The London-based oil exploration group, which focuses on Africa, doubled its estimate of its discovery in Kenya's South Lokichar basin, currently around 600 million barrels, following two successful well results. During the coming two years the company says it plans further exploration, predicting that the region could yield more than a billion barrels.

Net income for the technology giant came in at $6.56 billion for the October-to-December period, up from the $6.38 billion posted a year earlier. Earnings for the firm were boosted by sales of the new Xbox One console and its range of Surface tablets, as well as strong demand from businesses for its cloud computing services. Sales of the firm's cloud programs, such as Office 365 and Azure, more than doubled in the December quarter from a year earlier, while sales of its Surface tablets doubled from the previous quarter.

10. Malware is on the rise
The threat of malware on mobile platforms is growing steadily as more and more cyber criminals target mobile devices in increasingly sophisticated ways.

9. Byod is a challenge
There are obvious benefits to the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend, but it also creates IT challenges and exposes your company to new threats.

8. Choose devices carefully
Not all devices and platforms are created equal – some are more secure than others.

The figure represents a two percent increase on Toyota’s sales figures for 2012 and placed it 270,000 vehicles ahead of its closest rival, General Motors (GM). It also comes at the start of a year during which time the company hopes to see 10.32 million vehicles worldwide.

This marks something of a turnaround for Toyota, which had suffered in recent years from reputation issues following a series of recalls and safety issues, events that saw more than 14 million vehicles recalled in the US alone.

The rare stone was discovered at its Cullinan mine, 40 kilometres north-east of Pretoria, and represents one of the most exceptional stones recovered at Cullinan during Petra's operation of the mine. Indeed it isn’t the first of its kind, what with the company having also unearthed a 25.5 carat blue diamond in 2013, which went on to sell for $16.9 million. Understandably the company’s latest discovery is also expected to sell for a substantial price.

Building upon a pedigree and wealth of skills that stretch back decades, Exxaro Resources may be a relatively young business, but it has already solidified itself as one of South Africa’s largest diversified resources groups. Boasting interests in coal, mineral sands, ferrous and energy commodities, it is the country’s second largest coal producer with current production levels reaching 47 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

The Perth waterfront has been an under-used asset, but now Western Australia’s capital city is finally making the most of it with the $2.6billion Elizabeth Quay project covering nearly ten hectares of prime riverfront land between Barrack and William streets in the heart of the city. The project will create a magnificent precinct featuring a newly dug 2.7 hectare inlet surrounded by a split level promenade, shops, cafés, restaurants and other exciting entertainment venues.

It is no exaggeration to say that the future of African economic development, in the near to mid term at least, is inextricably linked with its mineral resources. It is these that will provide the capital that can be re-invested in building a sustainable business infrastructure whether in manufacturing, services or technology and innovation.

Next year more than half of UK firms expect to create new jobs according to a survey released this month from CBI/Accenture called, ‘On the up’. The report stated that 51% of firms expect their workforce to be larger this time next year, the highest figure since the start of the recession in 2008.

With more jobs being created and the UK finally experiencing economic growth, 2014 could prove a fresh start for many people who have been considering a new job or a change of career but have held off looking during the recession.