WEST AFRICA

Cooking with poison
Cut-price cooking oil used in most Malian households has been found to contain gossypol, a toxic substance that is known to cause sterility, cancer and inhibit growth.

EGYPT

Egyptian consumers still confident
The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence analyses Egyptian consumer confidence.

SOUTH AFRICA

The impending downturn – are money managers missing the plot?
According to a trio of reports by a leading data, analysis and forecasting company in the UK, money managers may be sleepwalking through a significant market downturn.

Kenyan retailer unveils motorised shopping trolleys
[Carole Kimutai] Nakumatt has introduced motorised trolleys exclusively for physically disabled and the elderly shoppers.

University's re-opening a lesson in peace amid diversity in Kenya
Kenyatta University, the first public university to re-open since Kenya's post-election crisis began, has put in place elaborate measures to ensure learning goes on uninterrupted, despite continuing violence and tension in parts of the country.

Swaziland's school gates close on orphans
Thamie Simelane, 12, is among hundreds of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Swaziland who might not be going to school, despite government assurances that the tuition fees of these children would be covered.

UGANDA

Nollywood wows Uganda
[Charles Brommel Lwanga] What's Nigerian, comes in threes, and keeps Ugandans entertained? And it's only safe on the stage…

Commercial over-fishing threatens coastal livelihoods in Mozambique
Artisanal fishing provides a critical source of food and income to thousands of Mozambicans, but the ever-increasing local and international demand for fish, combined with rapidly depleting stocks, is putting increasing strain on this way of life.

EAST AFRICA

Kenyan crisis ripple effects felt across the region
Unrest in Kenya threatens humanitarian and commercial operations throughout the Great Lakes region, potentially affecting more than 100 million lives, according to analysts.

WTO lauds Ghana's economic performance
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has commended Ghana for its impressive economic performance over the past few years, with high real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates and decreasing inflation.

SOUTH AFRICA

SA, Egypt to increase business ties
South Africa and Egypt have agreed to increase trade and investment relations through identifying business opportunities in both countries.

PUMA and Ghana extend partnership
PUMA and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have announced a multi-year extension of their successful partnership through the 2014 FIFA World Cup. PUMA CEO Jochen Zeitz and GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi made the announcement during a special reception in Ghana's capital of Accra.