African cinema in the spotlight [Business Africa]

African cinema has revolutionised the world's view of Africa and Africans as a whole. In recent years, the African film industry has gained in popularity, with works produced on the continent making their mark at international festivals.

African film production has grown rapidly in recent years. The case of "Nollywood" is the most emblematic. But for most of the continent, the sector's economic potential remains largely untapped. This can be explained by a lack of infrastructure, a socio-political climate and an unstable economic situation. According to UNESCO, Africa is the continent most poorly served in terms of cinemas.

Nigerian producer Seyi Babatope is this week's guest on Business Africa. He has produced films such as When Love Happens, Bad Boys and Bridesmaids and Sanitation Day.

DRC: on the trail of "clean" gold

The mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are rich in gold, which for years has been smuggled into neighbouring countries along with other precious minerals.

According to experts, this illicit trade has long fuelled the dozens of armed groups that have plagued the region for decades.

Last January, the Congolese government and the United Arab Emirates launched a joint venture, Primera Gold, which buys gold extracted by artisanal miners in South Kivu province and sells it legally and openly.

"Primera is simply the armed arm of the Congolese state to ensure that efforts are made to integrate the gold into the official circuit", explains Primera Gold's Deputy Managing Director, Benjamin Bisimwa.

A mega-refinery to revive Nigeria's oil industry

Africa's largest oil refinery has opened in Lagos, and the authorities hope it will help the energy-rich country achieve self-sufficiency and become a net exporter of refined petroleum products.

The $19 billion facility built by Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, is one of the largest oil refineries in the world and has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

The new refinery "will enable us not only to meet the demand in our country, but also to become a key player in the African and global market", said Aliko Dangote.

Some analysts have suggested that this would be a game-changer for Nigeria's oil and gas sector, which has been struggling for many years, while others believe that its capacity could be limited by oil theft.

Most of Nigeria's state-owned refineries are poorly maintained and operating well below capacity. The West African country has to import refined petroleum products for its own use, despite being Africa's largest oil producer.