Reuters Africa Business

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – A South African high court on Friday struck down an urgent application brought by environmentalists to stop oil major Royal Dutch Shell starting seismic surveys to explore for petroleum systems off the eastern seaboard’s popular Wild Coast. The applicants, which included Greenpeace Africa and fishermen, had been seeking to stop the …

Shell wins court case to start seismic surveys offshore South Africa Read More »

By Silke Koltrowitz ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss chocolate makers Barry Callebaut and Lindt & Spruengli said improving cocoa farmers’ income was crucial to ending child labour in the cocoa supply chain. An estimated 1.56 million children work in cocoa production in West Africa and chocolate makers, under pressure from consumers and investors, are finding it …

Swiss chocolate makers focus on incomes to end child labour Read More »

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s private sector activity expanded at the fastest pace in 10 months in November, as the economy benefited from the lifting of an overnight curfew after COVID-19 infections eased, a survey showed on Friday. The Markit Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 53.0 in November from 51.4 in the …

Kenya private sector activity at 10-month high in November-PMI Read More »

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African bank Absa expects annual profit to more than double in the year to Dec. 31, it said on Friday, citing cost controls and lower bad debts. In 2020 the bank reported headline earnings per share, the main profit measure in South Africa, of 730.9 cents. It said it will give …

S.African bank Absa expects annual profit to more than double Read More »

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s private sector business activity recovered in November after staff in its biggest metal-workers union returned to work after striking in October, a survey showed on Friday. IHS Markit’s Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) jumped to a six-month high of 51.7 in November from 48.6 a month before, skipping back into expansionary …

S.African business activity rose in Nov after metal strike ended -PMI Read More »

(Reuters) – The South African rand steadied in early trade on Friday, struggling for momentum as some uncertainty over the Omicron coronavirus variant lingered. At 0625 GMT, the rand traded at 15.9250 against the dollar, not far off its previous close of 15.9400. The continued spread of the Omicron variant globally has in recent days …

South Africa’s rand steadies, Omicron uncertainty lingers Read More »

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s TFG is buying on-demand online shopping platform and last mile delivery provider Quench, as part of a push to grow its e-commerce business, the fashion and homeware retailer said on Thursday. After years spent lagging much of the world in terms of e-commerce, South African retailers and delivery startups have …

South Africa’s TFG buys online shopping and delivery provider Quench Read More »

ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria’s telecoms regulator has picked MTN Nigeria, Airtel Africa and Mafab Communications to bid for 5G licences at an auction set for Dec. 13, it said on Thursday. The Nigeria Communications Commission had said in July that it expected to start auctioning spectrum for the next-generation 5G network in the fourth quarter …

MTN and Airtel Africa among bidders for Nigerian 5G licences Read More »