Normal service was resumed on Friday with two Toyota Gazoo Racing SA cars leading one/two in the Production Vehicle qualifying race for the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race, round three of the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship, which starts here tomorrow. Toyota factory teams in Toyota Hilux models have dominated the race since 2012 with Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy and Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie separated by one minute and 51 seconds in the 120 kilometre sprint to determine start positions for the first heat of the race. Both Taylor/Murphy and Poulter/Howie were out in cars running…
Author: Editor
Africa is uniquely placed to build a sustainable, renewable energy matrix with immense potential. From a local perspective, Botswana stands a chance to play a big role in this burgeoning industry, according to Sheperd Aisam, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Botswana. How quickly, efficiently and at what cost the continent builds this energy infrastructure will be influenced by sovereign wealth, governments’ commitments and capital markets. “With her current wealth, natural resources and access to capital markets, Botswana needs to devise policy requirements to take advantage of these resources,” said Aisam. The World Bank estimates that only…
An a glittering ceremony that marked the five-year milestone anniversary of the Innovation Prize for Africa, the landmark programme of the African Innovation Foundation (AIF), innovative healthcare solutions took pole position this year, offering ground-breaking responses to address Africa’s prevailing malaria and HIV/AIDS burdens. Out of a total of 985 applications, 10 nominees were selected, and from these Dr Valentin Agon of Benin was selected overall winner, with Imogen Wright of South Africa scooping Second Prize, and Dr Eddy Agbo of Nigeria winning the Special Prize for Social impact. AIF partnered with the Government of Botswana (GoB) represented by the Ministry…
Global renewable energy developer, Mainstream Renewable Power has signed $117.5m equity investment from investors including IFC , the IFC African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund (ALAC) and the IFC Catalyst Fund, two funds managed by IFC Asset Management Company, Ascension Investment Management and Sanlam to accelerate the build-out of megawatts of wind and solar plants across Africa. The deal, which is subject to shareholder approval, provides equity funding for the Lekela Power platform, a joint venture with the global pan-emerging market private equity firm Actis. The funding package will help Lekela meet its goal of constructing over 1,300MW of badly…
Tlou Energy Limited, the AIM and ASX listed unconventional gas explorer said the firm announcement by Botswana government to incorporate 100MW of coal bed methane (CBM) power into its future generation supply plans could be transformational to the company and shareholders. Tlou Acting Managing Director, Gabaake Gabaake stated that as the most advanced CBM project in the country they are well placed to become a major supplier of this power. He said given the latest news, their plan to initially develop a 10MW project is now even more tangible and the potential for being granted not only an offtake for…
Galane Gold Ltd. has announced that Wayne Hatton-Jones has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Company at the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the company. Hatton-Jones is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the company and has had over 27 years’ experience in mining and held a number of senior management positions in the mining industry including with Randgold, Gold Ridge Mining, Avocet Mining Plc and Harmony. Galane Gold Chairman, Ravi Sood said that having worked with Wayne for the last two years “I know that he will be a positive addition to the board and will assist us in…
Investing in African Mining Indaba, the world’s largest mining investment event, says registration is open for next year’s event. Reacting to the market conditions and unfavorable currency-conversion rates that have resulted in recent lower attendance, Indaba official shave announced a new historic price reduction for mining and exploration companies. Registration fees are as much as 50% lower than last year for mining corporates, based upon company size and type. Mining Indaba, now in its 23rd year, will take place 6-9 February, 2017, in Cape Town, South Africa. Jonathan Moore, managing director of Mining Indaba, said the success of the event relies…
Botswana Metals Limited (BML) said it has been granted extension by the Department of Mines to three of its exploration licences for a period of two years effective from April 1, 2016. The minerals explorer stated that the granting of the extension to PL110/94, PL111/94 and PL54/98 now allows the Joint Venture partner BCL Limited, a Botswana mining and smelting operation owned by the Botswana Government, to consider a pre-feasibility report prepared by WorleyParsons (WP) on the Maibele North resource. “Under the agreement BCL, through its subsidiary BCL Investments (Pty) Ltd, can fund up to the completion of a bankable…
The Cross Okavango Delta Expedition, led by Thalefang Charles and supported by Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) will be embarking on a second expedition across the Okavango Delta from Seronga to Maun by mekoro (dugout canoes) from July 23 to August 8, 2016. This year, the expedition will travel with various local artists (musicians, poet, and painter, photographers) in order to inspire them to create artworks based on their Delta crossing experience. The artworks would form part of the celebratory artworks by Batswana on the country’s 50th independence Celebrations and presented at an Okavango Delta Art Exhibition event organised by the…
In recent years, an ongoing drought has caused a severe power crisis in Zambia. The new analysis “Power crisis and consequences for solar energy in the Zambian mining sector” from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in its role as facilitator of the Project Development Programme (PDP) and THEnergy shows that the framework conditions for investments in solar have become more attractive. The power crisis has caused Zambia to take emergency measures at extremely high costs to close the gap between generation and electricity consumption. The mining industry is by far the biggest consumer of electricity in Zambia…