The news was made official after Glencore agreed to sell its stake in Xstrata's copper mining project in Peru, thus clearing the final hurdle in the completion of deal that will form one of the world's biggest metals and commodities firms.

For its part, Glencore also agreed to terms that state that it must supply a minimum volume of copper concentrate to China for a period of eight years.

How has financing evolved in the last three to five years?

As the Mining division of IHC Merwede, IHC Mining focuses on integrated solutions for mining houses in onshore, near shore and deep-sea mining. It offers advisory services to determine overall technical and economic project viability. It designs, builds and supplies innovative mining vessels and advanced equipment. During operations the company provides its clients with life cycle support.

As the continent of Africa continues to grow, both economically and in terms of a rising population, the demand for accessible healthcare has never been greater. Amongst a host of rapidly developing countries, Ethiopia is considered to be among the fastest growing African nations. The second most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia is home to more than 84 million people and is now beginning to take its place on the global stage.

From the spectacle of Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia church to the iconic Camp Nou stadium, the city of Barcelona is home to a countless number of stunning sights and experiences that make it one of the most popular city break destinations anywhere in the world.

“I wouldn’t say I have seen a change in the market in recent years, so much as that I have witnessed an increase in realisation from companies and businesses that in order to implement lean correctly it requires the understanding of management, strong leadership and a complete culture change,” explains Lean Program Director, Glenn Uminger. “So many organisations have tried in the past to implement lean and have come up short in their goal.

From its head office in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Super Star Forwarders (SSF), has been an ever present within the transportation sector since its establishment in 1991. Initially a small general cargo haulage business, the company has grown considerably in the 22 years since, to the point where it is today recognised as being a major transport logistics solution provider and among the leading hauliers of containers, equipment, fuel and general cargo in the East, Central and Southern Africa regions.

America loves a fierce individualist. And yes, there is something inspiring about the lone enterpriser or business executive blazing a path into the valuable future. And yet, while our culture will always celebrate the individual, the business world must acknowledge the truth behind the (alleged) Aristotle quote: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In other words, the near future will be all about innovation for sustainable value creation, led by teams.

The Bank expects that higher commodities, increasing investment and a general pick-up in the world economy should all boost the continent's growth to more than 5 percent. This comes at a time when global GDP is forecast to grow by an average of 2.4 percent this year.

Foreign direct investment is forecast to reach record levels in the coming years, hitting $54 billion a year by 2015, the Bank said.