Weekly African Footprint: April 17, 2012

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Botswana

•  Galane Gold acquires Botswana exploration assets
•  Botswana tops Africa in mining investment
•  Diamond exports triple following slump
•  Credit surges as banks loosen lending

Egypt

•  Egypt's Ezz Steel 2011 net profit falls 20% y/y
•  Egypt urban inflation dips to 9% in year to March
•  France Telecom Takes USD 2bn Egyptian Deal to Regulators
•  Egypt's Suez Canal rises 3.5% in year to March
•  IMF working with Egypt on backing for loans
•  Egypt consumer confidence falls 2% in March
•  Egypt mobile phone subscriptions up 27% in January

Ghana

•  UBA Ghana Records USD 12.72m Profit After Tax In 2011
•  2m barrels of crude lifted from Jubilee Field in Q1
•  SG-SSB to improve operations to boost market share
•  Ghana revises up 2011 growth to 14.4%
•  Ghana annual inflation rises to 8.8% in March
•  GSE anticipates more listings despite fall in trading
•  Ghana cracks down on unbudgeted public spending
•  Ghana, India deepen talks on USD 1.2bn fertiliser plant

Kenya

•  Apache hires drilling rig for Kenya offshore block
•  East African Portland Cement Company production costs to drop
•  Unilever to continue production in Kenya, says CEO
•  KQ upbeat over the success of rights issue
•  Kenya's Portland Cement shares reinstated for trade
•  Kenya finance minister says to maintain tight policy stance
•  Tea production declines 31% on poor weather
•  Kenya seeks investors for 3,000 MW geothermal steam field
•  Kenya to auction two-yr bond worth USD 60m in April

Maurtius

•  Mauritius inflation falls again in March

Morocco

•  Morocco buys 74,500 T of barley amid drought
•  Morocco to raise solidarity tax on firms to help poor
•  Moroccan parliament approves 2012 budget

Namibia

•  Glencore heads to Namibia for latest African acquisition

Nigeria

•  Etisalat set aside NGN 30.6bn for network expansion
•  NNPC assures on gas supply to power plants
•  Dangote to invest USD 7b in power, others
•  Ashaka Cement Recommends NGN 0.40 Dividend
•  PHCN’s Soaring Gas Debts Cripple New Power Plants
•  Oando Projects NGN 5.3bn Profit in Q2
•  Visafone plans three-year growth
•  UTC records NGN 1.4bn profit, Portland declares NGN 0.20 dividend
•  E-Block Cement Limited plans 2.5m m/t cement factory
•  IFC to issue first Nigerian naira bond
•  Nigeria risks long-term fiscal disruption, says StanChat
•  Trade zone to attract USD 30bn investments
•  Fed Govt, banks partner on SMEs funding
•  Brokers seek banks’ support for market makers
•  U.S. importing less oil from Nigeria
•  Nigeria records NGN 10tn GDP in 2011

Tanzania

•  Vodacom Tanzania Introduces Free Roaming Charges
•  AfDB lends Tanzania and Sierra Leone USD 250m for roads
•  Rwanda, Tanzania's Telecoms Firm Sign USD 6.7m Internet Capacity Deal

Zambia

•  Mopani Mine spends USD 844m on suppliers
•  ZDA earmarks Afrox Zambia for listing
•  Zambia firm to build oil pipeline from Angola
•  Zambia inflation could end 2012 below 6%-Finmin

Zimbabwe

•  Zimplats’ refinery, smelter project still on course
•  Metallon Gold resuscitates open pit mine in Mat South
•  AfriFresh ups stake in Ariston
•  Royal finalising deal with Kenyan Investor
•  Olivine raises USD 12m in rights issue
•  African Sun, Dawn face ZSE suspension
•  Apex corporation stops operations
•  Mangoma imperils USD 600m ethanol project
•  New bank laws ready soon
•  Zim to slash Mozambique power arrears
•  Zimbabwe's 2012 maize crop forecast cut to 1m T
•  Zimbabwe targets 75,000 T wheat output for 2012