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The Pan-African Economy in Brief: Tuesday, January 25, 2022

South Africa

South Africa imposes provisional anti-dumping duties on poultry from Brazil and 4 European countries:

South Africa's International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) has declared provisional anti-dumping duties on bone-in poultry imported from Brazil and four European countries: Spain, Poland, Ireland, and Denmark. According to the announcement, these suppliers will see their goods taxed at 265%, 85.6%, 96.9%, 158.4%, and 67% respectively. The measure, which will be implemented until next June, follows investigations carried out by the government agency at the request of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA). ITAC's investigations last December uncovered dumping practices in the domestic market that were detrimental to the domestic industry. As a result of this new provision, the South African authorities are now applying anti-dumping duties against the nine exporters of bone-in poultry to the local market. The other countries previously concerned were the USA (62%), Germany (73.3%), the Netherlands (22.81%), and the UK (30.9%).

Kinetiko reports a 100% success rate for its drilling campaign on Korhaan:

 

 It was originally planned to be completed by the end of December. The Korhaan-5 well reached a maximum depth of 432 m. The coalbed methane intercepted on site extends along the entire section detected and communicated on November 25. The well is about to undergo logging to identify the stratigraphy and gas bearing sediments. On the Korhaan-4 well, flow testing is scheduled to start next week. The logs have indicated significant intervals of cumulative gas-bearing sandstones. The Korhaan-3 well has been drilled and cased in the target section and has intersected coalbed methane reserves. It reached a total depth of 177 m and was cased down to 174 m to alleviate pressure build-up before being plugged on January 23.

Congo

Ngok launches "Soul of Congo" campaign: "a modern reflection of the Congolese people": 

Brasco, a pioneering brewery and manufacturer of premium beers in Congo, has initiated a new campaign for the country's leading beer brand, Ngok. The new campaign - "Soul of Congo" - is a reflection of the traditions and rituals adopted by today's generation. To kick off the campaign, Ngok released a TV spot that puts a simple spin on the Congolese lifestyle: what they eat, how they dance, wedding rituals, how they watch and play soccer.... Kehinde Kadiri, Brasco's marketing director, describes the brand's inspiration for the campaign: "Ngok recognizes that traditions and cultures are the glue that holds people together. They give us a sense of belonging and a greater confidence in who we are by enjoying every moment. We aim to put this attitude at the heart of everything we do and we hope this campaign will have an emotional impact on consumers and encourage them to be proud to be Congolese.

Kenya

Kenya initiates drilling campaign in the Lamu Basin, in defiance of an ICJ ruling:

The Kenyan authorities have initiated exploration activities in the Lamu Basin, a disputed and potentially hydrocarbon-rich area located on a 100,000 km² coastal strip straddling Kenya and Somalia up to the border with Tanzania. The information was published in the local press on January 22. According to the Kenyan Ministry of Petroleum and Mines, the operator of the L11B block, Eni Kenya Business Venture, has commenced drilling activities for the Mlima-1 well in December 2021. It follows the results of seismic studies that indicated the presence of significant oil and gas potential in the area. "The well was drilled on December 28, 2021, and is planned to take two months to complete," stated James Ng'ang'a, commissioner of petroleum for the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

Zimbabwe

The state-owned public transport operator is acquiring a new fleet of 115 buses to boost its services:

 The government of Zimbabwe has imported 115 new buses from China for the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO), a parastatal company that operates urban and long-distance bus routes in the country. According to the authorities, this new batch increases the number of imported buses to 1,000 in 3 years, as part of a policy to reinforce the country's public transport fleet.

Chad

Chad eliminates import taxes on smartphones, computers, tablets, etc. for five years:

For the next five years, importers of telephones for wireless cellular networks (cell phones and smartphones of all types), automatic information processing machines (computers and tablets, fixed and mobile, of all types) and related accessories are free of import duties and taxes in Chad. The measure takes effect this Monday, January 24, according to an order published by the Ministry of Finance. It also includes Internet connection devices such as modems, routers and others. Through this tax exemption, the Chadian government is laying the foundations for greater participation of the population in the digital economy that it plans to develop over the next ten years with the digital transformation project currently under development.