong, engaging customer relationships across the board. This was made clear by the Bank Executive Management as they hosted customers and key stakeholders to an intimate cocktail evening at the Stanbic Bank Selebi Phikwe Branch recently to build and strengthen relationships. Stanbic Bank has a firm strategy that treats customer and stakeholder relationships as an utmost priority. To this end, the Bank has a long history of working to constantly build and grow relationships in personal banking, commercial banking and corporate and investment banking. The Selebi Phikwe engagement serves as yet another means…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and South Africa’s power utility (Eskom) have signed loan facilities for a USD 1.34 billion towards Eskom’s capital expenditure programme. Eskom’s 2016-2020 capital expenditure programme includes investments in new generation, plant refurbishment, transmission lines, and capacity building in excess of USD 17 billion. “This will help reduce load shedding and increase energy reliability in South Africa and in the southern African region. AfDB estimates this will help boost electricity generation in Africa by nearly 10%, heralding progress toward Bank’s vision to achieve universal access to energy by 2025 under the New Deal for Energy in…
Shumba Energy says it has been given approval from Botswana government for its proposed coal mine and associated 600MW mine mouth power station at Mabesekwa power project. The Botswana Stock Exchange listed budding energy developer revealed it had submitted the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment EIA) to the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism and now it has been given the go ahead. “The Ministry has given its formal approval to the ESIA for the Mabesekwa Independent Power Project (“MEIPP”) subject to the compliance with laws and regulations of authorities in Botswana on 28 June 2016,” said Shumba. It…
Galane Gold Ltd, the TSX-listed gold producer said for the three months ended June 30, 2016 production from the Mupane mine was 7,855 ounces, an increase of 2,027 ounces on the previous quarter. According to the an un-hedged gold producer and explorer with mining operations and exploration tenements in Botswana and South Africa, the increase is a reflection of the higher grade being fed to the operating plant with the commencement of mining in the main Tau ore body in April 2016. Galane Gold CEO, Nick Brodie said the second quarter of 2016 outperformed our internal expectations with mining commencing…
As a sign of continual growth, Major Moves Comedy has roped in heavyweights from Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe who will be performing for the 1st time in Botswana at the HICOFEST event to be held at the award winning GICC. The event also aims to showcase the best of the best in local talent and alongside their South African counterparts in a relaxed and buoyant environment. Major Moves Comedy started their events at Khwest, and then hosted them at Cresta President Hotel and later moved to Gaborone Sun (now Avani) as more and more people patronized the comedy nights. The…
The 4th Annual International Heavyweight Comedy Festival (HICOFEST) is bringing non-stop laughter to Gaborone on August 5th at Gaborone International Conference Center (GICC) with the most sought after and in demand international and local comedians. The audience will be treated to too much hilarity and great silliness from a variety of heavyweight comics. The show promises fireworks as it will be held at much bigger venue which is easily accessible for patrons to experience top notch entertainment. Major Moves Comedy’s biggest annual flagship comedy event will feature over eleven comedians headlined by the Queen of Comedy Kelekwang “Rekunde” Mophaleng and…
Tlou Energy Limited, the AIM and ASX listed company says it has resumed gas testing programme at its Lesedi CBM Project in Botswana as it moves to provide evidence of a sustainable gas production rate achievable from the field and develop the first wells flowing commercial rates of gas in the country. According to the company, which is focused on delivering power in Botswana and Southern Africa through the development of coal bed methane (CBM), Selemo 4 gas production exceeded expectations and potentially a second key gas producer alongside Selemo 1. Tlou Acting Managing Director, Gabaake Gabaake said following on…
Tlou Energy Limited, the AIM and ASX listed company and another budding coal bed methane (CBM) developer have been selected by Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) to develop unconventional power projects in Botswana. Tlou said it is awaiting full details from the Ministry of Mines Energy and Water resources (‘MMEWR’) in Botswana with the project expected to be for 50MW. “We are elated by this decision and look forward to receiving the full details from the MMEWR. Although we always planned to expand our project beyond the 10MW initially envisaged as being fast-tracked for development, a 50MW project…