Author

Brian Benza
  • FNBB pans for gold in customer data

    So close to being creepy as to be mistaken as a threat. But these were just the words of First National Bank Botswana’s outgoing CEO, Lorato Boakgomo-Ntakhwana when announcing the bank’s new strategy of peering so obviously into their...

  • Pula hits 7-month low against dollar

    This week the pula lost ground against most major international currencies in the past twelve months, with the exception of the rand. On Tuesday, the pula weakened to P9.02 to a dollar from trading around P8.8 for the past few weeks. According to...

  • Shumba wins coal licences auction

    The company, listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) is also currently developing the Sechaba power project near Morupule. It is the second company to win coal licences rights through a tender since the auctions were introduced by government last...

  • Modest decline in big banks� dominance

    There are 13 licenced commercial banks in the country, up from just six entities nine years ago. As at the end of 2013, the big four banks kept a tight leash on their dominance holding over 80 percent of the industry’s assets, deposits, loans...

  • BPOPF yields to pensioners soften

    The declared weaker interest is however still the second highest paid to its membership, which now stand at 152,000, since the 2007 peak of 33 percent. Briefing the media in Gaborone yesterday on the Fund’s performance for the 2013/14...

  • Banks profitability plunging

    While most banks profitability was largely lukewarm in the year, a 29 percent drop in profit before tax at Barclays pulled down the whole industry’s profitability ratios in the year   According to the Bank of Botswana Annual Banking...

  • Barclays seeks P2bn on bond market

    The bond comes ahead of the bank’s release of the half-year financial results to June 2014. The results are expected to be more than ten percent lower than the corresponding period last year in which Barclays profit after tax fell 18 percent to...

  • Sese power project get EIA nod

    In a statement released yesterday, the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed company said that the EIA for the first 300 MW integrated power project at Sese would be valid for project initiation within five years. The approved EIA covers a...

  • Work ethic curtails competitiveness again

    The global competitiveness report 2014-15 released yesterday shows that Botswana remained unchanged at 74th place out of 144 countries.  In Africa, Botswana came out the fourth most competitive economy after Mauritius (39) South Africa (56) and...

  • BBS demutualisation passes first hurdle

    Through demutualisation, BBS will convert into a shareholder owned company allowing the organisation to apply for a commercial banking licence. At a special general meeting held last Friday, BBS shareholders unanimously passed resolutions allowing...

  • FNBB takes banking to social media

    Speaking at a media briefing to announce the bank’s full year results to June 2014, Director of Wealth, Bongani Khulu announced that FNBB has taken to Facebook and Twitter to provide service to its customers in real time. “  As the...

  • Thailand firm acquires Gaborone Sun

    The global gaming and leisure company, which is looking to reduce its exposure to some African assets, has teamed up with Thailand-listed leisure conglomerate Minor International (MINT) in a R661million (P528 million) deal. The deal allows the South...

  • EU trade deal key to FDI attraction

    The EPA, signed after years of intense negotiations, gives products manufactured in Botswana and six other SADC countries duty and quota free access to the highly lucrative 28 member market. Speaking at a media ceremony held to mark the end of his...

  • Kimberley seeks P83m to reopen Lerala Mine

    The ASX-listed firm, which bought the mine in the central district last year from UK-based Mantle Diamonds, last Friday announced that it would be undertaking a non-renounceable pro-rata rights issue to raise nearly A$10-million (P83...

  • Household credit growth decelerates

    According to a financial statistics report released by the Bank of Botswana (BoB) this week, credit growth by households has eased from as high as 24 percent at the end of 2013 to under 16 percent in May this year. The development is a reversal of...

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