Business

heist watch

South African pension funds looted by Gupta associates

A new investigation into the looting of Transnet's pension funds reveals the methods of Zuma-era theft. ...

Pyrrhic victory

Sibanye-Stillwater: miners’ strike over, but pressures remain

South African mining firms still face an uncertain outlook on costs after the ending of the five-month strike by gold miners at ... Sibanye-Stillwater.

Brave New World

UK trade commissioner: ‘Post-Brexit Britain will be Africa’s Largest G7 investor’

The UK’s trade commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith, says Brexit is an opportunity not a threat, with Britain poised to improve on existing ... EU trade agreements and invest billions in African growth.

hard times

In Nigeria, 250,000 jobs and 19 firms hit by WEMPCO exit

News that the Chinese-owned Western Metal Products Company (WEMPCO) will exit Nigeria hit the wires last week, yet another victim of the economy ... contracting for five consecutive quarters between 2016 and 2017.

who guards capital?

Kenya’s Atlas saga reveals a weak regulator

The Nairobi bourse finally delisted logistics firm Atlas Support last week, years after the company effectively collapsed and disappeared with ... about Shs. 400million owed to creditors.

Paying the ransom

Kidnap fears drive Nigeria’s clean-up of SIM card data

Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) in April surprised some mobile network operators when it said that nearly two-thirds of the SIM card ... data that the operators have gathered and processed was invalid.

business and pleasure

Travel: Into the (he)art of Marrakech

With its artistic initiatives and fortuitous location as a bridge between the rest of the continent and Europe, this bona fide cultural capital ... is shifting and surprising

Trend setters

The 100 most influential Africans (81-90)

The Africa Report’s inaugural ranking of the top Africans who control the levers of power across politics, business and the arts: from billionaire ... barons to unpredictable peacemakers and soft-power superstars

Keeping the powder dry

CEO Ade Ayeyemi keeps Ecobank on a cost-cutting diet

Convinced that it is still necessary to improve the financial ratios of his group in order to continue its development, Ecobank's boss is asking ... shareholders to be patient.

The Hard Yards

DRC’s banking capital requirements raise prospects of consolidation

Banks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must raise their capital to a minimum of $50m by the end of 2020. That increase will force foreign ... banks to decide whether they are in the country for the long term.