November 13, 2007 marks the fourth quarter analyst briefing on sub-Saharan African Biofuels Markets. Taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, The Chemicals Group at Frost & Sullivan will host the briefing and discuss the newest developments on the biofuels market in sub-Sahara Africa. This will be the first international networking event in that region, involving the entire biodiesel and ethanol value chain, including 200 of the leaders of industry from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Most of the focus will be on factors that are driving and restraining the market, new opportunities of special notice, and current developments. The briefing is designed to be of particular interest to government decision makers, suppliers of equipment and technology from around the world, and the biofuels and feedstock producers themselves. The two day conference will highlight new business development strategies, opportunities for investment for foreign and local companies, success stories on biofuel industries already located in the area, and what can be expected for future technologies. Countries that do not produce oil are expected to show particular interest in the sub-Saharan African biofuels market.

This does not mean that biofuels do not have their own potential problems. The biofuels industry will need sufficient support and protection from the government in order to be successful. There is also a concern of biofuels impacting the food supply, and thus, proper planning will need to be in place before biofuels are developed.

South Africa has been the leading developer of biofuels in Africa, and as much as 10% of the country’s petrol and diesel needs could be met with biofuels by 2010. Biofuels in general present the opportunity to result in a massive economic impact on the entire continent, including the development of jobs in rural areas. It can also provide inspiration for countries that are looking for a green alternative to fossil fuels.

Frost & Sullivan, the group hosting the briefing, works with their clients to speed up growth. They provide services, consulting, and information to allow clients to create growth that is successful and effective. The company offers over 45 years worth of experience working with the top companies around the world, new businesses, and the investment community as a whole.

If you want to be a part of the teleconference of the briefing, you can contact Patrick Cairns – Corporate Communications at Patrick.cairns@frost.com. In your email, include contact information, phone number, email, and location. You will then be provided with registration details.

A clear-cut vision is what defines leaders from others. Jerry Vilakazi became the CEO of BUSA in early 2006 with his own set of visions. He wanted to champion transformation for South Africa’s business landscape. In his beliefs, transformation would bring about many things, including social equality and the implementation of Black Economic Empowerment.

The man is already considered a transformation leader. Holding masters degrees from Thames Valley University, the University of London, and California Coast University, his credits prior to the BUSA appointment also include Managing Director of the Black Management Forum. With knowledge gained in his prior roles, he hopes to unite the business community of South Africa.

Vilakazi has other goals as well. He wants to be a representative of South African businesses in both national and international scopes. He also wants to maximize the strength of the voice for the South African business community. BUSA itself has other aims, such as ensuring that organized business plays a role that is constructive, and to move their own representation of businesses in South Africa from 80% to 100%. BUSA holds a mandate, which is to lobby the government on behalf of the business community in South Africa. They also hope to promote South Africa for investors.

By bringing people together, and by creating rules and regulations that work with the governments and for all businesses alike, Vilakazi and BUSA hope to create and maintain business opportunities in South Africa. They also hope to help the nation grow as a business leader in the eyes of the world at large. With a drive to find solutions for business problems, as well as to create communication among business leaders and governmental associations, BUSA strives to help businesses grow and thrive in South Africa. Through this, they hope to help the nation become a business hub that is competitive internationally.

The biggest challenges include problem solving and communication, which are a main factor for why Vilakazi was brought onto the team. He hopes to use his skills to benefit BUSA, South Africa, and in the world at large. By implementing problem solving strategies and communication goals, he aims to help the overall business industry move forward, including small business owners, large businesses, and the government alike.

It isn’t always that aid is seen as helpful by everyone. James Shikwat, a 35 year old Kenyan economics expert, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. He is a proponent of globalization, and claims that Western development policies in Africa create corrupt rules and overstatements of the AIDS problem.

There are many reasons that Mr. Shikwati believes the aid to Africa might not be as helpful as it might seem. He believes that the intentions of the G8 summit at Gleneagles - which is usually cast as a way to get more aid and developmental ideas to Africa - is actually harming the continent, and have been doing so for the past 40 years. He believes that the proof lies in the fact that the poorest countries in Africa have been the ones who are getting the most aid, and yet these are the countries that remain the poorest. He believes that there are huge bureaucracies that are financed with the aid money, and this leads to just more corruption among the various aid agencies as well as other problems.

Part of Mr. Shikwati’s idea is that with all of the aid, the countries in Africa have no real reason to learn how to sustain themselves. He believes that all of the aid is only teaching Africans to be beggars and to not be independent. He also feels that the various forms of development that the aid from other countries sends in doesn’t strengthen much - in fact, it weakens the local markets and also makes it very hard for entrepreneurs in Africa to actually begin to help themselves and their country.

Another point that Mr. Shikwati makes is that he does not believe countries would starve without the AID that is given from programs like the World Food Program. He feels that if the aid was no longer coming into African nations, these nations would be forced to figure out new ways to feed their own. These ways will include things like making deals with other nations, and learning more technologies that will allow them to learn how to better take care of their own.

Getting rid of these programs is going t cause lots of various problems with the countries, and the idea of doing so is something that is going to come to a lot of heated debated and arguments. This is something that is going to have to be researched, discussed, and decided upon.

Cash and monetary aid are not the only useful investment tools in Africa. In 10 African nations, a movement is under way to bring mobile phones and handsets to the population. In a world where the computer had at one time been critical for globalization, the heads of the African nations are striving instead to use mobile communication for progress. The mobile phones will bring communication, raise standards of awareness, and allow citizens to have knowledge of the world around them.

Mobile phones are quickly becoming the number one asset to many countries in Africa. The GSM Association, which is a global trade association, and the Connect Africa summit that is meeting currently in Rwanda, is announcing an investment of $50 billion in mobile phones and technology infrastructure for Africa.

Why exactly are mobile phones such an important part of the changing times in Africa? Mobile phones are incredible versatile. Students use their mobile phones to check course schedules, get assignments, and turn in their work for college courses – all without having to travel hundreds of miles to school and leave home. Mothers are able to phone doctors to describe symptoms in their children, perhaps saving them a trip to costly hospitals. Farmers can check prices on their produce in other areas by making a simple phone call, before they set prices on their own produce and risk setting them too low or too high. In regions where televisions and computers are few and far between, people can call each other with news, warnings, and other information that can help to save lives. Mobile phone technology is hard at work in many different areas in Africa, and it will only get better as time continues.

Being in touch with the entire world is the goal of the groups, which have already spent billions creating phone networks. Currently, 70% of Africa is covered with mobile phone technology. After the investment, that number will rise to 90 %. This will allow even more of the population to have access to phones, information, and a connection with the rest of the continent and world. With better communication comes a rise in GDP, a general increase in attitudes, and an overall feeling of being connected to the world. The GSM Association and Connect Africa Summit will work together to bring the investment funds to Africa that will connect the continent via mobile phone technology.