Browse Nevin, Tom

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Title	Type	Date	Words
Time for a reality check.	Report	Nov 1, 2009	1419
Strong rand more hindrance than help: the benefits of a strong currency for South Africa are outweighed by its damaging downside. What's to be done to bring it down to size? Tom Nevin explores the options.	Conference news	Nov 1, 2009	1365
EU treaty sparks Southern African trade war: South Africa and its neighbours face off over new trade arrangements with the EU. Europe accuses South Africa of bullying and bad faith as the world's oldest customs union, SACU, comes under threat. Is this the beginning of a new southern African economic order, asks Tom Nevin.		Oct 1, 2009	1821
After the ball: as South Africa gears up to host next year's soccer World Cup, it is taking steps to ensure the fans go home when it is over. In the meantime, neighbouring countries are working hard for their slice of the tourism pie by enticing fans to drop in for a visit before they leave Africa.		Oct 1, 2009	1251
Eskom's shocking R10bn loss: South Africa's power monopoly, Eskom, registered a R9.7bn ($1.27bn) loss last year, casting doubt on whether or not it will be able to repay its loans, roll out sorely needed infrastructure and keep the lights on.	Financial report	Oct 1, 2009	1611
The gentle art of fleecing the very rich: the world gasped in shock when it was revealed that respected US investor Bernie Madoff had been milking thousands of ordinary people with fake promises of instant wealth. He amassed a reputed $50bn before he was rumbled. But Madoff is only one in a long line of shysters practising the infamous 'Ponzi Scheme'. Tom Nevin reports on an alleged South African version of the scam.		Aug 1, 2009	1437
More holes than belt? On top of the ravages of the global recession, South Africans are being battered by a tide of utility price increases, property rate hikes, and soaring food and fuel prices. How much further can the belt be tightened? Asks Tom Nevin.		Aug 1, 2009	1472
Labour unrest ends Zuma honeymoon: the honeymoon for Jacob Zuma, South Africa's new president, was cut short not only by the pressing need to get his new administration up and running, but by other rude interruptions such as the economy and labour disputes. Tom Nevin reports.		Jul 1, 2009	1425
Bank of China flexes muscles: when China's ICBC invested $5bn to acquire 20% of Standard Bank, the news made headlines across the globe. How is the partnership faring today? Tom Nevin has been finding out.		Jul 1, 2009	612
Politicians impaled by the satirist's pen: comedians and cartoonists had a ball poking fun at South African politicians in the run-up to the general elections. Tom Nevin reports.		Jun 1, 2009	1050
South Africa's key corridor solutions: Transnet plans to upgrade five key corridors and ensure that rail capacity talks to ports capacity. Tom Nevin reports.		Jun 1, 2009	1804
A game of political football? With billions of dollars in aid, trade and development finance at stake, did the South African government buckle under pressure from Beijing to ban the Dalai Lama from attending a 2010 world cup-linked peace conference in Johannesburg? Tom Nevin reports.		May 1, 2009	1541
African islands say 'oui' to France: the population of the tiny archipelago of Mayotte has chosen to bid a political 'adieu' to the Comoros and a rousing 'bonjour' to France in a referendum that will wed them forever to La republique. Report by Tom Nevin.		May 1, 2009	477
South Africans slow to buy tickets: the South African government is fretting over South Africans' lukewarm take-up of World Cup and this year's Confederation Cup tickets, as the financial crunch delays the rush for seats. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2009	1191
Land transfer: how to get it right: black farmers who have been resettled on formerly white-owned agricultural lands are forming unlikely but practical alliances with the former owners. The white farmers are swapping commercial-skills training for long-term leases--thus, hopefully, avoiding neighbouring Zimbabwe's dreadful land-reform fate. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2009	1529
Pirates, high costs, hammer Egypt: piracy off the Somali coast, falling demand for shipping and escalating costs mean that a number of shippers are forsaking the Suez Canal short cut and going the long way round the Cape. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2009	1534
All systems are at 'go', say Blatter and Jordaan: the announcement by Fifa boss Sepp Blatter that there is no 'Plan B' since 'Plan A' is still very much on track should silence all those doubting Thomases around the world who keep maintaining that South Africa will not be ready for next year's World Cup. ......		Mar 1, 2009	1095
Has Africa escaped the economic storm? Opinion is divided across the business and economics spectrum over whether Africa escaped the global economic storm or is yet to feel the worst effects of it. Tom Nevin discusses.		Mar 1, 2009	1539
Politics versus people: After many stops and starts, a unity government of sorts has been created, but it will be a while before the two bitterly divided parties can begin to function together as a government. But time is not on the side of the suffering people of Zimbabwe and the two parties will have to choose between the welfare of the nation and political one-upmanship.		Mar 1, 2009	1382
A clutch of Davids face ANC giant: the emergence of the Congress of the People party (Cope) from within the ANC is nicely spicing up the momentous elections expected in April. But do Cope and other parties gearing up for the polls pose any sort of real threat to the ANC? Tom Nevin discusses.		Mar 1, 2009	2556
Zim image damaging 2010 brand: distressing images of suffering in neighbouring Zimbabwe are threatening the entire branding campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Tom Nevin reports on the implications.		Feb 1, 2009	873
Back to the coal age: South Africa has dumped the atom and reset its sights on fossil fuels to generate almost all of its energy for the next two decades.		Feb 1, 2009	1024
Can the 'great escape artist' do it again? The favourite to become South Africa's next president has one more legal mountain to climb. Can he beat the odds in his biggest challenge so far and claim the throne? Tom Nevin reports.		Feb 1, 2009	1280
Africa's "superfruit" arrives in the west: the growing trend for healthy, nature-based products in the developed world, and the more wealthy developing nations as well, is creating a potentially massive demand for some of Africa's traditional health-giving produce. Tom Nevin reports.		Jan 1, 2009	1340
Fifa promises Africa free radio and TV broadcasts: easy visas, free-to-air African television broadcasts and cheap rate-fixed tickets will open 2010 matches to millions more.		Jan 1, 2009	1354
Rand slides down steep slope: a number of African currencies have depreciated against the dollar but the South African rand has taken a real tumble. This means that while the country's exports will become cheaper, its imports will become very expensive. This will severely impact projects such as the infrastructure development for the World Cup.		Jan 1, 2009	1502
Is Africa about to go nuclear? As the power crunch hits an increasing number of African countries, to be gaining favournuclear energy appears in a number of states, including large oil producers such as Nigeria and Algeria.		Dec 1, 2008	1555
Where is the razzmatazz? A massive publicity campaign has proclaimed South Africa's staging of the next soccer World Cup, meeting the call from Sepp Blatter for more "razzmatazz". Tom Nevin reports.		Dec 1, 2008	856
Cable offers hope for Africa's ITC: it is just possible that Africa's long-awaited submarine optical-cable network, tied up in political and financial knots for years, might be set for splashdown. But, Tom Nevin cautions, do not hold your breath.		Dec 1, 2008	1736
Banda marches to familiar beat: Zambia's new head of state seems determined not to rock the boat as the country begins to enjoy some of the fruits of a sound and growing economy. Tom Nevin profiles Rupiah Banda.		Dec 1, 2008	531
Can Africa survive? The massive and unprecedented intervention by many governments around the world appears to have halted the financial meltdown just in the nick of time. But while global banks were crashing all around it, the industry in Africa remained firm. Is it really stable or are there so far invisible tremors building up? Tom Nevin reports.		Nov 1, 2008	2095
What will Obama do for Africa? Are Barack Obama's blood ties with Africa cause for hope that he might be more sensitive to the continent's needs than his predecessors? Tom Nevin investigates.		Nov 1, 2008	1854
CDMs can be Africa's energy development lifeline: after 11 years, Africa still has less than 2.5% of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism's largesse, yet it is the perfect solution to financing much of the continent's urgently needed energy infrastructure development. What are we doing wrong, and how do we fix it to get our rightful share? Tom Nevin reports.		Nov 1, 2008	1437
How big a hole has Mbeki left? Over a stunning few days when Thabo Mbeki shocked the world by standing down from the presidency, South Africa's political landscape changed forever. Several top-ranking ministers followed his lead and left the government. What happens next?		Nov 1, 2008	2569
Blatter finger-wagging causes offence: Fifa supreme Sepp Blatter has been laying into South Africa's World Cup organisers, accusing them of being lax on marketing. He has also blasted the performance of the local team, Bafana Bafana. Is he justified or trying to make a meal of normal glitches? asks Tom Nevin.		Nov 1, 2008	1460
Sasol hit with huge anti-competition fine: South Africa's synthetic fuels giant, Sasol, together with other international energy companies, was heavily fined by the EU for breaching competition rules. This, says Tom Nevin, comes in the wake of tighter anti-competitive behaviour policing.		Nov 1, 2008	1605
Regional integration a step closer: SADC launched its Free Trade Area at its summit in Johannesburg, but as tom Nevin reports, much has yet to be done, especially in transport infrastructure, before the full inter-regional benefits will be enjoyed.		Oct 1, 2008	1439
Levy Mwanawasa Architect of Zambia's economic transformation; The untimely death of Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa has robbed Africa of one its progressive leaders. Tom Nevin pays tribute to the man who transformed his country's economy 'simply by getting on with the job'.	In memoriam	Oct 1, 2008	1186
Scramble for the big time: with half-a-million football fans with money to burn flocking to South Africa for the 2010 soccer World Cup, locals are figuring out how to get their slice of the pie. But which of the multitude of schemes will actually work out?		Oct 1, 2008	1457
Robben Island in troubled waters; Nelson Mandela's world-famous prison home for 18 years is sinking under the weight of a multitude of financial and regulatory problems.		Oct 1, 2008	776
Africa holds its breath: the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Zimbabwe's three feuding parties is a last ditch effort to pull the country out of its political, social and economic quagmire. But Africa must hold its breath until the secret negotiations are concluded.	Cover story	Aug 1, 2008	1612
How Mugabe split the continent: How much did the hostile reception he faced from other African leaders at the African Union summit in Cairo persuade Robert Mugabe to seek a negotiated settlement? Can he continue to split the continent as a power-sharing deal is being thrashed out?		Aug 1, 2008	1327
Chinese are now black--official; Far from calming South Africa's historically choppy racial waters, the decision to officially declare South Africa's Chinese as black has caused a new tempest.		Aug 1, 2008	1592
S. Africa shudders at Fifa's 'Plan B'; Fifa's admission that it has a 'Plan B' to stage the soccer World Cup elsewhere if South Africa is not ready in time has sent shockwaves throughout the country--and Zimbabwe is becoming the spider on 2010's shoulder.		Aug 1, 2008	1490
Greedy banks under the spotlight; An official enquiry into bank fees finds South African banks cream more off the top than banks anywhere else in the world. Is this why they are the world's most profitable?		Aug 1, 2008	1397
A life without fear is priority; Burundi's next elections are still two years away but new presidential hopefuls are already attempting to make their mark on both the domestic and foreign realms. Tom Nevin met one such--Alexis Sinduhije, who was a radio broadcaster before entering politics.		Aug 1, 2008	1474
Is Mboweni stoking stagflation? While Reserve Bank governor, Tito Mboweni relentlessly pushes up interest rates to combat inflation, economic growth forecasts have been cut to just 2% and the danger of stagflation 100ms larger. Which way should South Africa go? Tom Nevin has been investigating.		Jul 1, 2008	1346
Battle for Cup tourist dollar: the hospitality industry reasonably expects bumper income from World Cup fans come 2010. The competition's hotting up-not only between hospitality groups, but entire countries within the sub region. Tom Nevin reports.		Jul 1, 2008	1755
Battle deepens over power upgrade: industrial strife looms on the horizon as South Africa's electricity monopoly seeks massive tariff increase to pay for urgently-needed expansion in supply capacity.		Jul 1, 2008	684
'Shoot 'em dead', police are told; It seems the gloves are off. South Africa's violent criminals have been warned by Susan Shabangu, the country's deputy security minister, that she wants the police to shoot them dead. Tom Nevin reports on the reaction.		Jul 1, 2008	1501
Grand Inga-reality or pipe dream? One of the great energy dreams of Africa remains the Grand Inga hydroelectric scheme in the DR Congo. If this massive project ever gets underway, it will dwarf China's Three Gorges dam and provide enough electricity to light up the whole of Africa and yet have sufficient to export. Tom Nevin reports on the latest developments.		Jun 1, 2008	1536
Heavy cargo dominates South Africa-West Africa route: cargo volumes, especially heavy liftings, on the South Africa-West Africa sea route have grown very considerably and are likely to continue growing over the medium term. Tom Nevin reports on the shipping challenges this situation entails.	Report	Jun 1, 2008	740
Santana 'who?' replaces coach Parreira: soon after South Africa's Bafana Bafana had at last won a couple of matches, super coach Carlos Parreira decided to quit his R22m-a-year job of preparing the national team for the 2010 soccer World Cup. His replacement, another Brazilian, is hardly known outside his country. Tom Nevin reflects the air of uncertainty now gripping South Africa.		Jun 1, 2008	1599
Looming spectre of recession: an inexorable rise of basics, food, fuel and power is threatening galloping inflation in South Africa, says Tom Nevin. Higher interest rates have not helped to stem inflation. Does the government have an answer?		Jun 1, 2008	1503
Time to start rebuilding: is the worst over for Zimbabwe? Will Africa and the rest of the world pour in the assistance the country needs to get back on its economic feet or will sceptics prevail? Tom Nevin discusses.		Jun 1, 2008	1507
Fifa gives South Africa 'nine out of 10': Fifa has given South Africa's stadium readiness nearly top marks, but late starter, Port Elizabeth, could lose out as a host to the Confederations Cup the World Cup's curtain-raiser.		May 1, 2008	1524
Sasol BEE deal shuns 'fat cats': taking a cue from De Beers diamond company, South Africa's , Sasol, has isynthesised fuel colossusgnored 'the usual suspects' and will distribute its black economic empowerment (BEE) largesse amongst ordinary South Africans.		May 1, 2008	1156
On the edge of history: for a few giddy hours Zimbabwe teetered on the edge of history. but, with the exhilaration of impending change sweeping the country and the region, most overlooked the golden rule: "he who has the gold makes the rules.		May 1, 2008	2352
The strangest invasion in history? was the assault on Anjouan island really necessary or was it a convenient and easy face-saving victory for AU peacekeepers? Tom Nevin examines the evidence.		May 1, 2008	1539
Manuel finds extra $3bn for event: South Africa's finance minister has dug deeply into his 2008/09 budget to reinforce sectors most critical to the success of the 2010 soccer World Cup. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2008	620
Land issue temperature rising.		Apr 1, 2008	1485
South-south trade fuels investment growth.		Mar 1, 2008	1219
The Asia connection.		Mar 1, 2008	1077
Bafana Bafana deepen gloom.		Mar 1, 2008	1476
Power cuts at crisis point.		Mar 1, 2008	1673
Africa--home to world's most wanted minerals: generally speaking there is virtually no mineral that Africa does not have in exploitable quantities but the continent tends to follow its economic nose and root out those that are the money-making flavours of the day. Tom Nevin digs out the story.		Feb 1, 2008	3995
Emergence of a people's champion: barely 14 years ago, millions of South Africa's downtrodden black people won their fight against inequality and discrimination. It's happening all over again. Associate editor Tom Nevin analyses the impact of Jacob Zuma's victory in the ANC elections in December.		Feb 1, 2008	2450
Prices slashed for South African fans: uppermost on Fifa's 2010 soccer World Cup priority list is how to make the games affordable to the millions of Africa's soccer fans and how to ensure that spin-off commercial benefits are fairly shared. Tom Nevin reports on developments.		Feb 1, 2008	1551
South Africa's interest rate annus horribilis: after a year of relentless rate hikes in South Africa, the squeeze is beginning to tell and the poor are getting the worst of it. President Thabo Mbeki and reserve bank governor Tito Mboweni are at daggers drawn. Who is right?		Jan 1, 2008	1770
South Africa passes first big test: South Africa's first major test as the host of the 2010 tournament went without a hitch when the draw for the competition was made in Durban, reports Tom Nevin. He also discusses the special plans in place to beat crime before and during the event.		Jan 1, 2008	1408
Who will pay for biofuels development? For a while longer at least it looks as if South African sugar will be used to sweeten coffee rather than make fuel for motor vehicles. The reason: a standoff between cane growers and the government over how to pay for fuel-from-sugar research and development. Tom Nevin reports.		Jan 1, 2008	1360
Portuguese finally relinquish Cahora-Bassa: the handover of Africa's massive dam sweeps away the last vestiges of Portuguese colonialism and provides Mozambique with its 'second independence'. Report by Tom Nevin.		Jan 1, 2008	1082
Standard Bank deal points to new China-Africa direction: China's acquisition of a 20% stake in Standard Bank, Africa's largest financial services company, could be the beginning of an exciting new pattern of partnership with Africa. Tom Nevin reports.		Dec 1, 2007	1333
Spreading the benefits beyond South Africa: southern and Eastern African countries are already busy working out plans to capitalise on the half million visitors expected to descend on South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. Tom Nevin reports.		Dec 1, 2007	1466
Thinking about the box: the growth in containerised cargo has grown 600% in the last 35 years and will continue to expand. This calls for not only bigger ships but larger harbours to accommodate them and the associated logistics that go with it. Tom Nevin describes how one African shipping company is facing up to the new challenges.		Dec 1, 2007	1791
Africa's uranium treasure hunt is on: nuclear energy is now considered the world's only sure alternative to the diminishing reserves of fossil fuel. Africa is sitting on a huge pile of uranium, the principal source of nuclear energy. Could this be the start of a uranium bonanza for Africa? Tom Nevin reports.		Dec 1, 2007	1516
Of yobbos and white elephants: with the euphoria of winning the rights to hosting the 2010 soccer World Cup distinctly a thing of the past, many South Africans are now admitting to World Cup preparation fatigue and asking themselves if it is really worth all the hassle. Tom Nevin reports.		Nov 1, 2007	1394
What is pro-poor tourism? The concept of tourism as a means of poverty alleviation has been around for nearly a decade, but there is a continuing debate over its effectiveness. Tom Nevin examines the issues raised in two new reports.		Nov 1, 2007	1313
Trainspotting, South Africa style: suddenly, rail is becoming the darling of South Africa's transport sector. For decades the Cinderella, trains will soon be the way millions of passengers and tons of goods will be moved. Tom Nevin reports.		Nov 1, 2007	1786
African union: a bank for Africa? Impatient at delays in promised development and aid capital from developed countries, the African Union (AU) will establish an investment bank in the next three years.		Oct 1, 2007	597
A billion customers waiting: the unbanked in Africa and other developing countries constitute an enormous potential for profitable expansion for commercial banks, according to a new study. Tom Nevin reports.		Oct 1, 2007	599
Fan-parks will attract one million visitors: in his regular briefing watch on how preparation for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is shaping up, Tom Nevin reports on how 'fan parks' can boost attendance and quell complaints that the construction boom is bypassing smaller businesses.		Oct 1, 2007	1256
Are foreigners distorting land prices?		Oct 1, 2007	1515
Crisis is a way of life: Tom Nevin, writing from Johannesburg, says that reports of Zimbabwe's imminent collapse now appear to have been premature. The trend has now shifted to searching for ways to halt the inflation and return the economy to an even keel.		Aug 1, 2007	1064
Was strike political muscle flexing? Was the month long strike by South Africa's civil servants really about better salaries and conditions, or was this a flexing of political muscle by the country's largest trade union, Cosatu? Tom Nevin discusses.		Aug 1, 2007	1213
Think small to go big: this is a condensed version of a paper delivered to the Zenith Bank/Africa Advisory power conference in Lagos, Nigeria, in May this year by African Business associate editor Tom Nevin. He puts forward the case for small power projects.		Jul 1, 2007	2028
Allies turn into foes over Senegalese iron ore: iron and steel conglomerates Kumba of South Africa and India's Arcelor Mittal square up over Senegal's fabulous Faleme iron ore deposits. Tom Nevin reports.		Jul 1, 2007	782
Statistics that hide the truth: Tom Nevin looks through the distorting lens of economic figures, such as per capita incomes, to discover the reality that often gives the lie to statistics.		Jul 1, 2007	867
Jo'burg monorail project hanging in the balance: there were cheers when plans for a mass-transit monorail to link Soweto with Johannesburg's CBD were announced, but it then emerged that the country's transport minister had been kept completely in the dark about the project. Will the project now happen and if it does, will it work? Tom Nevin reports.		Jul 1, 2007	1317
A 'failed state' that functions: Somalia has no government to speak of or functioning official institutions and it is battle scarred and chaotic but, and here is the surprise, it works remarkably well. Tom Nevin explains.		Jul 1, 2007	1274
Battle lines drawn over Bujagali dam: developers say the new hydroelectric project on the Nile is vital for the region's economic growth, but environmentalists insist it will drown a sacred waterfall and accelerate the emptying of Lake Victoria. Tom Nevin reports.		Jul 1, 2007	1168
How independent is the South African Reserve Bank: cracks are appearing in the wall of autonomy the SA Reserve Bank surrounds itself with and South Africans are increasingly asking themselves how independent the Reserve Bank is from the government, and how much clout the governor, Tito Mboweni, and his board have in deciding crucial fiscal direction.		Jun 1, 2007	976
We see doors opening left and right--Standard Bank: the South African headquartered Standard Bank has posted a 10% increase in earnings mainly on the back of its expansion into other African countries. Graig Bond, the man in charge of the bank's African network tells the African Banker why Standard now sees itself as a big pan-African bank.	Financial report	Jun 1, 2007	903
Power from the sea: South Africa, often criticised as 'the dirty man of Africa' in terms of environmental pollution, is now determinedly going green. Tom Nevin reports on a new project which will use the power of the sea to generate electricity.		Jun 1, 2007	655
2010: too much of a good thing? As we continue to monitor South Africa's preparations for the 2010 World Cup, we have received assurances that contrary to the pessimistic note in our last issue, the country is well on track to achieve all of its infrastructure plans. The problem, now, as Tom Nevin reports, is that it might be too preoccupied with 2010.		May 1, 2007	1525
Botswana's San peoples win land battle in court: in one of Africa's most high-profile land disputes, Botswana's Bushmen have won the right to live on their ancestral land--but with many strings attached. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2007	1425
2010: construction companies in capacity crunch; Pressure is mounting on South Africa's building industry, forcing up costs and putting the squeeze on skills and raw materials. Tom Nevin reports.		Apr 1, 2007	1422
Vigilante groups out of control: South Africa's spiralling crimewave is producing a disturbing backlash--the growth of vigilantism and 'instant justice'. Criminals, and those suspected of being criminals, can expect little mercy from the public when they are apprehended. What sort of society will this new trend produce, asks Tom Nevin.		Feb 1, 2007	1686
Cape Town's V & A Waterfront sold: the sale of Cape Town's world-famous V & A Waterfront has aroused mixed emotions among the city's inhabitants, but as Tom Nevin reports, the pessimists have no real cause for worry.		Jan 1, 2007	974
Where will World Cup fans sleep? Will South Africa's hospitality industry have enough beds to accommodate the masses of foreign football fans arriving in the country just four years from now? Tom Nevin investigates.		Jan 1, 2007	1578