Posts

Showing posts from December, 2012

European investors eye Tanzanian toll road

Image
EUROPEAN Contractors are eyeing the US$535 million Dar-es-salaam- Chalinze toll road in Tanzania, we have learnt. In an internet posting, a Belgium based trading company Group DML, www.dml.com is shopping for a partner for a joint venture with an unnamed European contractor to develop the project on a 3P basis. Chalinze Junction: To the right is A14 leading to Tanga    The company is proposing to invest in equity together with its partners. The Tanzania government, says the firm, will be a minority shareholder in the project. DML estimates that if the partners raise $150 million, they can raise the rest of the money from bank debt. They propose to use cash flows from the project as collateral. The 100 Km long Dar-Chalinze toll road is a section of the Arterial Morogoro road. This is a very busy section of the A7 highway that carries traffic to central and southern Tanzania and the neigbouring countries such as Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Malawi where Dar is a key

Nairobi Securities Exchange tops the world

Image
Activity at the NSE, Kenya THE NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE led five other African bourses to top the charts as world top performing securities exchanges, we can report. the best performing Analysts, among them, investing in Africa, www.investinginafrica.net  show that by the year ending November 30 th , 2012, African boasted of the six best performing bourses in terms of dollar dominated index. The six are; Nairobi Stock exchange, Nigeria stock exchange, Zimbabwe industrials, Uganda securities exchange, BVRM, and Ghana stock Exchanges in that order. The Nairobi securities exchange topped the pack posting 46.3 per cent return in dollar terms. Nairobi is capitalized at US$1.2 billion. The Nigeria Stock Exchange, capitalized at US$5.5 billion was second posting a 42 per cent return as at the end of November. The investing in Africa report is backed by reports from the bourses themselves. The Nigeria Stock Exchange shows that Market capitalization grew by 129 percent to U

Is Nairobi Commuter rail service sustainable?

Image
The commuter train service:a 30 year concession ALTHOUGH PESSIMISTS DOUBT the survival of the Nairobi commuter rail service, an analysis of business variables tells the opposite story -the project is viable and sustainable.  In fact, it could turn out a money spinner. The operation of the service will be in the private sector’s hands for an estimated 30 years concession.  Sentiment and necessity favour rail transport which is clean in terms of pollution, transports many people and is relatively safe and affordable. Commuter Rail service world-wide are geared to ease traffic jams in cities by persuading motorists to leave their cars at home and ride the train. They are thus designed to be faster-reliable –safer and affordable alternative to cars. Therefore passenger car traffic on the competing roads is critical inputs in assessing the viability of a commuter rail service. Studies show that the proposed commuter rail routes are on heavily trafficked roads in the city.