2006年VOA标准英语-US Investment in Africa is on the Rise

By Nathan King
New York, NY
07 November 2006
 
watch South Africa Business Conf 

After years of trailing European investors¹ on the continent, American business is now taking a serious look at African investment opportunities. U.S. trade with the continent now accounts for approaching 20 percent of the total, while the European share is falling.

The world's oil and commodities boom is helping² Africa to experience better economic times. Political instability, war and lack of infrastructure³ are all obstacles for Wall Street, but those attitudes came under challenge last week at a major investment conference in New York.

 
South Africa Business Conference
Some of South Africa's most prominent political and business leaders flew half way around the world to attend the conference in New York.

After 12 years of democracy, South Africa -- Sub Sahara's largest economy -- wants U.S. investment to help fund its biggest infrastructure boom ever. The country will host the 2010 World Cup, and the soccer tournament means billions of dollars in infrastructure projects which need funding from Wall Street and the rest of the world.

Worries over political instability, war and Africa's pandemic of HIV/AIDS have acted as a drag on U.S. investment.

 
James Wolfensohn 
Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, in New York to reassure⁴ potential investors, argues that South Africa is the safest investment on the continent.

"If you are going to invest in the continent, which I think in the medium term is a must for most investors, the place to take a look at how you can do that, where you can do it safely politically and where you can find people of confidence in my experience is significantly South Africa".

Higher commodity prices have helped investors in gold and platinum⁵, and South Africa's successful World Cup bid is providing additional opportunity, according to business leaders like Maria Ramos, the Chief Executive of South Africa's port, rail and pipeline⁶ operator, Transnet.

 
Maria Ramos
"Whether it is in the building of the infrastructure, in the stadia, whether it is in the businesses around it, whether it's in terms of the amount of hotel rooms we're going to need, the jobs that are going to be created, whether it is the tourism industry where the spinoffs, I think, are well beyond 2010"

Foreign direct investment into Africa jumped 78 percent last year to a record $31 billion.  While South Africa received the lion's share of almost six and a half billion, countries like Angola, Botswana and Mozambique also saw large increases and Africa's economy as whole grew five and a half percent in 2005.

The message here from South Africa's business leaders is that South Africa is a gateway⁷ to the rest of the almost-untapped continent.

 
Sibongile Sambo
And it's not just large South African companies that are benefiting.  Africa's young economic pioneers are seeking U.S. capital as well.  Sibongile Sambo manages a startup aviation company, SRS Air. "It would definitely help our company to grow. We need investors in the form of debt or equity⁸ that can fast track the growth in our company."

There is a also a strategic element to U.S. investment in Africa. The Chinese are rapidly moving into the African marketplace.

Oil-rich countries like Angola and Sudan now export more to China than to any other country. With traditional sources of energy in the Middle East unstable⁹ at best, analysts¹⁰ argue that U.S. investment in South Africa may provide more than just monetary¹¹ returns.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

5 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

6 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

7 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

8 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

9 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。