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Commodity traders

Central African Republic
Tender for control of timber exports fuels intrigue

Since SGS announced its departure, several companies have been lining up to take its place, including a new firm whose alleged links with the former head of the Swiss multinational's CAR subsidiary have been causing a stir.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Business 25.07.2025

Egypt
Kyiv prepares ban on wheat sales to army

Egypt relies heavily on Ukrainian wheat, especially to make bread. Cairo, 2022. © Roger Anis / Getty Images via AFP

Free access Commodity traders, Diplomacy 25.07.2025

A worker sorts dried vanilla pods in Namakwanda, Uganda, August 2022. © Badru Katumba / AFP

Madagascar, Uganda
Kampala poses challenge to Malagasy vanilla dominance

The East African country is positioning itself as a serious competitor to Madagascar, the world's leading producer of the spice.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 25.07.2025

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné (centre) in Dakar, 2 May 2017. © Seyllou/AFP

Spotlight | Senegal
TotalEnergies treads softly in Dakar

The French oil giant is seeking to expand the solid relationships it built in Senegal under former president Macky Sall by forging ties with the administration of the new head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. In this context, CEO Patrick Pouyanné paid a quiet visit to Dakar last April.

Subscribers only Energy, Commodity traders 24.07.2025

Madagascar
Record vanilla exports for Antananarivo

The flipside of the impressive figures, however, is the spectacular fall in the price of the precious pod, which jeopardises Madagascar's entire value chain.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 23.07.2025

Morocco
Mohammed VI's berries whet the appetite of US fruit giant Driscoll's

A mechanical harvestor picking raspberries on a farm in Washington USA, 2015. © David Bacon / Report Digital / REA

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Business Running story - Makhzen Inc. 21.07.2025

Spotlight | Gabon, Namibia, South Africa
Why Gunvor is dismantling Dubai subsidiary responsible for African deals

The Geneva-based trader has dismissed all of the executives at Gunvor Middle East, which oversees oil trading in Africa. The move is aimed at quietly disconnecting an entity that is exempt from certain compliance requirements, something the group strongly denies.

Subscribers only Energy, Commodity traders 16.07.2025

A Gabon-flagged crude oil tanker passes through the Bosphorus in February 2024.

Central African Republic
Russian fuel delivery bogged down by logistical problems

Russia's donation of fuel to Bangui has turned into a proper headache. Between delivery delays, opaque management and tension between ministries, fuel that was supposed to ease the crisis has instead rekindled shortages.

Subscribers only Energy, Commodity traders, Politics 15.07.2025

Madagascar
Verdict for next vanilla season expected mid-August

While the government has already announced a reduction in the number of exporters of the precious pod, those selected must comply with new requirements. Applicants are currently being examined by the industry's watchdogs.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 14.07.2025

Ghana, Ivory Coast
Early Ghanaian cocoa harvest disconcerts Abidjan

Ghana's Cocobod has decided to begin its cocoa harvest on 1 August, two months ahead of schedule. The Ivorian Coffee and Cocoa Council is sticking to its usual practice.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 10.07.2025

In Focus | Morocco
The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

Ten years after Forafric was bought by Franco-Moroccan financier Yariv Elbaz, the group is fighting for survival. Its strategy of investing across the board, combined with opaque management, has plunged the company into debt that has reached alarming levels.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Business 07.07.2025

Photomontage - Illustration: Julien Pacaud

South Africa
The race to sell Shell stations is running out of steam

The major Shell has not yet named a buyer for its network of 600 service stations in South Africa, which went on the market in May 2024.

Subscribers only Energy, Commodity traders 03.07.2025

DRC
Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

The Congolese president, eager to clean up the small-scale cobalt sector, brought together the key stakeholders in mid-June. The goal was to speed up the growth of the Gécamines subsidiary, which is responsible for structuring a market still largely informal.

Subscribers only Mining, Commodity traders, Business 01.07.2025

Egypt
First delivery of French wheat for Egyptian military

European traders Soufflet and Louis Dreyfus are about to dispatch 180,000 tonnes of wheat from French ports, a symbolic victory for the Mostakbal Misr agency, which is struggling to impose its credibility.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 27.06.2025

Cameroon
Yaoundé state oil and gas company launches its controversial storage terminal project

The project for a petroleum product storage terminal in the port of Kribi, piloted by Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures' subsidiary Cstar, is arousing criticism of government leaders who are suspected of playing favourites.

Free access Commodity traders, Politics 26.06.2025

Aerial photo taken on 21 February 2025 shows a view of the Kribi Deep Seaport in Kribi, southern Cameroon.

Kenya
KTDA pushes for reinstatement of Rainforest Alliance certification

The government has suspended all of the American NGO Rainforest Alliance's upcoming audits of Kenyan tea plantations. However, international buyers of tea produced by the country's leading consortium may be put off by the label's absence.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 23.06.2025

Tea farm near Kerugoya, at the foot of Mount Kenya, in 2013.

Ivory Coast
JP Morgan courts the state on commodity risk hedging

The US bank is in talks with the government to offer financial products to hedge against commodities trading risks.

Subscribers only Finance, Commodity traders 23.06.2025

Namibia, South Africa
Behind the failed LPG deal between PetroSA and Namibia's UAG Investments

The South African state-owned company is claiming almost $9.7m from UAG Investments for the delivery of a cargo of liquefied petroleum gas to Namibia in 2023.

Subscribers only Energy, Commodity traders 17.06.2025

South Africa
CMA CGM's new plans for South Africa

Maritime transport giant CMA CGM is planning to expand its activities in South Africa.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Commodity traders 16.06.2025

Cameroon
EU plans to set up new forestry agreement

The European Union is working on a new forestry agreement with Cameroon to replace the current text in force, which is struggling to make a mark.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Diplomacy 16.06.2025

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Morocco
The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

DRC
Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Commodity traders

Central African Republic
Tender for control of timber exports fuels intrigue

Egypt
Kyiv prepares ban on wheat sales to army

Madagascar, Uganda
Kampala poses challenge to Malagasy vanilla dominance

Spotlight | Senegal
TotalEnergies treads softly in Dakar

Madagascar
Record vanilla exports for Antananarivo

Morocco
Mohammed VI's berries whet the appetite of US fruit giant Driscoll's

Spotlight | Gabon, Namibia, South Africa
Why Gunvor is dismantling Dubai subsidiary responsible for African deals

Central African Republic
Russian fuel delivery bogged down by logistical problems

Madagascar
Verdict for next vanilla season expected mid-August

Ghana, Ivory Coast
Early Ghanaian cocoa harvest disconcerts Abidjan

In Focus | Morocco
The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

South Africa
The race to sell Shell stations is running out of steam

DRC
Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

Egypt
First delivery of French wheat for Egyptian military

Cameroon
Yaoundé state oil and gas company launches its controversial storage terminal project

Kenya
KTDA pushes for reinstatement of Rainforest Alliance certification

Ivory Coast
JP Morgan courts the state on commodity risk hedging

Namibia, South Africa
Behind the failed LPG deal between PetroSA and Namibia's UAG Investments

South Africa
CMA CGM's new plans for South Africa

Cameroon
EU plans to set up new forestry agreement

The weekly summary

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Indigo Publications' websites

Morocco The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

DRC Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Makhzen Inc. or the ever more prosperous business empire of Mohammed VI's entourage

West African cocoa cartel battles with the traders

Cabo Delgado: a gas Eldorado and security nightmare

Cyril Ramaphosa

TotalEnergies

Rio Tinto

Mohammed VI

Alassane Ouattara

Commodity traders

Central African Republic Tender for control of timber exports fuels intrigue

Egypt Kyiv prepares ban on wheat sales to army

Madagascar, Uganda Kampala poses challenge to Malagasy vanilla dominance

Spotlight | Senegal TotalEnergies treads softly in Dakar

Madagascar Record vanilla exports for Antananarivo

Morocco Mohammed VI's berries whet the appetite of US fruit giant Driscoll's

Spotlight | Gabon, Namibia, South Africa Why Gunvor is dismantling Dubai subsidiary responsible for African deals

Central African Republic Russian fuel delivery bogged down by logistical problems

Madagascar Verdict for next vanilla season expected mid-August

Ghana, Ivory Coast Early Ghanaian cocoa harvest disconcerts Abidjan

In Focus | Morocco The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

South Africa The race to sell Shell stations is running out of steam

DRC Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

Egypt First delivery of French wheat for Egyptian military

Cameroon Yaoundé state oil and gas company launches its controversial storage terminal project

Kenya KTDA pushes for reinstatement of Rainforest Alliance certification

Ivory Coast JP Morgan courts the state on commodity risk hedging

Namibia, South Africa Behind the failed LPG deal between PetroSA and Namibia's UAG Investments

South Africa CMA CGM's new plans for South Africa

Cameroon EU plans to set up new forestry agreement

The weekly summary

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Morocco
The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

DRC
Washington deal: intricacies behind Tshisekedi's poker move

Central African Republic
Tender for control of timber exports fuels intrigue

Egypt
Kyiv prepares ban on wheat sales to army

Madagascar, Uganda
Kampala poses challenge to Malagasy vanilla dominance

Spotlight | Senegal
TotalEnergies treads softly in Dakar

Madagascar
Record vanilla exports for Antananarivo

Morocco
Mohammed VI's berries whet the appetite of US fruit giant Driscoll's

Spotlight | Gabon, Namibia, South Africa
Why Gunvor is dismantling Dubai subsidiary responsible for African deals

Central African Republic
Russian fuel delivery bogged down by logistical problems

Madagascar
Verdict for next vanilla season expected mid-August

Ghana, Ivory Coast
Early Ghanaian cocoa harvest disconcerts Abidjan

In Focus | Morocco
The incessant fall of flour milling company Forafric

South Africa
The race to sell Shell stations is running out of steam

DRC
Tshisekedi seeks to strengthen Entreprise Générale du Cobalt's monopoly

Egypt
First delivery of French wheat for Egyptian military

Cameroon
Yaoundé state oil and gas company launches its controversial storage terminal project

Kenya
KTDA pushes for reinstatement of Rainforest Alliance certification

Ivory Coast
JP Morgan courts the state on commodity risk hedging

Namibia, South Africa
Behind the failed LPG deal between PetroSA and Namibia's UAG Investments

South Africa
CMA CGM's new plans for South Africa

Cameroon
EU plans to set up new forestry agreement