African mineral exploration activity is poised to drop by 15% to 20% in 2014 as sources of funding have dried up due to difficult economic problems, according to David Cox, senior sales executive of SNL Metals Economic Group.
Africa
Africa nabs $1.6B in private equity investments in 2013
Private equity investments in sub-Saharan Africa totaled $1.6 billion in 2013, an increase of 43% from the year before. Sectors in the region which received most investments were energy and natural resources and banking and financial services.
Microsoft 4Afrika selects five African startups for innovation grant
US tech giant Microsoft selected five African tech startups to receive innovation grants, technical support, and mentorship from Microsoft under its venture arm extension, the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative.
Singapore-listed Sunmoon invests in American beverage firm True Drinks
Bukit Batok Crescent, Singapore-based fruit and produce firm Sunmoon Food Company has agreed to buy $250,000 (S$317,200) worth of stocks in Nevada, US-based beverage company True Drinks Holdings at $4 apiece.
California-based Primus Power snags $20M in Series C round
Primus Power, a provider of low-cost grid-scale energy storage solutions, bagged $20 million for the first close of its Series C round led by South Africa-based Anglo American Platinum Ltd.
Latest News
General Electric Co Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt has asked private investors to pour more funds in African nations where government-run services have been strained, Bloomberg reported.
Johannesburg, South Africa-based independent retirement fund administrator Alexander Forbes Ltd sold its 60% holding in Lane Clark & Peacock's Swiss unit for an undisclosed sum last year, ahead of a 2014 initial public offering (IPO).
Goldman Sachs Group Inc is predicting a flood of initial public offerings to be held in South Africa as private equity buyers divest their investments, Bloomberg reported.
The private equity arm of London-based banking firm Standard Chartered picked up a 13% stake in Botswana-based supermarket chain Choppies Enterprises in a deal valued at $6 million.
Nigeria-based energy firm Oando Plc said it closed $1.63 billion to purchase the assets of US-based firm ConocoPhillips in the country, in a bid to become the top producer for the biggest oil exporter of Africa.
Shareholders of Chile-based firm CFR Pharmaceuticals gave a nod on Friday for a sweetened takeover offer for South African drug maker Adcock Ingram in a bid to woo the top shareholder of the South African firm.
Oil and gas firms ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd have completed the joint purchase of Videocon Group's 10% holding in a gas field in Mozambique in a deal valued at $2.475 billion.
Dangote Industries Ltd, Alhaji Aliko Danagote's holding company, has up till October 26 to sell down or dilute its stake in cement manufacturer Dangote Cement PLC. The reduction in shareholding will enable the cement company to comply with flotation regulations in Nigeria's bourse.
The African private equity industry in Africa may be young and subject to various shortcomings but political stability, infrastructure growth and increasing consumer activity has given it a more positive outlook for this year, the Financial Times reported.
