A round-up of recent news from the UK, Africa and around the world

CGAP, an independent microfinance centre based at the World Bank, has announced a new partnership with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to expand ongoing global efforts to use information and communication technologies (ICT), especially mobile phones, to increase access to basic financial services for the poor. In addition to a 2006 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CGAP funding, DFID will provide GBP 8 million to the CGAP Technology Program. This announcement builds on more than six years of work on mobile banking and access to finance. In that time, CGAP has provided financing and technical advice to projects with more than a dozen providers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to develop innovative banking solutions, and conducted in-depth policy assessments of 13 countries. CGAP is an independent policy and research centre dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor. It is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP provides market intelligence, promotes standards, develops innovative solutions and offers advisory services to governments, microfinance providers, donors, and investors.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) jobs appear to have been another casualty of the global economic recession but now appear to be on the upswing. CSR job postings dropped 68% between Q3 '08 to Q3 '09. The worst of the decline (61%) occurred between Q3 and Q4 of 2008, mirroring the drop in the stock market. CSR job listings declined even further through Q1 '09, levelling off through most of the year at a low point not seen since mid-2006. Q4 '09 saw a noticeable 33% up-tick in listings, although it remains to be seen whether this will continue in 2010. These figures come from San Francisco Bay Area-based Sustainability Recruiting's recently-released CSR Jobs Report. Since 2004, this national CSR and sustainability recruiting firm has tracked and analyzed CSR job postings. The report's methodology has remained constant, allowing for apples-to-apples comparisons over time. Drawing on Business for Social Responsibility's (BSR's) CSR Jobs Page, the industry's primary resource for non-administrative CSR job postings, the report examines 819 CSR jobs that were posted in the period 2004 - 2009 and identifies several key trends. Among the most notable findings is the increase in senior-level corporate positions—those with VP and Director titles. Before 2006, none of the job postings had a title of VP or above.

The Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) has announced a new project in partnership with the Government of Mauritius that will deliver further improvements to the country's commercial justice system. The project will modernise the existing infrastructure of the Mauritian Judiciary over a two year period by simplifying and automating the settlement process, significantly reducing the time and costs involved with lodging a commercial case in Mauritius. The project will streamline judicial processes by establishing a Mediation Division and a Fast Track Commercial Court. Systems will be automated staff trained to increase the court's capacity to process commercial cases and significantly reduce operational costs. Information and communications technology improvements will modernise the court's recording processes - currently all cases are recorded manually with significant time and cost implications. Automating the process will improve efficiency and reduce data loss, which will in turn improve the credibility of the court statistics. With ICF support, it is hoped the duration of a full trial for commercial cases will be reduced from 180 days to a maximum of 100 days. ICF is the only pan-African body, based in Africa, explicitly and exclusively focused on improving the continent's investment climate. It works with receptive African governments to systematically remove constraints to investment in order to make the continent an even better place to do business. ICF is currently active in Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia, and has a number of pan-African projects and initiatives.

The Global Community Links programme will offer support to community groups building links with communities in the developing world. The fund will offer workshops and grants of up to £10,000 to enable UK community groups to forge links with the developing world to highlight the issue of global poverty and encourage their own communities to address it. The scheme has received £3 million from the Department for International Development to be invested over three years and will be managed by the British Council. The International Development Minister, Gareth Thomas, announced the fund at the Wales for Africa International Development Summit in Cardiff and the scheme is expected to open for applications shortly. For further information on the programme click here.

Thousands of voluntary organisations and social enterprises have benefited from Funding Central. The new website has generated £1.5 million in grants and contract funding in its first six months. It has also provided valuable advice and information on developing skills to draft winning tenders and successfully apply for grants or loan finance. Of those responding to an on-line survey in January, 100 organisations (16% of respondents) successfully applied for grants and contracts of between £800 and £85,000, with many more applications pending. A survey of site users shows more than 70 per cent rate the "search" options as good or very good and 63 per cent think the advice section is good or very good. A total of 73 per cent of survey respondents rated a weekly personalised funding newsletter, supplied by Funding Central, as good or very good. The website is funded by the Office of the Third Sector. Funding Central is free for all voluntary and community organisations to use, including social enterprises, and provides access to more than 4,000 funding and finance opportunities, such as grants, contracts and loans. This is supported by practical advice, information and easy-to-follow tips to submitting successful applications.

The UK's best small firms have the chance to scoop 50,000 Nectar Points – along with a £2,000 cash prize – by entering an annual competition. This year's Nectar Business Small Business Awards are open to entries. The contest, which is backed by Dragons' Den star James Caan, aims to "celebrate business success" and "recognise the dedication and hard work" of small firms. Prize packages made up of 50,000 Nectar Points, £2,000 cash and £2,000 credit at office suppliers Viking Direct are up for grabs in the following categories: Small Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Contribution to the Community Award and Online Business of the Year. Entries must be submitted by 31 May 2010. A panel of experts will choose the big winners, apart from the Contribution to the Community Award category, which will be decided by a public vote. For further information about the competition, visit the Nectar Business website

Annual enterprise competition The Pitch is on the lookout for the UK's best up and coming small businesses. Run by consultants Sift Media, The Pitch aims to reward and recognise the country's most innovative entrepreneurs. Entrants get to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts, including former Dragons' Den star Doug Richard, with one lucky winner set to scoop a prize package of consultancy and advice worth thousands of pounds. The contest is open to entries from UK-based businesses that employ 20 or fewer staff and have been trading for less than three years. Applicants will first have to battle through one of five regional heats, before taking part in a grand final to be held as part of the Business Factory enterprise expo in London during November. Entries to this year's competition must be made by 15 June 2010, with five regional heats scheduled for Bristol, Liverpool, London, Edinburgh and Birmingham over the summer. Winners from these preliminary rounds will battle it out at the grand final to be held at the Business Factory enterprise event in London during November. For further information about this year's contest, visit The Pitch website

African science ministers are hoping to extend a high-speed fibre optic network — currently linking Egypt to the northern hemisphere — to other countries in Africa. The Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD) connects national laboratories and institutes across Canada, China, Korea, the Netherlands, Russia and the United States, enabling scientific collaboration in areas ranging from weather forecasting to high-energy physics. Recently, Egypt, India, Singapore and Vietnam were added to the network via the 'Taj' expansion, officially launched at the fourth meeting of the African Ministerial Council of Science and Technology (AMCOST IV) in Egypt in March. GLORIAD provides high volume data transfer, videoconferencing and remote control of scientific instruments, and is largely funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which raised US$2.3 million for the extension to Egypt. Several institutes in Egypt, including Cairo University, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Mubarak City for Science and Technology, are already coordinating projects with US agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Agency for International Development. GLORIAD began in 1998 as MIRnet, a US-Russian network.

PepsiCo has announced global goals to provide access to safe water to three million people in developing countries by 2015 and to continuously strive for positive water balance in company operations in water-distressed areas.This new set of commitments builds on progress made by PepsiCo to promote greater water-use efficiency across its operations and to source water in ways that respect communities and ecosystems. In 2007, PepsiCo set a global goal to reduce water consumption by 20 percent per unit of production by 2015. To date, the company has achieved a more than 15 percent improvement in water use efficiency as compared to the company's 2006 baseline. In addition, the PepsiCo Foundation continues to invest in sustainable water resource management methods, which positively impact both quantity and quality of water supplies, particularly in developing countries. Since 2005, The Foundation and PepsiCo have committed more than $15 million to organizations working to bring safe water to developing countries, including India, China and Africa. Together, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are working to provide access to safe water to one million people from the world's most drought stricken regions by year's end. This program has already impacted more than 400,000 people since its launch in 2008.After more than a decade of actively promoting sustainable water resource management, PepsiCo continues to drive responsible water solutions that are socially responsible, scientifically based and economically sound.

The number of South Africans accessing the internet via broadband connections has increased by more than 50% in the past year, says a new survey. The Internet Access in SA 2010 study, conducted by World Wide Worx and Cisco, found that wireless broadband has grown nearly four times as fast as fixed- line broadband in SA. The study revealed that most of the growth in fixed-line broadband comes from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) upgrading from dial-up to ADSL. This in turn has extended internet access to more than half-a-million South Africans working in small offices, who did not previously have access. According to World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck, who presented the findings in Johannesburg yesterday, more people are now accessing the internet from SMEs than from corporate networks. The study found that broadband subscriptions had grown by 88% in the past year, against 21% for ADSL, which Goldstuck said was an indication of a trend that has been evident since 2008. The study led to a number of interesting findings, including that cellphone access to the internet had passed dial-up for the first time in SA's internet history, and that the academic and cellphone communities provided huge opportunities for future growth in the next five years. The combination of new undersea cables and terrestrial fibreoptic networks will mean the emergence of the next generation of connectivity technology, both in fixed-line and wireless services.

A renowned labour economist projects that there will be more jobs than people to fill them in the United States by 2018. Assuming a return to healthy economic growth and no change in immigration or labour force participation rates, Barry Bluestone, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, predicts that within the next eight years there could be at least 5 million potential job vacancies in the United States, nearly half of them (2.4 million) in social sector jobs in education, health care, government and non-profit organizations. The loss in total output could limit the growth of needed services and cost the economy as much as $3 trillion over the five-year period beginning in 2018. Bluestone's research is one of four papers written by independent experts and released today by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. All four papers, which can be found at www.encore.org/research, assert that engaging workers over 55 in encore careers will be vital to meeting work force shortages and critical social needs. In addition to the Bluestone research, the three companion papers, written by experts in their fields, examine how creative approaches to staffing can help meet pressing problems in education, health care and the green economy, now and in the future. The research identifies 15 jobs that will provide the largest number of potential new encore career opportunities in the coming decade. The list is dominated by seven job categories in health care (registered nurses; home health aides; personal and home care aides; nursing aides, orderlies and attendants; medical assistants; licensed practical and vocational nurses; and medical and health service managers); three in education (teachers, teacher assistants and child care workers); others in nonprofits and government (business operations specialists; general and operations managers; and receptionists and information clerks); plus clergy and social and human service assistants. The three papers suggest that those over 55 have the skills and experience to help solve serious problems and to bridge critical labor gaps in education, health care and the green economy.

Diversity is still lacking among FTSE-100 chief executives, with few women and ethnic minorities and many leaders having a similar background, research has shown. The annual Robert Half FTSE-100 CEO Tracker, timed to coincide with the latest reorganisation in the index, showed that there are only four women at the helm of leading UK firms. And while 59 per cent of chief executives are British with 41 from overseas, there is only one CEO from a black background, Prudential's Tidjane Thiam. There are only four FTSE chief executives under the age of 45, with Oleg Novachuk of copper mining company Kazakhmys the youngest at 38. The oldest is Jaime Lomelín of Fresnillo, who is 74. Meanwhile, in a finding that underlines the usual route to the top, the research showed that over half (51 per cent) of leaders come from a strong financial background. Of the 11 chief executives have been appointed this year, seven of them fit into this category, including Michael Queen of 3i and Peter Voser of Royal Dutch Shell who were both promoted from being finance director at their firms. The four female leaders are Cynthia Carroll of Anglo American, Dame Marjorie Scardino of Pearson, Katherine Garrett-Cox of Alliance Trust, Angela Ahrendts of Burberry. A fifth, Alison Cooper of Imperial Tobacco, is due to take over at her company in May this year.

The Communities Secretary John Denham has revealed the Government is to offer funding to assist faith groups become involved in public service delivery. The Faith Working with Government fund will enable national faith based organisations to build their capacity and voice to bid for public service contracts. Mr Denham also announced a £50,000 prize scheme to reward faith groups offering innovative solutions to the problems of their local communities.

London-based explorer Tullow Oil Plc plans to drill at least 10 wells in Uganda this year and invest around $150-$200 million in exploration and production as interest in the country's oil sector heats up. Uganda, which has crude reserve estimates of around 2 billion barrels in its Lake Albert region, is increasingly drawing the attention of global oil players. Tullow is in the process of acquiring Heritage Oil's 50 percent equity in two jointly owned exploration blocs and has applied to the government to sell stakes to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, and France's Total. Tullow will drill a minimum of 10 wells this year and planned to bring in extra rigs. The decision will end months of talks between Kampala and oil firms as Heritage seeks to exit Uganda, and Tullow looks to acquire sufficient resources to finance the development phase of Uganda's evolving petroleum industry. Total and CNOOC have presented their investment and development plans to Uganda and Tullow Chief Operating Officer Paul McDade told conference delegates that the next phase of investment would total $5 billion and possibly up to $10 billion. A senior Ugandan government official said in February that Uganda would need $8 billion in investment in the next decade to develop its oil sector.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has partnered with South Africa's Standard Bank and the German government's International Climate Initiative to develop a new carbon project as part of the fight against climate change. The Africa Carbon Asset Development (ACAD) is the first facility dedicated to boosting the African carbon market, and will support continental projects through a combination of technical assistance, grants and preferential access to corporate finance and transactional guidance. ACAD takes a new approach toward capacity and market development, sharing costs and risks with African banks such as Standard Bank to realise and replicate projects. One of the key challenges Africa faces is in removing investment barriers to low-carbon sustainable development. Combined with traditional debt or equity finance, carbon finance is a promising means of attracting funding for energy and infrastructure projects; and it is here that ACAD can help. The ACAD partnership couples UNEP's longstanding capacity building expertise in environmental policy and finance with the financial know-how and regional reach of Standard Bank. ACAD has recently awarded its first grants to innovative "green" development projects in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Agriculture is a major priority for Africa and is accepted both in Africa and internationally as the main entry point to eradicate poverty on the continent, says the Chief Executive of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki. In the forefront of NEPAD's efforts to encourage African governments to adopt more effective agricultural policies is CAADP, which was conceived by NEPAD and adopted by the African Union in 2003. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) - endorsed by the African Union and NEPAD in 2003 - is an Africa-led and Africa-owned initiative to rationalise and revitalise African agriculture for economic growth and lasting poverty reduction. The CAADP seeks to increase farm production in an environmentally sustainable manner so as to boost food security, provide more raw materials for African industries and raise rural incomes. The programme also reaffirms a commitment by African governments to devote at least 10 percent of their national budgets to agriculture. To generate wider national support for CAADP, he says, NEPAD has initiated a series of broad national consultations among governments, farmers, traders and others which culminates in the signing of a CAADP Compact representing total commitment to CAADP. The new NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency headed by Dr. Mayaki was established by the African Union in February this year to transform the NEPAD Secretariat into an implementation agency. The Assembly of the African Union has also endorsed the integration of NEPAD into the structures and processes of the AU.

A multi-million-dollar laboratory to boost research and put Africa on a par with the world's most advanced research institutions has opened its doors to African researchers. Hosted under the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) hub, the laboratory is based at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi and is the first of its kind in the region offering training, research and related services. The initiative has the endorsement of CAADP and is being developed within the framework of centres of excellence for science and technology. Admission to BecA is limited to scientists working on African agricultural problems regardless of the universities they come from. African scientists have long suffered from inadequate laboratories, prohibitive costs and restrictive regulations compared with similar research activities overseas. The new facility provides access to the latest equipment and technologies. With the use of the most modern facilities African scientists will be able to improve on their capacities to conduct bioscience research and produce improved products that can enhance the livelihoods of farmers and promote development in the region. Already scientists at BecA have found that Uganda has a rich environment for sweet potatoes that can be used to increase food security across the continent. They have also made a partial breakthrough with a cassava variety that is resistant to the cassava brown streak disease. Work is under way on about 30 major research crops and 20 projects on livestock including vaccines. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) -- endorsed by the African Union and NEPAD in 2003 -- is an Africa-led and Africa-owned initiative to rationalise and revitalise African agriculture for economic growth and lasting poverty reduction.

The recession has created a workforce that craves stability and security rather than pay or advancement, according to research by professional services firm Towers Watson. The Global Workforce Study, which surveyed 20,000 employees from private-sector organisations across 22 countries, found that the downturn has had a deep and significant effect on attitudes to work. An overwhelming 81 per cent said that security was of vital importance in their job, coming out ahead of skills development (58 per cent) and high pay (56 per cent). Moreover, eight out of 10 respondents say they want a traditional employment relationship rather than being a contractor or self-employed. Around half want to work for a single employer for their whole career, and a large majority say they would ideally want to work for fewer than three employers. Only 12 per cent of people are actively looking for another job, while 46 per cent say they would not be tempted to leave even if an attractive offer presented itself. The findings represent the final nail in the coffin of the "free agent" concept hyped as a new approach to work a decade ago, say Towers Watson. The survey highlights the disconnect between what people expect from their employers and what employers believe they can reasonably offer.

Global recruitment markets are recovering, but international companies must make sure their talent is in the right countries to support growth, according to the head of global recruitment at KPMG, Keith Dugdale. As the impact of the recession recedes, organisations face a new challenge of "getting talent to the right place", he said. Dugdale highlighted emerging economies like India, which have come out of the recession rapidly but now face different challenges. In India, 30 per cent growth rates are now a possibility again, creating a large demand for experienced talent. As China's economy is now buoyant again, there is a strong demand for experienced talent, but it is more challenging to get graduate talent, he said. The reverse is true in many other countries, where it is easier to get graduate talent but harder to get more experienced employees, he said. Dugdale said to ensure that the growth and subsequent economic recovery continues, people needed to get into the mindset of talking about global labour markets again and the global movement of talent.

The South African government has identified several sectors with the potential to create new jobs as the country embarks on a shift to a more labour-absorptive economy, says Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel. Patel said the new growth path would include a focus on manufacturing, infrastructure development, rural development and agro-processing, and the "green" economy. He added that the new growth path, aimed at stepping up the fight against poverty and unemployment in South Africa, would recognise the crucial role of the private sector in creating new jobs. While South Africa's economy had started to show signs of recovery, Patel conceded that regulatory reforms that encouraged employment were needed. The recession took a heavy toll on South Africa's economy, with some 870 000 people losing their jobs in 2009 and households suffering from falling incomes and high levels of debt. The domestic economy contracted by an estimated 1.8% in 2009 as a result of a decline in consumption spending and weak investment growth. Patel said recovering the jobs lost in 2009 would require a major improvement in the employment performance of the economy, with a focus on decent work opportunities and "better social outcomes".

A report released by Accenture shows that women in business are more resilient than men - findings which are reflected in a survey of South Africa's business environment. According to the report, resilience has been identified by corporate leaders globally as the most critical factor in helping businesses survive in tough economic times - and women are found to be more resilient than men. Research for "Women Leaders and Resilience: Perspectives from the C-Suite" was undertaken globally by consultancy Accenture. The report showed that 71% of more than 500 corporate leaders surveyed in 20 countries believed that resilience, defined by Accenture as the ability to overcome challenges and turn them into opportunities, was a key capability in determining who to retain. Within a South African context, 56% of respondents said women were very to extremely resilient and only 44% reported men as very to extremely resilient. Another encouraging finding for the South African market was that 80% more companies were preparing more women for senior management roles than in the last five years. This was a 33% increase on 2005 figures, Accenture said. It said all of South African companies surveyed were now providing career-enhancing assignments to prepare women for leadership roles, with 75% providing internal mentors to ensure this took place. The survey also asked respondents what actions their companies had taken to support women's career development and almost five in 10 said they provided internal mentors or work-life balance programmes. South Africa lagged behind the global trend of providing work-life balance programmes for women, with only 38% of the company's surveyed providing access to these programmes.

A new study on internet access finds that the number of South African accessing the internet via broadband connection has grown by more than 50% in the past year – a direct consequence of the growing need for round-the-clock connectivity. The Internet Access in South Africa 2010 study, conducted by World Wide Worx and Cisco, shows that most of the growth in fixed line broadband comes from small and medium sized businesses upgrading to ADSL. This in turn has extended internet access to more than half-a-million South Africans working in small offices who did not previously have access. It also reveals that wireless broadband subscriptions have grown by 88% in the past year against 21% for fixed-line ADSL subscriptions, mainly a result of large companies giving 3G cards to employees who need to be connected while out of the office. The availability of both fibre access and new licences has also sparked an 18% increase in the number of internet access and service providers in South Africa. The study also delves into the impact internet access in having on South Africa, from increased access to government information services to new trends in entertainment and education. From a data perspective, consumers are using the internet to create blogs and personal websites with text, pictures and video, while the convergence of formally disparate services - voice, video and data - has provided a variety of new experiences, such as the integration of broadcast TV, video on demand (VoD) and telephony services.

The Swedish government has promised to help South Africa develop more renewable energy sources as the two countries vow to fight the devastating effects of climate change. While South Africa relies heavily on coal for its energy, Sweden is committed to clean energy with 50% of that country's energy coming from renewable energy sources. Sweden supports the World Bank's loan to power utility Eskom and has defended South Africa's use of coal. Both countries emphasised the importance of a truly global legally binding agreement on mitigating the effects of climate change. They said the Copenhagen accord, reached in Denmark, should give direction to the negotiations leading up to a global agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Gujarat-based Sanghi Industries, part of the Rs 4,500-crore Sanghi Group, has bought land in Kenya to build a cement plant, making it the first Indian company to do so in the east African country. Sanghi plans to build a 1.2-million-tonne cement plant, along with local partnership, in a bid to cater to a growing African market and to also serve neighbouring countries, said people connected with the development.

The world's eighth-largest oil and gas exporter, Nigeria's socioeconomic development is being fuelled by massive Chinese investment in key sectors such as energy, financial services, manufacturing, and technology. With Africa's most populous country embracing privatization and economic diversification, Chinese enterprises are flooding in and taking advantage of the numerous foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities. While Nigeria's oil and gas industry is the main FDI destination, Chinese firms also have a solid presence in the construction, agriculture, education, and service sectors. Chinese investment in Nigeria is now worth an estimated $6 billion. Increasing demand among Nigeria's 150 million citizens for Chinese-made goods such as motorbikes, textiles and machinery has resulted in the country becoming China's second-largest African trade partner behind South Africa. The successful strategic partnership based on China's valuable skills, knowledge, and experience is set to strengthen over the next decade as Nigeria looks to achieve its infrastructural, economic and social goals under a development plan it calls Vision 2020. Charged with regulating the banking sector and managing the nation's macroeconomic policies, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has overseen major reforms in the financial services sector such as the privatization of government enterprises and a series of consolidations and acquisitions.

China is opening a factory in Cameroon to manufacturer buses for West and Central Africa. China is Africa's third largest trading partner with a ten-fold jump in commercial transactions over the last decade. The $500 million factory in Douala is expected to start producing buses by the end of the year. Joining private investors from China and Cameroon, government officials say it will create hundreds of new jobs, ease transport, and boost Cameroon's economic growth as a source of vehicles for West and Central Africa. The factory will give Cameroonian workers important new skills, according to Zacharia Awanga, the deputy chief of International Development in Cameroon's Ministry of Economy and Planning. The agreement also calls for the delivery of 500 Chinese buses in July for use between and within Cameroonian cities. The two countries have signed a series of agreements including a $65 million grant, a $65 million no-interest loan and the donation of technical equipment to Cameroon's post office. According to President Paul Biya, the relationship between China and Cameroon reflects a shared point of view on subjects of international policy. China has been increasing investment in Africa over the last decade, mostly in mineral and petroleum production. Angola is China's largest source of crude oil. But Beijing says it is also investing in Africa's people and has boosted bilateral assistance across the continent. Trade with Cameroon which topped just $2 million 40 years ago now tops $800 million.

Local media reported that about 60 Indian business organizations have expressed interest in investing in the energy, manufacturing, infrastructure development and tourism sectors in Zambia. The sixth Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Export and Import Bank of India, recently has attracted several inquiries from Indian companies, on investment opportunities in Zambia.

The newly assigned Indian ambassador to Ethiopia, Bhagwant Bishnio said Indian FDI to Ethiopia will reach five billion USD until the end of this year from 4.39 billion USD at present. The ambassador said various projects will be implemented to enhance the existing trade and investment relations.

Burundi will receive a grant of US$ 135 million over the next five years, under the eighth round of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, official sources said in Bujumbura. The funds will be allocated to the "Intensification and Decentralization Program me for the Fight against HIV/AIDS (PRIDE)," said Burundian first Vice-President in charge of Political, Administrative and Security Affairs, Yves Sahinguvu.

Transnet, South Africa's state-owned freight logistics group, has announced a multibillion-rand investment plan to revamp the country's infrastructure to meet "world class standards". Outlining its five-year strategy, the parastatal said it would spend more than R93-billion on infrastructure expansions and various other projects to improve customer services and ensure financial sustainability in future. The five-year investment is "mainly to accommodate new projects to support the planned volume growth", Transnet said. In the last five years it has invested R74-billion in replacement and expansion operations, and has already secured R20-billion to spend in the 2010/11 financial year, which begins on 1 April. The new investment plan has been upped from R80.5-billion to R93.4-billion to fund the acquisition of 304 locomotives, which will expand its existing fleet of 1 978 within three years.

Bharti Airtel clinched a deal on Tuesday to buy most of the African operations of Kuwait's Zain for $9 billion, making it the No.2 cellular firm on the African continent and setting India's biggest carrier a tough financial and management challenge. The two companies, which entered exclusive talks in mid-February, signed a legally binding definitive agreement in Amsterdam, where Zain's Africa subsidiary is based, Bharti said in a statement. Bharti said the acquisition - the second biggest overseas purchase by an Indian company after Tata Steel's $13 billion purchase of Corus in 2007 - would make it the world's fifth-largest wireless company with operations across 18 countries and with a total customer base of about 179 million. Zain said in a separate statement that it intended to distribute a large proportion of the upfront net proceeds from the deal to shareholders in the form of dividends, subject to approval and the repayment of its $4 billion revolving credit facility. Bharti, which is 32 percent owned by Singapore Telecommunications, selected Zain as its second choice for building a major presence in Africa after it twice failed to finalise tie-ups with South Africa's MTN, the continent's biggest operator. The deal will give Bharti 42 million subscribers in 15 African countries, but still needs regulatory clearances.

Africa's economy is likely to grow by an average 4.3 percent this year from just 1.6 percent in 2009, but poverty could still increase as there may not be an similar increase in employment, according to a recent U.N. report. The United Nations' Economic Commission for Africa report predicted that oil exporting countries in the sub-Saharan region, which excludes North Africa, would grow by 5.1 percent in 2010 while oil importers would expand by 4.9 percent. The projections are well short of the 7 percent needed to achieve the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty by 2015, it said, adding that the growth rates were not enough to create large numbers of jobs. This means that unemployment and vulnerable employment as well as working poverty in Africa are likely to increase in 2010, said the report, released at an African Union finance and economics ministers conference. The Commission also said inflation in southern African countries could rise to double-digit figures because of lagged effects from high oil and food prices in the region.Despite growth averaging 5 percent or more in much of the previous decade, millions of Africans still live below the breadline as the economic gains have failed to translate into more and better jobs. Growth will be driven by demand for African exports -- in most cases oil and minerals -- and continued fiscal and monetary stimulus.

The Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) has announced it will hold its Investment Climate Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 3rd and 4th May 2010. The Summit will bring together African Heads of Governments, senior Government officials and executives from the business community to share best practice and to establish a collaborative action plan on improving investment climates in Africa. The Summit will discuss the importance of investment climates in increasing economic growth, creating jobs and alleviating poverty. Since several countries are taking measures to improve their investment climates, the Summit will also discuss how to get the private sector to respond to measures that are being taken. Delegates will explore four key business themes, identified as priority areas for ICF, where project learnings and achievements can be easily shared and rolled-out to other countries. The four areas are: business registration and licensing; anti-counterfeiting and piracy; commercial justice; and taxation and customs.

Barclays Bank is putting up a £500,000 prize pot to reward Britain's best business ideas. Their new Take One Small Step competition is offering a £50,000 cash prize to ten regional winners. The contest, which is open to entries from start-ups or established businesses across Great Britain, is being backed by Julie Meyer, online Dragons' Den investor and chief executive of Ariadne Capital. Urging Britain's best business brains to enter the contest, Steve Cooper, managing director of Barclays Business, said a great idea can come at any time and whether one is a seasoned entrepreneur, business novice or kitchen table start-up this competition is open. Initial entries must be made online at the competition website by 16 May. A panel of experts will whittle down these entries to three finalists across ten regions – one overall winner for each region will be chosen as a result of a public vote held on the competition website during June and July. For further information about the competition, visit Barclays' Take One Small Step website .

Investing in energy efficient equipment gives small businesses a big competitive advantage, new research has claimed. A study commissioned by the Carbon Trust found that more than 80% of finance directors believed that investing in new equipment and machinery would boost their business in the long-term by helping to reduce energy costs and improve productivity. Three-quarters of those surveyed planned on increasing their spending on new equipment during the next six months - despite the gloomy economic forecast - while nearly a quarter said investing in energy efficient equipment would be an "essential" factor in their company's survival this year. The research was released to coincide with the announcement that the Trust's flagship Big Business Refit campaign had funded £60 million worth of equipment upgrades since it was launched last April. Through the scheme, small to medium-sized businesses can claim interest-free loans ranging from £3,000 to £500,000 to cover the costs of buying newer equipment that will help slash their energy bills and carbon emissions.

South African wine sales in the UK have overtaken those of France for the first time, according to the latest figures from market analysts AC Nielsen. South African wine sales grew 20% by volume between January 2009 and January 2010 to 12 270 000 nine-litre cases, compared to a decline in French wine sales of 12%, to 12 266 000 nine-litre cases; growth that also saw South Africa becoming the fourth-largest selling country for wine in the UK. Although the South African wine industry is over 350 years old, it is recently that the country's exports have seen significant growth. In 1994, the industry exported around 50-million litres of wine globally; by the close of 2009, exports had increased eightfold, reaching almost 400-million litres.

After a tough 2009 for job seekers, new research has shown that South African employers anticipate a more buoyant employment market in 2010. The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) revealed businesses in 29 of the 36 economies surveyed expect to increase staff numbers in 2010.According to Samantha Crous, General Manager of the CRF Institute – the employer brand research and marketing organisation that conducts the annual Best Employers South Africa research – the labour market could be looking at a post-recession rush with talent on the move in 2010. Organisations will need to revitalise and promote their employer brands, says Crous, if they wish to retain and attract the best talent in the market in the next 12 to 18 months. Crous said South Africa is at the cusp of a recovery – gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2009, exceeding market expectations – which means organisations need to engage with the talent attraction or retention issue or they could face losing key people. Findings from the 2009 Best Employers showed in particular that there is a strong link between organisations that prioritise empowerment and transformation and those that are accredited as Best Employers in South Africa – 80% of the country's best employers also score highly in empowerment and transformation.

South Africa plans to double its trade with the UK and become a gateway for European companies looking to establish bases in Africa, says Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies. He said both nations agreed that there was great potential to become gateways to their respective regions, adding that the next stage was to establish a free-trade zone between the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the East Africa community. He said when the trade agreements came into force, a free trade area from the Cape to Cairo with about 700 million people would be created. Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan said the relaxation of exchange controls would enable overseas companies to bring more money into South Africa and send this onto other African countries. Davies said the 216 business people that went along with Zuma on his state visit to the UK between 3 and 5 March, were part of South Africa's biggest trade delegation yet which has accompanied a state visit. Davies said there was also interest shown by the UK delegation to invest in industries located in South Africa that would produce goods for infrastructure projects and in investing in engineering opportunities in SA. Currently 26 of the 27 Business Process Outsourcing operations, such as call centres in South Africa, are British.

"Growing SMEs: It's time to invest" which takes place in The Hague June 2, 2010 is an Investment Market Place offering a unique opportunity to 75 entrepreneurs from developing countries to meet and pitch their business plans to 100+ investors interested in financing companies in emerging markets. The objectives of "Growing SMEs: It's time to in¬vest!" Market Place are to match entrepreneurs and financers, mobilize capital, and showcase an emerging asset class for investors. The ultimate result sought is to improve incomes and economic stability in the developing world. For a detailed programme of events, please click here. "Growing SMEs; It's time to invest", is expected to bring together more than 800 attendants, among which specialists and practitioners active in the SME Finance sector, as well as 75+ entrepreneurs and 100+ investors.

Sauti za Busara is an international music festival, held each February in Zanzibar, showcasing music from the Swahili region, African Continent and diaspora. In past years, more than 280 groups have performed, including Jose Chameleone, Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga, Saida Karoli, Natacha Atlas, Didier Awadi, Bassekou Kouyate, Jagwa Music, Ba Cissoko, Nyota Ndogo, Thandiswa, Culture Musical Club and more. For artists performing in the Festival, we usually pay a modest performance fee and cover local expenses in Zanzibar, including travel, accommodation, food and incidentals. Artists from outside the region will usually have to find their own travel sponsors. The festival selection committee meets at the beginning of August to decide the artists for SzB2011. All applicants will be notified of the selection committee decision by email during September. Your application can only be considered if we have received a completed application from you by 31 July 2010. Your application must a completed form including a short biography (max 1000 words), one or two recent recordings (CD or DVD), one or two photographs (JPG or paper).

The World Bank has granted South African state power company Eskom a US$3.75-billion loan to help it complete the 4800MW Medupi coal-fired power station, as well as to finance "some of the biggest solar and wind power plants in the developing world". Announcing its approval for the loan, the World Bank said the loan, its first major lending engagement with South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994 was made in order to help South Africa achieve a reliable electricity supply. In a statement, the Washington-based institution's board of directors said the loan would be used to co-finance a blend of energy technologies. The loan was granted despite opposition from a number of countries, including the US and the UK, because most of it is be used for environmentally unfriendly coal-fired technology. The Bank said the loan was warranted by unique circumstances, including an energy shortage brought about in part by the rapid growth of South Africa's economy, compounded by the global financial crisis that had "exposed the country's vulnerability to an energy shock and severe economic consequences." Besides pushing for greater energy efficiency in the country, as well as increased use of alternative energy sources, Eskom will be upgrading the environmental technology at its other power plants. The government will also explore the acceleration of the de-commissioning of older power plants in the medium term, taking into account the country's energy requirements.

South Africa and China have signed contracts that will see Chinese companies sourcing products such as mohair, bulk wine, wool, frozen fish, copper, manganese, granite blocks, ferrochrome and lobsters worth some R2.3-billion from South Africa. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin, witnessed the signing of contracts between 26 South African and Chinese companies and said they mark the deepening of mutually beneficial economic relations between South Arica and China. South Africa, which is working to position itself as the most promising emerging market in the world, combines a well-developed business services support and dynamic investment environment with a number of global competitive advantages and opportunities. Bilateral trade between China and South Africa has experienced an upward trend, growing significantly from R23-billion in 2003 to R119.7-billion at the end of 2009.