Botswana’s economy is in reasonably good shape as economic growth continues to expand at a healthy pace. According to the latest available data, real GDP rose by 7.1% year on year in the third quarter of 2013, and is estimated to grow by around 6% for the year as a whole. Also, the government is on target to eliminate the budget deficit in fiscal year 2013/14 (April-March) and the current account is likely to post a surplus in 2013. The...

The football World Cup is coming to Qatar and bringing with it an even greater demographic imbalance. Only around 15% of the roughly 2 million population in Qatar are nationals and the bulk of the rest are foreign males aged between 20-49 years. The build up to the World Cup in 2022 will see major development projects intensify and exacerbate the demographic imbalance, already something of a sore spot for locals. The authorities are not too...

The Democratic Republic of Congo is clearly a risky place to do business but companies continue to be attracted by its vast and varied natural resources and are increasingly drawn to growth opportunities beyond the mining sector. The government has ambitious development plans, which would receive a boost if on-going discussions with neighbouring countries can find a way to bring peace to the conflict ridden eastern...

The widespread flooding of 2012 highlighted the logistics nightmare that companies can face in shipping goods around the country. Poor infrastructure, seasonal flooding and security concerns create a difficult business environment, but one that is highly attractive to many firms which are drawn to the country’s immense growth potential. Nigeria’s huge population mean that even ‘small’ pockets of wealth are too good to...