Mahindra company from India is planning to open a tractor assembling plant here, Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, revealed here yesterday. Dr Shein said negotiations with the Indian company were currently going on. He also disclosed that his government would also purchase 100 tractors from the company to improve agriculture in the Isles.   "Mahindra is one of the biggest companies globally and its expected branch in.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th October 2015

 The  construction of a multi-million dollar new Airport in Nigeria is set to kick off at Ekiti State after a spate of delay. The airport project will be executed on 4000 hectares of land.   The construction project was initially approved in 2009 during the administration of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, since then the project has experience neglect due to lack of political will for its implementation by the previous.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 8th October 2015

 German carmaker Volkswagen plans to spend 4.5 billion rand ($343 million) to upgrade its factory in South Africa and improve its supplier base, it said on Thursday. Most of the money would be used to revamp its factory in Uitenhage in Eastern Cape province to produce new models, Thomas Schaefer, head of Volkswagen's South African unit, said. VW has been pushing for greater scale under Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn's eight-year reign,.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th October 2015

 Rising demand for commercial vehicles and luxury cars pushed new and used motor-vehicle registrations in Kenya to nearly 100,000 units last year, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.   Reporting in the agency’s 2015 economic survey, director general Zachary Mwangi notes the 102,606 newly registered motor vehicles in the country in 2014 was up about 9.0% from 94,017 units in 2013. Both totals include.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th October 2015

 Ford Motor Co. said it plans to assemble its Ford Ranger pickup truck in Nigeria by the fourth quarter, as it expands in Africa and the Middle East.   The Nigerian assembly plant, in partnership with Ford dealer Coscharis Motors Ltd., is the first outside South Africa, where Ford produces the Ranger for 148 markets, the automaker said in a statement today.   "Nigeria is a priority market for us in sub-Saharan.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th October 2015

 Plans are underway for  the construction of a mega International airport in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise has announced.   The Ethiopian Minister of Transport, Workneh Gebeyehu confirmed the reports and said that Ethiopia is to break the ground for a new mega hub airport in the vicinity of Addis Ababa.   “The new mega hub will move the aviation industry in Ethiopia to a higher level. It will make.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 5th October 2015

 Tenders for consultancy services and engineering designs for the development of several ports in Tanzania have been advertised by the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).   The tender entails a request for interest in consultancy services for feasibility studies and preliminary engineering designs for development of new ports at Kilwa, Lindi and Rushungi, plus a transshipment hub along the Indian Ocean coast.   The ports in.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 5th October 2015

 As Ford's only manufacturing operation in the Middle East and Africa‚ Ford Southern Africa is in pole position to benefit from the group's decision to intensify marketing and production in sub-Saharan Africa‚ says Stephen Odell‚ president of Ford's European‚ Middle East and African operations. Ford has the capacity to increase it production in South Africa, particularly of the Ranger model. Ford has the capacity to.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 2nd October 2015

 Sub-Saharan Africa’s first light rail system or metro was inaugurated in Addis Ababa last weekend, said the head of the Ethiopian Railways Corporation Getachew Betru metro HernnPiera flickrThe Addis Metro will comprise two lines – one from east to west and the other from south to centre.  The Addis Metro runs 17 km from industrial areas south of Addis Ababa to the centre. A second line that will run east to west, is.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 25th September 2015

 The mega electrified light rail system in Ethiopia which cost US$ 475m during construction has finally commenced operation, head of Ethiopia Railways Corporation Getachew Betru has confirmed. The rail construction project was largely supported by China’s Export-Import Bank.   The 32km light rail system in Ethiopia which is Africa’s first light rail is expected to carry a capacity of up to 15,000 people per hour in one.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 25th September 2015

 Kenyan firm Bico has partnered with Liebherr which is a German heavy machinery maker to construct an assembling plant in Kenya in the capital Nairobi. The assembling plant in Kenya which is estimated to cost US$ 218m will see the assembly of road construction and agricultural equipment done in Kenya. The registered Kenyan company, Bico intends to produce at least 30 units of earth movers, water drilling machines and farm machinery such.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 22nd September 2015

Car manufacturer Toyota is well known, but Toyota Tshusho less so. We spoke to the trading subsidiary to find out more about its African operations.   Toyota Tsusho, established in 1948, is the sole general trading company within the Toyota Group. It has some 53,000 employees and its global network encompasses Japan, approximately 90 other countries and over 950 consolidated companies.   Since its foundation, we have been involved.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 14th September 2015