Established as the Electricity Supply Commission in South Africa in 1923, it was in July 2002 that Eskom was converted into a public, limited liability company, wholly owned by government. Today Eskom is responsible for generating approximately 95 percent of all the electricity used in South Africa and approximately 45 percent of that used in Africa.

Though its mining history may span close to 500 years and counting, Mexico remains a major mineral exploration ground and retains its position amongst the world’s largest metal producers. The country’s rich geology and favourable regulations has made it an epicentre for mining activity, not least it is mountainous northern region, home to the legendary Sierra Madre gold and silver belt. It is here, 220 kilometres west of Chihuahua, where one finds the Pinos Altos mine.

Any kaizen event will reveal how one small incremental process improvement can be worth significant bottom-line impacts. Kaizen, Japanese for “improvement” or “change for the best,” refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, and business management. When used in the business sense and applied to the workplace, kaizen refers to activities that continually improve all functions, and involves all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers.

The announcement by the German carmaker comes as it seeks to boost its sales in the region, and the world’s biggest carmaker by 2018. By that time the company also hopes to achieve its goal of selling a million Volkswagens and Audis, its luxury brand, to American customers.

Total SA of France has become the first oil major to back shale gas exploration in Britain by announcing that it will commit £30 million to advance drilling projects in Lincolnshire. Total will pay $1.6 million in back costs and fund a work programme of up to $46.5 million, with a $19.5 million minimum commitment.

Gold output from its Sukari mine, its only producing asset, totalled 91,546 ounces in the December quarter, seven percent up from the same three months a year earlier and eight percent higher than production in the September quarter. This contributed to full-year production of 356,943 ounces from Sukari, which beat 2012’s total by 36 percent. The company’s 2013 guidance for Sukari had been at 320,000 ounces.

“In the early 1990s, a period of time now recognised as being the dawn of China’s economic take-off, the country’s import and export industries were very much in their infantile days,” explains Patrick Lam, Managing Director of Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT). “It was against this backdrop that the Central Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government resolved to develop a large container port at Yantian, in Guangdong Province, China.

As we have recently seen in our extensive coverage of Trinidad & Tobago’s state oil company Petrotrin and its engagement in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons as well as the manufacturing and marketing of petroleum products, this island nation’s near term future is largely defined by its onshore and offshore resources. Major and junior exploration companies are scrapping over new licences and preparing to pour billions of dollars into development projects.