Weekly African Footprint: January 06, 2012

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Botswana

•  DTC sees double-digit growth in 2011
•  Scramble ensues as prime 600mw tenders loom
•  BPC lesedi reaches tourism belt
•  DiamonEx shifts focus to coal
•  Diamond values jump at Lucara's Botswana mine
•  Botswana central bank leaves bank rate steady at 9.5%

Egypt

•  French company Total to open USD 3bn plant in Egypt
•  Egypt's army pumps USD 1bn of own money into central bank, refuses foreign aid

Ghana

•  Gold Fields says Ghana mine tax hikes "deep concern"
•  Government to reduce unemployment rate by the end of 2012
•  BoG offers relief to local banks in the 60m capitalization
•  Ghana to explore Iron ore deposit in Northern region
•  Ghana parliament approves USD 10.7bn 2012 budget

Kenya

•  Kenya Power reports 42.3% increase in customer defaults
•  Kenya: Mumias to Diversify to Ethanol and Water
•  Indian firm to build substation, power lines at Olkaria
•  Kenya Power to move home users to pre-paid meters by 2016
•  Kenya 2011 economic growth seen at 4.5-5.0%

Mauritius

•  Mauritius' Rogers 2011 pretax profit up 5.1%
•  Mauritius trims key repo rate, econ outlook cloudy
•  Mauritius inflation up, central bank to tread carefully
•  Mauritius 15-yr inflation-linked bond margin rises

Namibia

•  Efficient Group in Namibia joint venture
•  Australia's Extract on halt for China-Kalahari bid talks
•  Namibia central bank leaves benchmark rate unchanged

Nigeria

•  Nigeria's Ecobank to seek Oceanic merger approval
•  AMCON May Step in to Save Union Bank's Recapitalisation
•  FCMB Capital Markets, Stanbic IBTC Invests NGN 37bn in Oil Block
•  Listing of oil companies to boost stock market by NGN 45.58tn
•  NEXIM Bank Posts NGN 765m Unaudited Profit
•  Indonesia Bakrie Group to invest USD 1bn in Nigeria resources JV
•  Ecobank Shares Lose Value on Delisting
•  Access, Intercontinental will be Single Entity by March 2012
•  PZ Cussons warns half-year profit below views
•  Shell, Eni buy huge Nigeria offshore oil block
•  Non-oil Export Hits USD 3bn
•  Nigeria new car imports soar as credit flows recover
•  Usan Field: Nigeria’s Crude Output Set to Hit 2.7mbpd
•  Canada targets more investments in Nigeria
•  Energy consortium plans USD 2bn investment to produce 2000MW
•  Nigerian stocks fall to 8-year low, funds buy bonds
•  More than 20 Nigerian power companies issued with licences

Tanzania

•  SABMiller’s Tanzanian Unit Posts 77% Rise in First-Half Net
•  Tanzania Breweries share uptake above target, says advisor
•  Helios Towers Tanzania gets USD 85m syndicated loan
•  Tanzania lowers petrol pump prices in latest review
•  Tanzania arabica coffee prices fall, follow N.York

Zambia

•  First Quantum pays more than USD 600m in taxes to Zambia
•  Libya's LAP Green Network in talks for sale

Zimbabwe

•  BAT raises cigarette prices
•  Natfoods commissions USD 700,000 packaging plant
•  Econet subsidiary launches regional fibre-optic network
•  Econet branches into solar power
•  Chinese firm begins Zimbabwe diamond sales
•  Altfin launches medical aid scheme
•  Liquidation axe hangs over RioZim
•  Old Mutual disburses developmental fund
•  AMA in bid to raise USD 100m for farmers
• 
•  old capacity utilisation weak