Located in the Western Province of Kenya, Mumias is home to one of the country’s largest and most established businesses, Mumias Sugar Company. The history of the company dates back to 1967, when the government of Kenya first commissioned Booker Agriculture and Technical Services to carry out a feasibility study on the viability of growing sugarcane in Mumias, before then initiating a pilot project.

“I think it is fair to say that quite a lot has been happening since we last spoke in June 2012,” states Harmony’s CEO, Graham Briggs. “If you look at the last 18 to 24 months we have witnessed the incredible rise in gold prices, which was a particularly welcome relief from the cost pressures that had been mounting here in South Africa, and its subsequent come down, in addition to the well documented labour issues that have beset the mining sector.”

The time when small and medium sized businesses were only busy with local or national commerce is already far behind us. New technology and free-trade zones have made the world a much smaller place. Legislation has been simplified, import duties often reduced or removed to speed the passage of goods and services over international borders. Banks have made international finance easier as well, with payment transactions manageable online and facilitated by schemes like SEPA.

The all-share transaction will allow Sibanye to further bulk up its newly formed resource base to the west of Johannesburg.

Gold One will merge its 74 percent interest in Rand Uranium and Ezulwini, which collectively own the Gold One’s four Cooke mines and tailings, into Sibanye in exchange for a 17 percent interest in Sibanye.

“We don’t see our customers as just customers,” states Julian Lipson, General Manager of Waco Industries, “we see them as partners that we forge close relationships with from day one as we work to meet their requirements and solve their problems.” It is this approach to business that has seen Waco grow from an importer of industrial plugs and sockets into one of the biggest manufacturers and distributors of industrial electrical products in Southern Africa.

With its expanding financial, service, communications and entertainment sectors, Nigeria without question possesses all the vital components necessary to be recognised as one of Africa’s most important emerging markets. In fact, as of 2012, the country was ranked 30th in the world in terms of gross domestic product and the second largest in Africa. This places it on track to become one the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 according to a number of experts and analysts.

Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli, is one of Turkey’s most historic locations. Located in east of the country, on the southern shore of the peninsula that shares its name, the town has a rich naval legacy dating as far back as the 5th Century B.C.

Founded under Koç Group, one of the largest and most successful industrial and trading enterprises in Turkey, Demir Export has produced iron ore since 1957. In subsequent years, Demir Export also initiated production of base and precious metals such as zinc, lead, copper and silver ore concentrates in addition to lignite and chromite ore production in lumpy form and as concentrates.