World’s largest hotel brand Marriott International announced in a statement published on October 5 it will spend R3 billion ($218.14 million) on five hotels in South Africa. Marriott, which has become the leading hotel brand in Africa in April 2014 after buying South African Protea Hotel Group, said the new hotels should create 8,000 jobs during construction and more than 700 long-term jobs...

Agricultural lands in Cote d’Ivoire will from now on be protected under constitutional law, President Ouattara told parliamentarians on Oct. 5, 2016, as draft proposal for a new constitution was being presented. “It has been established that only the State, public collectivities and Ivorian nationals can get rural land with all rights guaranteed,” the Head of State said, according to AIP....

Sasol has announced the completion of the first ever 3D onshore seismic programme in the Inhassoro field in Mozambique. The seismic involved the acquisition of 115km² of data in the field which forms part of Sasol’s onshore production sharing agreement (PSA) licence area. This area is to be developed in phases. The phase 1 of development involves a combined oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)...

In the framework of the programme to support food production and security (PAPV-SA), three agricultural processing units will be built in the north-central part of Cote d’Ivoire, APA reveals. Towns concerned are Djébonoua, Bouaké and Katiola, where will be respectively built a cassava, tomatoes, and rice processing units. The PAPV-SA through these projects aims to reduce living standards...

Garba Shehu, spokesman of Nigerian president Muhamadu Buhari has announced on Oct. 5 that two of the 10 presidential planes were being sold. The news was reported by BBC Africa. The Falcon7X (photo) and Hawker 4000 are the two jets concerned. Besides these two, other presidential planes “will be handed to the Nigerian air force”, Sehu added. The downsizing of presidential fleet was...

Due to persistent drought continues, Morocco’s grain imports are highly likely to explode. While L’Economiste said the kingdom might buy four million tons of wheat, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) forecasts Rabat’s total grain imports at 8.7 million tons, thus 2.2 million tons more than the average over the past five years. With a projected wheat output of 2.8...

In Ghana, mining companies are turning to renewable energy, as an additional source of energy but also to cut down their cost of operation. Many of these firms indeed complain about the high cost of thermal energy. “Many of the companies are now looking at renewable energy sources because of the cost of thermal based energy resources. Most of them are looking at even their own generation as...

The Ethiopian government inaugurated on October 5, 2016, a railway that links Addis Ababa to Djibouti’s port. The 756-km infrastructure took four years to be built and cost $3.4 billion of which 70% were provided by Chinese Exim Bank. The line will improve access to Ethiopia and boost trade with Djibouti. “This train will allow Djibouti people and Ethiopians to travel with more ease,...

Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) has arranged a $100 million Murabaha (compatible with Islamic laws) financing facility for Egyptian General Petroleum. “We are very pleased to be supporting Egypt’s petroleum industry through arranging of this Murabaha facility. It contributes to the stability and security of supply of energy to the Egyptian people,” said Dr Raed Al...

ExxonMobil Corp. on Thursday announced that it is considering its next steps after the Chadian High Court instructed the oil company to pay $819 million in royalties. “We disagree with the Chadian court’s ruling,” Todd Spitler, ExxonMobil’s spokesman, said. The Chadian court on October 5, 2016, ruled in favor of the government of the country following complaints by the Finance...