| South Africa
Film on Mandela's Life Premieres
A film that chronicles the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela was premiered recently, stirring emotional memories of the anti-apartheid icon. The film, entitled Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, is based on his autobiography. Many of South Africa's well-known politicians and business people showed up to watch the film's premiere. Mandela, 95, was admitted to the hospital several times recently and remains critically ill at his Johannesburg home. He became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after democratic elections.
Africa
Logistics Investment Potential
Logistics companies are looking to developing countries in Africa for investment opportunities, according to a recent report by international audit firm Pricewaterhouse- Coopers (PwC). According to the report, South Africa tops the list for having the most developed transport and logistics sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whether moving resources off the continent or bringing goods and services into its burgeoning economies, Africa's future growth and development will depend on the quality of its infrastructure and the efficiency of its transport networks, the report said. The report aims to give investors and other interest groups an insight into the transportation and logistics issues facing the key economic regions in Africa by focusing on 10 of the leading developing nations: Algeria, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania. The countries were chosen based on their economic significance, strong growth in recent years and their potential as transportation and logistics gateways.
Nigeria
Female Training Program
Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, announced a partnership with Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT) on an orientation program about ICT basic knowledge recently. The program is aimed at providing Nigerian women hoping to explore careers in the ICT industry with free short- term training and internships. The training will be held in the Huawei ICT Training Center in Abuja and Huawei Exhibition Hall in Lagos. About 1,000 female university students will benefit from the one-year program. "The program was part of Huawei's commitment of localization, technology transferring to Nigeria and employment promotion," said Hover Gao, Vice President of Huawei West Africa, adding that Huawei and FMCT will develop this campaign into a long-term project.
China
Antarctica Station
China is planning the construction of a new research station in the South Pole, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said in November. Taishan Station, the fourth to be built by China in Antarctica, will be set up between the country's existing Zhongshan and Kunlun stations to provide logistical support, according to Qu Tanzhou, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Administration at the SOA. It will be used to study geology, glaciers, geomagnetism and the atmosphere in Antarctica.
Libya
Non-oil Exports
The Libyan Export Promotion Center (LEPC) will hold "the first conference of non-oil exports" in Tripoli from December 21-22. The conference aims to discuss the diversification of the Libyan economy through economic and financial levels such as investment, export and development. The Ministry of Economy and LEPC will focus the debate on main points like: the development of non-oil exports and their future, the export partners and the main criteria to define the export development in accordance with international standards. The Libyan Government has formed an inter-ministerial committee to plan the strategy and the roadmap for the national development in all Libyan sectors. The committee "Libya 2030" includes researchers and specialists from all around the country and their outlined strategy will be implemented from 2014 to 2030.
Angola
Table Tennis Promotion
China's CITIC Construction company has recently signed an agreement with the Angolan Table Tennis Association to sponsor the development of the sport in the country. While appreciating CITIC's efforts to support sports development in Angola, Minister of Youth and Sports Gonçalves Muandumba also described table tennis promotion as a great challenge given the weak foundation in the country. "China is a powerhouse in table tennis, and with the help of China, table tennis could emerge in Angola," the minister said.CITIC will support eight Angolan players, aged between six-10 to attend a one-year training program in China, and the company will also sponsor the first Angolan national open match of table tennis by the end of 2013.
Zimbabwe
Increase in Sugar Production
Zimbabwe is expecting a marginal increase in sugar production in the 2013/14 season on the back of low international price caused by rising competition, industrial players said recently. One of the country's major sugar producers, Tongaat Hulett's Hippo Valley Estates estimated sugar production to rise from 475,000 tons in 2013 to 478,000 tons next year. Zimbabwe exported one third of its sugar production to the EU last year under the duty free and quota free system. But benefits were being eroded by the low world price, the company said.
China
Family Planning Policy Eased
China will loosen its decades-long family planning population policy, allowing couples to have two children if one of them is an only child, and China will implement this new policy while adhering to the basic state policy of family planning, according to the Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee held November 9-12 in Beijing. The birth policy will be adjusted and improved step by step to promote "long-term balanced development of the population in China," it said.
China
Medical Support
China has set targets for training of doctors in order to better serve the country's large rural population, according to a plan released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission recently. The plan outlines improvements to the country's education and training systems for rural doctors, in a bid to ensure that 60 percent of such doctors hold degrees from secondary technical schools or better by 2015. In addition, all rural doctors are expected to be qualified as medical practitioners by 2020, under the plan.
China
Space Training
China is providing training for space professionals from developing economies, enhancing their capacity in satellite operations and space technology applications. "Hundreds of space engineers and scientists from several countries including Pakistan and Nigeria have received training in China since 2005," said Li Lan, Vice General Manager of the Communications Satellite Division of the China Great Wall Industry Corp., the country's only commercial provider of international launch services and satellite in-orbit delivery. The latest training was provided to 35 Bolivian space experts, who completed their studies in October.
China
Disney in Shanghai
Shanghai will be home to the world's largest Disney store by 2015 when the Shanghai Disney Resort opens to the public. The Walt Disney Co. China recently announced plans to build the first Chinese Disney store in the city's Lujiazui. Set to open in early 2015, the 5,000-squaremeter store will be located in Shanghai's financial hub, and will feature a retail space and a Disney-themed outdoor plaza area.
Chair of UNESCO's Governing Body
Hao Ping, Vice Minister of Education of China and representative to the executive board of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was elected president of UNESCO's 37th General Conference for a two-year mandate in November. The appointment made him the first Chinese representative elected to chair the supreme governing body of UNESCO. Hao served as vice president of Peking University from 2001 to 2005 and president of Beijing Foreign Studies University from 2005 to 2009.
UNEP Goodwill Ambassador
The UN Environment Program (UNEP) recently named the Cote d'Ivoire-born international football star, Yaya Toure, as the new goodwill ambassador to champion the fight against wildlife crimes in Africa. The football star currently plays for the Manchester City Football Club and Cote d'Ivoire's national team. "I am very proud to be African and promise to use my celebrity status to join the fight against wildlife crimes in the continent. The environment is very close to me as an African and I will advocate for its protection," Toure said.
Numbers
31
Number of new international air routes China will add during the coming winter-spring season
$5.6 billion
Volume of China's mobile shopping market in the third quarter
155.19 million tons
China's crude oil output in the first three quart
6.2 %
Sub-Saharan Africa's expected growth in 2014
4.8 million+ tons
Zimbabwe's annual combined sugar cane www.chinafrica.cn processing capacity
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