Zimbabwe is undergoing change and aims to attract more companies to do business in the country, but risks and challenges remain for businesses aiming to capitalise on the opportunities in the country. These were some of the views raised by Zimbabwean and international representatives during an information session on 'Doing business in Zimbabwe' hosted by the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week.

Amid the compounding effects of loadshedding in South Africa and increasing concerns about climate change, appliance manufacturer Defy has launched its Solar Off-Grid fridge and freezer range to address local energy challenges. Sabrina Jardim tells us more.

The Infrastructure Africa Business Forum is set to delve into a critical topic shaping the continent's economic landscape: the role of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) in propelling growth and development across Africa. As stakeholders convene to discuss infrastructure investment and economic advancement, the forum will spotlight SEZs and IDZs as catalysts for sustainable development and inclusive growth. SEZs and IDZs represent strategic enclaves designed to attract investment, stimulate industrialization, and enhance competitiveness. By offering a range of incentives, streamlined regulatory frameworks, and world-class infrastructure, these zones create conducive environments for businesses to thrive and contribute to economic transformation.

London-listed Gemfields has announced updated ‘G-Factor for Natural Resources’ figures for the 12 months to December 31, 2023, and has also once again invited governance bodies, extractive companies, industry observers and host governments to adopt the ‘G-Factor for Natural Resources’ measure to improve transparency and accountability regarding the share of natural resource wealth paid to a host country’s government. In July 2021, Gemfields announced the ‘G-Factor for Natural Resources’, a measure promoting greater transparency regarding the level of natural resource wealth shared with the governments of host countries, whether from the mining, oil, gas, timber or fishing sectors.

In this article, residential solar solutions provider GoSolr CEO and co-founder Andrew Middleton, writes that solar power has the potential to significantly reduce loadshedding, but patchwork policies, differing tariffs and a lack of incentives are stalling growth.

The London Metal Exchange (LME) moved on Tuesday to stop traders from taking Russian aluminium from its approved warehouses and returning it at a later date to profit from rule changes to comply with new sanctions. The US and Britain earlier this month banned the LME from accepting new Russian production of aluminium, copper and nickel to restrict Russian revenues from the export of these metals.

Australia’s Boss Energy has produced its first drum of uranium at its Honeymoon uranium project, in South Australia. This is a milestone as part of the commissioning process at Honeymoon, which will see production ramp up to 2.45-million pounds a year of uranium oxide (U3O8). With the first drum of uranium successfully processed, Boss will accelerate plans to increase the production rate and mine life at Honeymoon. The current mine plan uses 36-million pounds of the project’s total 71.6-million-pound resource.

Imameleng Mothebe has been appointed as the new CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa (AMIE) as of May 2. She will succeed outgoing CEO Paul Matthew.

Anglo American subsidiary Kumba Iron Ore has reported a 10% year-on-year decrease in sales to 8.5-million tonnes for the quarter ended March 31, on the back of port performance challenges. About 400 000 t of shipments have been rolled over to the second quarter as a result.

Africa's mid- and downstream oil products supply infrastructure is ageing and suffers from a lack of investment, outdated policy frameworks and insufficiencies in regional, national and urban energy planning when compared with other regions across the world. Efforts have also not kept pace with rapidly growing populations and urbanisation trends, which has resulted in fragmented supply routes, bottlenecks and insufficient infrastructure capacity, contributing to an overreliance on trucks, congestion in cities and ports, and disrupted access to energy.