Leading regional bank offers businesses opportunity to open accounts online.

Ecobank, a leading independent regional banking Group in West and Central Africa is offering business people an opportunity to open bank accounts online. The bank operates in 18 African countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tchad and Togo. The bank has over 320 branches and offices. For more of the banks’s services click here.

Rising food prices- Risk and Opportunity

Rising food prices pose a risk but also present business opportunity to African Economies.

The prices of wheat, rice, and corn are at their highest level since 2000. High fuel prices and increased demand for cereals from India, China as well as the use of corn to produce ethanol in the US and other countries is pushing the demand and the price for cereals higher. Most African economies depend on imports to meet their grain needs, it is estimated by UN agencies that more people will find it difficult to buy what they need to eat. Tension over rising food prices has already been seen in West Africa where riots have occurred in Morocco and Senegal. But there is a business opportunity in this. The increase in demand for alternative sources of fuel means that African enterprises that position themselves to produce bio-fuels from products such as the Jatropha tree for more information click here, here and here for more information on how the business works.

Strengthening currency

Can the recent rise in value of the Kenya Shilling vs the US dollar help you?

It depends on where you stand; if you are an exporter you probably are feeling a pinch. But farmers, manufacturers and potential importers of machinery can take advantage of the strengthening shilling to import goods at cheaper rates. This is the time to import items such as fertilizer, vehicles, and chemicals and oils that would otherwise cost a whole lot more if the shilling was weaker.

Africa Capital Markets

If you are a lawyer, banker or investor in the emerging markets of Africa you may want to attend the Private Equity and Venture Capital confererence to be held next year 20-22 February in Nairobi Kenya. The event is being hosted by Regal Exchange Associates and will put you back some 1450 GBP. For more information click here.

Loans to expand or diversify your business

Need a loan to expand or diversify your business?

You may want to approach FINA bank. The bank recently received $4.4m from the European Investment Bank, which it intends to use as loan capital for small and medium businesses. Loans are available to medium sized businesses in agro-industry, fishing, mining, food processing, manufacturing and tourism education and healthcare. The loans can be used for expanding one’s business, diversifying or mordernizing and are available for a maximum of 10 years on a fixed interest rate basis. FINA operates in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. To read more click here

Develop a Face Book and win 40,000 Rand

Microsoft is asking South Africa software developers to create a new type of Face Book and take the chance of winning Rand 40,000. The competition is being run by internet developer Mentez. Anyone with programming skills, or group of individuals or company can register for free at www.mentez.com. Deadline is 22 December 2007 . For more details click here

Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit

Global Career Company is pleased to announce the Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit scheduled to take place in Houston, Texas on 16-18 November 2007.

This invitation-only event will feature pre-scheduled interviews, presentations and networking sessions with leading multinationals operating across Africa. Companies that have already confirmed to attend the Summit are Anglo Platinum, Barloworld, Chevron, Coca-Cola SABCO, Cisco, Eskom, Heineken, Intercontinental Bank, Lafarge, OPS, Orascom, SAB, Shell, Toyota and United Bank for Africa. This list continues to grow. Available career opportunities range from entry-level graduate openings to senior management appointments and cover a variety of functions.

We invite you to read more about the event, and review our attending company profiles at www.globalcareercompany.com/ciaus.