The world leader in digital security Gemalto won the contract for the production of biometric identidy cards in Algeria, the minister of Interior announced on 29 June. "Gemalto was selected for the acquisition of the body of the pre-personalized card and application of national biometric and electronic identity card (CNIBE)", explained the minister, indicating that the contract value...

Helios Investment Partners, the private investment firm focused on Africa, has formed a joint venture (HV Investment) with the Swiss trading group Vitol to acquire the downstream operations of the energetic Nigerian group Oando Plc, we learn from the stakeholders press releases. The operation for an overall value of US$461.3 million will be done partly with cash (US$ 276.8 million) with the...

Tantalus Rare Earths AG, operating a rare earths project in North-East Madagascar raised funds to the tune of €2.304 million through its fund raising plan which was subscribed to by fifteen investors for 178,819 new shares issued at a value of €1.430 million. This takes place at the stage of its transition, from prospecting to mining and production company, on its rare earths...

The minister of Post, Telecommunications and ICT, Oyé Guilavogui, officially announced the enforcement of a tax on telecommunications in a press release. The communiqué explains that "this law is applicable to all telephone service users, at a rate of GF1 per second per call and concerns all types of telephone calls, landline and mobile, local and international, interconnections and...

China and France signed a declaration on 30 June on third markets partnerships where both countries made the commitment to work together to win over markets in Africa and Asia, a major turning point in the globalisation program of Chinese companies.   "The statement on French-Chinese partnerships in third markets" was countersigned in Paris during a 3-day visit in France by the Chinese...

In Senegal, the creation of Radiodiffusion Télévision Africaine (RTA - African Broadcasting) project has been nabbed by the Court of Auditors, who has just publicly released its 2013 report. The institution criticised the funding allotted to RTA by the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Artp), accused of overstepping its mission framework. The Court of Auditors revealed that,...

Burkina Faso's shea nut producers and sellers now know the price they will receive for their products. According to Sidwaya, the Association of exporters of sesame and other oilseed products of Burkina Faso (GESB) announced that producers would sell their nuts at a minimum of FCfa140/kg while sellers would be given the opportunity to retail at FCfa150/kg. This announcement comes in the run-up to...

GoviEx Uranium Inc, a Canadian mining company in operation on the uranium deposit in Niger announced on 30 June that it has applied for a mining permit for the Madaouela uranium, Arlit uranium mining district, in the north of Niger. This application to the Niger government is "a decisive step in the development process" of this project, as explained by Daniel Major, CEO of GoviEx. According to...

Ivorian Mgbékpon Sévi Samuel is the winner of the special prize of the 2015 Young Inventor prize ceremony. The 21-years old youth who was awarded a prize of CFA 1million francs was rewarded thanks to an invention which would help protect rubber harvests during the rainy season: the rubber cup collector protector. The inspiration for the device, which looks like a rubber umbrella attached to...

The French Engie (formerly GDF Suez) has acquired the renewable energy producer SolaireDirect. Finalised at €200 million, the sale gives Engie 95% shares of SolaireDirect's capital, making Engie the leader of solar energy in France with a raw capacity of 383MW. The contract has provisions for an increase of SolaireDirect's capital by €130 million. Moreover Engie has, by virtue of...