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CEO of Egypt’s Sovereign Wealth Fund steps down

Published

1 month ago

August 15, 2024

Three sources acquainted with the situation quoted by Reuters have confirmed that Ayman Soliman, the head of Egypt’s $12 billion sovereign wealth fund, has resigned.

The resignations comes after limited progress in the privatisation drive announced at the start of his tenure five years ago.

Although the government and military have been reluctant to give up control over some assets, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) has said that its goal is to promote private-sector partnerships and assist international investment to flow into state-owned firms.

Requests for comment from the TSFE and Soliman, who was appointed in 2019 for a three-year term that was later extended, went unanswered.

It was expected that Soliman would quit; according to a government source, the political leadership of the nation wished to reassign senior roles to new people as part of a larger reorganisation.

“It’s not Soliman’s fault. But with the reshuffle, Egypt wanted to present a fresh image, and that meant Soliman had to step down,” said the source, speaking – like the others – on condition of anonymity.

In 2019, Soliman told Reuters that he wanted to “unlock value and create wealth” as part of his ambitious plan for TSFE.

Selling interests in banks, state-owned enterprises, and public projects both privately and on the Egyptian stock exchange was a key component of that strategy.

This involved giving an interest in a 25-year-old power plant concession controlled by the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company, in addition to shares in two military-owned businesses.

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Botswana grants a mining permit for its first manganese operation

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Giyani Metals, Botswana’s first manufacturer of manganese suitable for batteries, revealed that the country had granted it a 15-year mining permit.

The demand for manganese, a crucial component of batteries, is anticipated to rise due to the rise in electric vehicles and other clean energy applications.

One of the few battery-grade manganese projects outside of China is Giyani’s Kgwakwe Hill (K.Hill) project, which will process manganese oxide material on-site to generate high-purity manganese sulphate. 90% of the world’s supply of high-purity manganese is controlled by this Asian nation.

An early economic study from 2023 states that the K. Hill mine will produce 80,000 metric tonnes of high-quality manganese sulphate monohydrate annually throughout a 57-year life.

“The next step is production of battery-grade manganese from our demonstration plant, which is under construction in Johannesburg, South Africa,” the Canadian company said in a statement.

It further stated that the product from the demonstration facility will be utilised for off-taker qualification, an essential stage before the signing of offtake agreements.

The diamond industry is very important to Botswana, which produces the most diamonds globally in terms of value. The gem industry accounts for 30% of national income and 70% of foreign exchange earnings.

The nation wants to diversify its mining industry by using resources including iron ore, nickel, copper, and coal.

The nation is home to three active copper mines in addition to its two active coal mines.

The demand for battery metals like manganese is predicted to decrease the nation’s dependency on diamonds as a result of the growing need for green minerals worldwide brought on by the energy transition.

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Ghana records fastest growth in 5 years as GDP expands by 6.9% in Q2 2024

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Ghana has recorded its strongest rate of economic growth in five years in the second quarter of 2024, with the country’s statistics agency reporting on Thursday that the country’s GDP expanded by 6.9% year over year.

The country, which is a top producer of cocoa, oil, and gold has been battling the greatest economic crisis in a generation as a result of spiralling public debt, the robust rise signifies a noteworthy comeback.

“The 6.9% growth rate is the highest since the second quarter of 2019 and it was driven largely by strong expansion in the extractive sector, just as we saw in the second quarter of 2019,” government statistician Samuel Kobina Annim said.

Mining and quarrying contributed to the 9.3% growth in Ghana’s overall industry sector, while the gold sector climbed by 23.6% during the quarter for the third time in a row. Agriculture expanded 5.4%, but the services sector grew by 5.8%, according to Annim.

However, the cocoa sector shrank by 26.2% for the fourth consecutive quarter, underscoring the effects of a persistent drop in crop output brought on by disease and unfavourable weather.

The West African state is benefiting further from the economic recovery as it restructures its debt. After striking a preliminary restructuring agreement with two bondholder groups, it has extended an invitation to holders of its about $13 billion worth of international bonds to exchange their holdings for new instruments.

Bondholders can accept the offer until September 30. However, there will be a 1% consent fee for those who accept it before an early deadline of September 20.