Industry

The second-largest gold producer in Africa, Ghana is looking to maximise the benefits of the mining industry for the overall economy, both by revising licensing procedures and levying tariffs on the sector. It is hoped this will increase local participation in service provision, though some of the measures have provoked concern amongst sector operators.

With two new cement plants coming online within the past few months, Nigeria’s cement production capacity has increased substantially. This expansion should mean the domestic production will not only be able to meet the demands of the local market – which has been subject to significant price volatility in recent years – but also export to regional economies.

Indonesia’s automakers are investing heavily in increasing and diversifying production to keep pace with rising demand in what is now South-east Asia’s largest vehicle market. Last year, Indonesia overtook Thailand to achieve the highest vehicle sales among ASEAN member states.

These are exciting times for Turkish car manufacturers, who are riding a wave of growth thanks to a weak lira, increasing investment in research and development (R&D) and foreign firms’ boosting of local production. In a sign of the local industry’s growing maturity, one domestic investment firm is now the frontrunner in the takeover of an ailing European car manufacturer.

L’ouverture tant attendue d’une nouvelle usine d'assemblage de véhicules au mois de février, dans l'une des zones franches du pays, témoigne de l’expansion de la base industrielle marocaine, à l’heure où le pays cherche à développer les secteurs de l’automobile et des composants automobiles dans le cadre du Pacte national pour l'émergence industrielle 2009-15.

While Ghana’s economy as a whole is burgeoning, its manufacturing segment has been struggling to meet its full potential, prompting the private sector and the government to work together to ensure that the rising energy and commodity sectors support rather than hinder industrial development.