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Archive for May 1st, 2007

Thirteen Botswana companies are ranked among the top 50 best performing firms in southern Africa

1 May, 2007 in Botswana, Business

source: allAfrica
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)

April 27, 2007
Posted to the web April 30, 2007

Fraser Mpofu
Botswana: Companies Top Region’s Capitalization

Thirteen Botswana companies are ranked among the top 50 best performing firms in southern Africa, excluding giant South Africa, according to the latest issue of African Business magazine.

In rankings issued this week by the London-based publication, Botswana companies rank second only to Zimbabwe, which tops the list with 19 companies in the top 50. The survey is based on market capitalisalion of companies listed on various stock exchanges in the region.

Zimbabwe-based Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) leads the rankings with a market value of US$4,4 billion.

The bulk of the best performancing Botswana companies are financial and mining institutions.

Ranked second on the overall regional table, Barclays Bank, First National Bank (FNB), Standard Chartered Bank and Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL) are Botswana’s first, second, third and forth biggest performers respectively.

Barclays Bank (Botswana) has a market capitalisation of US$893 million, followed by First National Bank with US$884 million, Standard Bank with US$747 million and Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited, which has US$377 million in market value.

Other Botswana companies in the top 50 are Sechaba Breweries, who are sixth on the rankings with US$300 million, Letshego (13th with US$193 million), African Diamonds (18th with US$128 million), Engen (19th with US$122 million), Gallery Gold (35th with US$59 million), African Copper (36th with US$57 million), Sefalana Holdings (39th with US$52 million), Furniture Mart (41st with US$48 million) and African Banking Corporation Holdings (45th with US$38 million).

Zambia, with eight companies, is third behind Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Five companies are from Malawi, four from [continue reading]

Presidential trips benefit nation

1 May, 2007 in Botswana

source: BOPA
30 April, 2007

GABORONE – President Festus Mogae says his trips abroad are necessary as they give him an opportunity to interact with other leaders, donors and investors, among others.

Some are compulsory in that no country can survive without interacting with others, he said in an exclusive interview. For instance, there are at least eight mandatory heads of state summits spread between SADC, United Nations, African Union and New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) in a year.

I agree that there are just too many meetings that one has to attend, he said. To register his concern, the President said he did not attend a NEPAD implementation meeting, which was held in Algeria, last Friday.

Also, he said at one point he considered pulling out of NEPAD but later changed his mind after being convinced that the move would perhaps illicit mixed and inadvertent interpretations from other sections.

NEPAD alone holds four meetings in a year, add that to other meetings of equally important organisations and see how many such summits take place in a year. The fact of the matter is that no one can survive as an island.

That not withstanding, Mr Mogae maintained that [continue reading]

Beware of false immigration officers

1 May, 2007 in Botswana

Source: BOPA
30 April, 2007

GABORONE- The public has been warned to guard against con artists masquerading as Department of Immigration and Citizenship officials. The department says in a news release that they have received reports of people been swindled money after promises to facilitate the processing of their applications for work and residence permits, citizenship, visas and exemption certificates.

The public is advised that all the services offered by this department are provided by immigration officers within the official premises of the department and should not be transacted at private dwellings or in the streets.

However , the release states if one chooses to use attorneys or business consultants , to submit on their behalf, applicants must demand certificates of registration issued by relevant authorities like Botswana Law Society and the Registrar of Companies.

The department further appeals to the public to report such advances to law enforcement agencies. BOPA

SA: Lotto Lotto Lotto

1 May, 2007 in South Africa

IOL:DA slams minister for Lotto ‘broken promises’

April 30 2007 at 06:23PM By Lee-Shay Collison

The DA has lashed out at Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa over the uncertainty over the national lottery, which is still suspended. [read post]

news24: Lotto ‘hunt’ still on – dept

30/04/2007 17:07 – (SA)

Johannesburg – The process of finding a new national lottery operator is still underway, the department of trade and industry (DTI) said on Monday. read post]