Thursday, September 18, 2014

Global Pacific & Partners Hosts the 21st Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, South Africa



CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Join industry colleagues for the most prominent annual Conference held inAfrica's oil and gas-LNG and energy industry. Since 1994 this event remains the widely recognised for forging and enhancing relationships between both companies and governments.




Meet with state oil officials plus private and public companies seeking to execute acreage deals, along with institutional investors and a wide range of growing service and supply industry operators found across the oil and gas-LNG value chain


Hear from: Ministry of Minas, Industria y Energia, Equatorial Guinea, Empresa de Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos de Mocambique, Ministry of Mines & Energy, Namibia, Ministere du Petrole de L'Energie et des Mines, Mauritania, Ministry of Mines, Ethiopia, Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, Ministry of Energy, Kenya, Petroleum Exploration & Production Department, Uganda, Ministry of Petroleum & Mining, South Sudan, Department of Petroleum Resources, Nigeria, Ministere des Hydrocarbures, DRC, Geological Survey Department, Malawi, Ministry of Hydrocarbons, Madagascar, Ecopetrol, Ministry of Hydrocarbons, Congo, National Petroleum Agency,Sao Tome & Principe, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (Nigeria), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation, Ghana Oil and Gas Service Providers,  ONGC-Videsh, PetroSA, JOGMEC, PetroSeychelles, Government ofCanada, ONHYM, South African Oil & Gas Alliance, Agence de Gestion et de Cooperation Entre laGuinea-Bissau et le Senegal, Gabon Oil Company, Petroleum Agency SA, Total, Tullow Oil, Chevron, ENI, Oando Energy Services, Addax Petroleum, Anadarko, CNOOC Africa, Atlantic Energy, ExxonMobil, Africa Oil Kenya, Genel Energy, Global Pacific & Partners, Salama Fikira, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, Fastnet Oil & Gas, FBN Capital, Africa Oil & Gas, BP plc, OMV, African Petroleum Corporation, BG Group, Mitsubishi, Spectrum,Sasol Petroleum International, Shell, Noble Energy, Ophir Energy, Afren, Pluspetrol, HRT Petroleum, Svenska Petroleum Exploration, Statoil, Petroceltic, Mitsui, Marathon Oil, Impact Oil & Gas Limited, TransGlobe Energy, Discover Exploration, World Bank, CAMAC Energy, PGS, CGG, Schlumberger, Compass Energy Services, Vaalco Energy, Mart Resources, TGS, Galp Energia, Fugro, Petronas, Royal African Society, Cairn India


Numerous executives in the global industry have remarked that the annual Africa Oil Week stands apart as a leading meeting in the global oil-gas calendar.

Opening Guest Speaker is Paolo Scaroni, Deputy Chairman, Rothschild London
Their 16th Scramble for Africa: Strategy Briefing held on the Monday, provides unrivalled insights into the Continent's fast-changing upstream oil and gas game, with presentations by Dr Duncan Clarke (Chairman of the Board, Global Pacific & Partners).
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SOURCE Global Pacific & Partners

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When Rain Falls, Online Video Views Rise - Ooyala

HEADLINE2 Mobile and Tablet Viewership Rises to 27 Percent of All Online Video, Report Investigates How Consumer Viewing Habits Change With the Weather 

http://go.ooyala.com/rs/OOYALA/images/Ooyala-Global-Video-Index-Q2-2014.pdf

Nigeria's Entertainment and Media Revenues Will Reach An Estimated US$8.5bn in 2018 - PwC Report

Increased Internet access expected to generate more consumer spend across the African continent over the next five years: PwC report

-        Nigeria's entertainment and media revenues will reach an estimated US$8.5bn in 2018. One of the fastest growth rates in the world

-       The Internet will be the key driver for Nigeria, where the number of mobile Internet subscribers is forecast to surge from 7.7 million in 2013 to 50.4 million in 2018
- See more at: http://www.nigeriansreport.com/2014/09/nigerias-entertainment-and-media.html#sthash.M69JznG5.dpuf


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Nigeria's Entertainment and Media Revenues Will Reach An Estimated US$8.5bn in 2018 - PwC Report

 Nollywood movie stars.

Top Nigerian singers.



PRESS RELEASE


Increased Internet access expected to generate more consumer spend across the African continent over the next five years: PwC report

-        Nigeria's entertainment and media revenues will reach an estimated US$8.5bn in 2018. One of the fastest growth rates in the world

-       The Internet will be the key driver for Nigeria, where the number of mobile Internet subscribers is forecast to surge from 7.7 million in 2013 to 50.4 million in 2018

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, September 18, 2014/ -- Increased Internet access will generate more consumer spend than any other media product or service in the next five years in the South African entertainment and media industry, according to a report issued by PwC today (http://www.pwc.com). South Africa’s entertainment and media market is expected to grow by 10.2% compounded annually (CAGR) from 2014 – 2018 to a value of R190.4bn. By far the largest segment will be the Internet. Combined revenues from Internet access and Internet advertising will account for an estimated R71.6bn in 2018, accounting for 37.6% of total revenues, according to PwC’s South African Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2014-2018 (‘The Outlook’).


 Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries Leader for PwC South Africa


Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1377 (Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries Leader for PwC South Africa)

Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment & Media Industries Leader for PwC South Africa, says: “Growth in the South African entertainment and media industry is largely being driven by the Internet and by consumers’ love of new technology, in particular mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as applications powered by data analytics and cloud services. Technology is increasingly being driven by consumers’ needs and expectations.”

The fifth edition of PwC’s ‘South African Entertainment and Media Outlook’ presents annual historical data for 2009-2013 and provides annual forecasts for 2014-2018 in 12 entertainment and media segments.

The Outlook includes historical and forecast data on the Internet, television, filmed entertainment, radio, recorded music, consumer magazine publishing, newspaper publishing, consumer and educational book publishing, business-to-business publishing, out-of-home advertising, video games, and sports. It gives a detailed breakdown of these sectors.

The Outlook also includes detailed information for South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya in each of the 12 industry segments.

Aside from the Internet, The Outlook predicts that the fastest growth will be seen in video games and radio, which will enjoy growth rates at 9% and 8.2% respectively. “Video games has made the greatest transition to digital, largely due to the popularity of mobile gaming, but also because of the  increased potential for digital distribution of console games,” adds Myburgh. The study projects that 27% of console revenues are forecast to be digital in 2018.

The slowest growing segment in the E&M industry will be the music industry, according to the survey. Annual revenue is forecast to grow marginally by a CAGR of 0.5% to remain relatively flat at R2.18bn in 2018.

Television is the second-largest segment, with combined revenues from TV subscriptions and advertising projected to reach R39.6bn in 2018. The study shows that advertising accounted for 38% of revenue in the E&M industry in 2013, although this share is expected to fall to 33% in 2018, largely due to internet access increasing its market share significantly over the same period.

The strongest drivers of growth in the sports segment will come from sponsorships and media rights. South Africa will see total sports revenues of an estimated R20.5bn in 2018, up from R14.8bn, and rising at a CAGR of 6.7%.

End-user spending, consisting of spending by consumers and other end-users on products and services produced by the entertainment and media industry, will rise at 12% CAGR over the next five years from R72.8bn in 2013 to reach an estimated R128.1bn. Although there is a significant change in the way consumers spend their money, digital revenues in other segments remain relatively small. Nevertheless digital is on the rise both in terms of consumers and advertising revenues. The study also shows that revenue in the film industry is expected to grow by a 7.1% CAGR over the next five years to reach R3.4 billion in 2018. Electronic home video is also catching on rapidly in the film segment. Far less digital take-up is being seen in the magazine, newspaper and book segments, with digital revenues for each forecast to be under 7% of the total, even in 2018. Although consumers may be browsing newspapers and magazine-style websites online, monetising these consumers presents much more difficulty for E&M businesses.

Nigeria

Nigeria’s entertainment and media revenues will reach an estimated US$8.5bn in 2018, more than doubling from the 2013 figure of US$4.0bn at a CAGR of 16.1%. This represents one of the fastest growth rates in the world. The Internet will be the key driver for Nigeria, where the number of mobile Internet subscribers is forecast to surge from 7.7 million in 2013 to 50.4 million in 2018.

Television in the form of advertising and subscriptions and licence fees, will also become a US$1 billion-plus market in 2018, while the market will grow steadily.

Nollywood generated revenues of N1.72 trillion in 2013.

Kenya

Kenya recorded US$1.7bn in entertainment and media revenues in 2013, and this is forecast to rise to US$3.1bn in 2018. Once again, it is Internet access that is driving growth Television and radio will account for combined US$1 billion-plus of revenues at the end of the forecast period.

PwC Africa Connectivity Index

The objective of the PwC Country Connectivity Index is to measure the state of connectivity for all markets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a population of over 10 million. The findings presented in the Index highlights those markets that offer the greatest potential for the future consumption of entertainment and media services because of their relative maturity in terms of connectivity.

As the most mature of Africa’s markets, it should be no surprise that South Africa tops the Index as it offers significant potential as a strong entertainment and media market. Although South Africa scores highly (83%) across current connectivity and quality of connectivity, there is still room for improvement. Mobile broadband services are still expensive for consumers with almost 0.5% of a South African consumer’s average GDP per capita going towards mobile broadband services.

Kenya (75%) also performs well in the rankings with the continued rise in its international bandwidth usages.

Although broadband penetration may be high – as in the case of Nigeria- this does not necessarily mean that a country scores highly. At 0.6% of the average GDP per capita in Nigeria, the cost of mobile broadband services is too high.

The next wave of growth markets in SSA

Highlighted below are three snapshots of SSA markets with a particular focus on their TV and broadband markets and assessment of the scope for growth in their entertainment and media sectors.

Angola

Much of the media in Angola is government-controlled. Deregulating the media is a gradual process and the handful of emerging ‘private’ radio and newspaper operations are mostly bankrolled – so limiting their independence. Among TV households, pay-TV penetration is high at 75%. TV currently comprises 28% of advertising spend, a figures that is likely to drop by two percentage points over the next five years. Angola is comparatively well connected, with about one in ten Angolans able to access the Internet by way of a mobile network and two percent of households also able to access fixed broadband services. However, international bandwidth is still scarce. If the country’s Internet market is to be better penetrated, greater infrastructure investment will be required.

Ghana

A relatively mature TV and Internet infrastructure in Ghana assists in making it a market in which consumers are more receptive to advertising. At the end of 2013, 58% of households had access to a TV set, according to the study. The leading four terrestrial channels comprised 96% of audience time and 12% of TV households were digital. In spite of a decline in 2011, total advertising revenues are now on the rise again with total spend reaching GHS245.6 million (US$73.3 million) in 2012.  Ghana scores well in the Connectivity Index. The Government appears committed to supporting growth plans for broadband services which are relatively affordable compared to other markets in the continent.

Tanzania

As at the end of 2013, 13% of Tanzanian households had access to a TV set, according to independent analyst and consultancy firm Ovum. This number has dropped slightly in the last two years as a result of the state’s decision to proceed with an analogue terrestrial switch-off before the public was ready, leading to many households actually losing their access.

Ovum forecasts another fall in TV adoption in 2015 when national analogue switch-off takes place, but the numbers of those with access to TV will rise again to one in five of the population in 2019.Radio dominates the advertising sector in Tanzania, contributing just over 50% of revenues, with TV accounting for about 30%. Of the three markets covered in our studies, Tanzania ranks highest. The Government has embraced competition and the role of the private sector in improving economic and social development.

Myburgh concludes: “The future may well be digital in South Africa, as with the rest of the world – many of its products and services can already be delivered in digital form. But we believe that progress in the South African E&M market will be gradual and that there are still plenty of opportunities for ‘old’ and ‘traditional’ media yet.”

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).


Contacts

Vicki Myburgh: Entertainment & Media Industries Leader for PwC South Africa
Office: + 27 11 797 4305

OR

Sunet Liebenberg: Senior Manager, PwC
Office: + 27 11 797 5310

OR

Lindiwe Magana: Media Relations Manager, PwC
Office: + 27 11 797 5042

About PwC
PwC (http://www.pwc.com ) firms help organisations and individuals create the value they’re looking for. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 184,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at http://www.pwc.com.

SOURCE 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)



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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Global Billionaires Population Reaches A Record 2,325 with 155 New Billionaires in 2014

Bill Gates and other top billionaires in the world.

Global billionaire population reaches a record 2,325 with the addition of 155 new billionaires in 2014 

Europe is the world leader in terms of billionaire population and billionaire wealth, Asia responsible for 30% of the net increase in global billionaire wealth  

SINGAPORE and ZURICH, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2014, released today, shows that 155 new billionaires were minted this year, pushing the global population to a record 2,325 – a 7% rise from 2013.

The combined wealth of the world's billionaires increased by 12% to US$7.3 trillion, which is higher than the combined market capitalisation of all the companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2014 – the only comprehensive, global study on the composition and dynamics of this top tier of the global ultra high net worth (UHNW) population – shows that Europe, with 775 billionaires, is the region with the most billionaires and billionaire wealth (US$2.37 trillion). North America – the region with the most billionaire wealth in 2013 – was overtaken by Europe in terms of billionaire wealth in this year's census.

Asia, however, boasted the largest billionaire wealth increase, with the region's billionaires' fortunes growing by 18.7% over the past year. The region is responsible for 30% of the net increase in global billionaire wealth in 2014. Asia's billionaire population grew by 10% in 2014, with 52 new entrants into the billionaire club – 33 are from China.

 
 Billionaire Alhaji Aliko Dangote,  the richest man in Africa on the cover of Forbes.

 
President Goodluck Jonathan honoring Nigerian billionaire, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jr.

 
 Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola and President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.

The United States maintains its position as the world's top billionaire country with a population of 571 billionaires in 2014, followed by China (190) and the United Kingdom (130), which took the third spot from Germany (123) on the Top 40 Billionaire Countries/Territories list.

Below are other key findings from the Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2014:
  • Europe is home to more than a third of the world's billionaire population.
  • Latin America and the Caribbean is the region that saw the most significant growth in terms of the size of its billionaire population (37.8%) in 2014, but Asia saw the fastest growth in billionaire wealth (18.7%).
  • The billionaire population in the Middle East shrank by 1.9%, but total billionaire wealth in the region rose by 16.7%.
  • The size of Africa's billionaire population decreased by 4.8%, but the region's billionaire wealth increased by 12.9%.
  • There was no change in the billionaire population in the Pacific (34 billionaires), but the region's total billionaire wealth dropped by 2%.
  • Nearly 35% of the world's billionaires are concentrated in 20 cities. Billionaires are transnational. They move from city to city, rather than from country to country.
  • Only 5% of the world's billionaires are worth more than US$10 billion.
  • The average billionaire's wealth rose by 4.4% this year to just over US$3.1 billion.
  • The average age of the typical billionaire is 63, one year older than it was in 2013.
  • There are 2,039 male billionaires in 2014, accounting for 87.7% of the world's total billionaire wealth of US$7.3 trillion.
  • There are 286 female billionaires in 2014, accounting for a 12.3% share of global billionaire wealth.
The census – which looks at the global billionaire population from July 2013 to June 2014 – examines this top-tier wealth segment by geographical location, gender, sources of wealth and personal traits.
"Wealth-X is pleased to partner with UBS for a second consecutive year to produce the Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census," Wealth-X CEO Mykolas Rambus said. "Expert commentary from UBS complements Wealth-X's global intelligence on the world's billionaire population, producing a report that demonstrates a true collaboration between the global leader in wealth management and the world's leading UHNW intelligence provider."

"UBS has served some of the world's most successful families for more than 150 years and, today, more than half of the world's billionaires are clients.

"The second Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census is the most comprehensive study of its kind and provides unparalleled insights into this sophisticated and global client segment. Its findings, for example, that billionaires increased their liquid holdings last year and that entrepreneurialism is key to their wealth, correspond with the feedback from discussions with our clients," said Simon Smiles, CIO for UHNW, UBS Wealth Management.

Download the report at www.billionairecensus.com

About Wealth-
XWealth-X is the definitive source of intelligence on the ultra wealthy with the world's largest collection of curated research on ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals, defined as those with assets of US$30 million and above. The firm's Wealth-X Professional solution is the standard for banking, luxury marketing and not-for-profit professionals working with the ultra affluent. Headquartered in Singapore, Wealth-X has 13 offices across five continents. (www.wealthx.com)

About UBS
UBS draws on its 150-year heritage to serve private, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland. Its business strategy is centered on its pre-eminent global wealth management businesses and its leading universal bank in Switzerland, complemented by its Global Asset Management business and its Investment Bank, with a focus on capital efficiency and businesses that offer a superior structural growth and profitability outlook.
© UBS 2014. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners.

All rights reserved.
SOURCE Wealth-X
CONTACT: Wealth-X media - Fauzi Ahmad, +65 8653 6514, fahmad@wealthx.com; or UBS media - Julie Yeo, +65 6495 5332, julie.yeo@ubs.com, or Adeline Lee, +65 6495 8632, adeline.lee@ubs.com
RELATED LINKS
http://www.wealthx.com



 
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1 Million Children Die on their First Day of Life - UNICEF


Despite dramatic progress on child survival, 1 million children die during their first day of life from mostly preventable causes


NEW YORK, 16 September 2014 / PRN Africa / -- Child survival rates have increased dramatically since 1990, during which time the absolute number of under-five deaths has been slashed in half from 12.7 million to 6.3 million, according to a report released today by UNICEF.

The 2014 Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed progress report, indicates that the first 28 days of a newborn's life are the most vulnerable with almost 2.8 million babies dying each year during this period. One million of them don't even live to see their second day of life.

Many of these deaths could be easily prevented with simple, cost-effective interventions before, during and immediately after birth.

Analysis points to failures in the health system during the critical time around delivery as a significant contributing factor to these unnecessary deaths. It also shows that there is considerable variation – from country to country and between rich and poor – in the take-up and quality of health services available to pregnant women and their babies.

Key findings in this study include:
· Around half of all women do not receive the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits during their pregnancy. 

· Complications during labour and delivery are responsible for around one quarter of all neonatal deaths worldwide. In 2012, 1 in 3 babies (approximately 44 million) entered the world without adequate medical support. 

· Evidence shows that initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth reduces the risk of neonatal death by 44 per cent, yet less than half of all newborns worldwide receive the benefits of immediate breastfeeding.
· Quality of care is grossly lacking even for mothers and babies who have contact with the health system. A UNICEF analysis of 10 high mortality countries indicates that less than 10 percent of babies delivered by a skilled birth attendant went on to receive the seven required post-natal interventions, including early initiation of breastfeeding. Similarly, less than 10 per cent of mothers who saw a health worker during pregnancy received a core set of eight prenatal interventions. 

· Those countries with some of the highest number of neonatal deaths also have a low coverage of postnatal care for mothers. Ethiopia (84,000 deaths; 7 per cent coverage); Bangladesh (77,000; 27 per cent); Nigeria (262,000; 38 per cent); Kenya (40,000; 42 per cent). 

· Babies born to mothers under the age of 20 and over the age of 40 have higher mortality rates.
Additionally, the report shows that the education level and age of the mother has a significant bearing on the chances of her baby's survival. Neonatal mortality rates among mothers with no education are nearly twice as high for those with secondary schooling and above. 

“The data clearly demonstrate that an infant's chances of survival increase dramatically when their mother has sustained access to quality health care during pregnancy and delivery,” said Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. “We need to make sure that these services, where they exist, are fully utilised and that every contact between a mother and her health worker really counts. Special efforts must also be made to ensure that the most vulnerable are reached.”

Inequality, particularly in health care access, remains high in the least developed countries: women from the richest households are almost three times as likely as those from the poorest to deliver their baby with a skilled birth attendant. Despite this, the report suggests that the equity gap in under-5 child mortality is steadily reducing. In every region, except sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of under-five mortality among the poorest sections of society is declining faster than in the richest. More significantly, worldwide, the poor are registering greater absolute gains in child survival than their wealthier compatriots.

“It is deeply heartening that the equity gap in child survival is continuing to narrow,” said Rao Gupta. “We need to harness this momentum and use it to drive forward programmes that focus resources on the poorest and marginalised households; a strategy which has the potential to save the largest number of children's lives.”
SOURCE United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund(UNTCEF)

 
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