Cameroon: Extinction Threatens Existing Seaport - Economic activity has slumped in the existing Kribi port and workers survive thanks to the Douala seaport. [AA Construction]

Cameroon: Kribi Deep Seaport - Construction Begins Next Year - Negotiations are ongoing with private companies short-listed to execute the project. [AA Construction]

Namibia: South Koreans Interested in Ports - A SOUTH Korean business delegation visiting Namibia last week for four days indicated their interest in Walvis Bay's port facilities. [AA Urbanisation]

Kenya: Country Builds U.S.$200 Million New Cargo Terminal - Kenya is to construct a $200m container terminal at Mombasa. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Work Begins on Lokoja Port - Construction work on the N2.3 billion Lokoja port project has taken off, two years after the contract was awarded. [AA Construction]

Nigeria: Congestion Reduces as FG Set to Build Five New Ports - Normalcy is gradually returning to the Lagos ports as the monstrous congestion that bedevilled the ports over the past seven months has gone down considerably. [AA Construction]

By Neo Semono

Johannesburg - State owned utility Transnet has signed a R4 billion loan agreement with the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) to fund the widening and deepening of the Durban harbour.

Speaking after the signing of the agreement on Thursday, acting Transnet Chief Executive Officer Chris Wells said the project is primarily intended to enable the port to accommodate larger vessels and benefit Japanese companies.

"The nature of the loan is that it will be supportive of Japanese projects in South Africa," said Mr Wells.

He thanked the JBIC for its confidence in the company as well as the country.

Loaning the money is in line with JBIC mandates, according to its finance department head, Toshiro Machii.

The bank has a mandate to secure natural resources for Japan, promote Japanese business abroad to enhance international competition and provide assistance to respond to the financial crisis.

JBIC has leveraged 40 percent participation of other Japanese financial institutions including the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in the loan.

Uganda: Tororo Port Construction Begins - Construction of the controversial Tororo Inland Port has started. Great Lakes CFS, a Kenyan firm, is doing the work, a trade ministry official said while responding to reports that some firms were protesting the award of the contract. [AA Construction]

Cameroon: Kribi Deep Seaport - Construction Plan to be Revised - This is one of the key issues discussed Last Friday in Kribi by the Steering Committee. The Kribi Deep Seaport multibillion project is readjusting in order to adapt to new circumstances. This was one of the major issues discussed last Friday in Kribi by members of the project steering committee. [AA Construction]

By Proffesor Ndawonde

Pietermaritzburg – The construction of a small craft harbour at Durban’s Point Waterfront is expected to attract investment capital in excess of R6 billion to the province.

Delivering his 2009 State of the Province Address on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said the small craft harbour will further create 6 000 to 8 000 direct new jobs during the construction phase, with a further 6 000 permanent jobs once fully operational.

“This excludes the thousands of indirect jobs created as a result of an investment project of this scale.”

He added that once completed, it was anticipated the entire development would increase the rates base of eThekwini by more than R100 million per annum.

The entire development will comprise approximately 575 000 of bulk square metres, across a variety of usage types including office, residential, retail and hotels, the premier said.

At present, about 200 000 bulk square metres of this has been sold, representing virtually the entire stock of zoned land available prior to the Record of Decision by the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.