Africa in Business: from nature to nuclear

STORY: Here's what's been making the business headlines in sub-Saharan Africa this week.

1. A South African appeals court on Monday (June 3) suspended a previous ruling that had halted offshore exploration by Shell along the unspoilt Wild Coast and allowed oil companies another chance at public consultation.

:: December 5, 2021

Environmentalists and coastal communities have protested Shell's plans for seismic surveys, saying they would be harmful to marine animals, especially migrating whales.

Oil companies have rejected this.

2. Zambia's government has asked for its $1.3 billion International Monetary Fund loan program to be increased to $1.7 billion, the IMF said on Tuesday (June 4), to help it respond to a severe drought.

:: Lusaka, Zambia

The copper-rich country is close to emerging from a debt-restructuring process that has been beset by delays.

3. Nearly 50 deals and agreements were signed during South Korea's first summit with the leaders from 48 African countries, South Korea's industry ministry said on Wednesday (June 5).

:: Seoul, South Korea

Those agreements included cooperation on critical minerals with Madagascar and Tanzania and a contract to supply electric transformers to Mozambique.

4. Ivory Coast's gold output hit a record high in 2023 helped by the opening of new mines, its mines minister said on Thursday (June 6).

:: Kibali gold mine, DRC

The world's top cocoa producer, where miners like Barrick Gold, Endeavour and Perseus operate, is seeking to develop its long-neglected mining sector to diversify its sources of income.

5. And finally, nuclear businesses Russia's Rostatom and France's Orano have denied reports that they've held talks over a potential deal regarding Orano's uranium assets in Niger.

:: Arlit, Niger

:: File

The West African country has the continent's highest-grade uranium ores and is the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium.

Orano has continued operations there despite a military coup last year.