The insurance needs of lower income earners on the African continent have largely been neglected due to the difficult economic environment which battered global economies since 2008.

Production of iron ore fell in 2009 for the first time in seven years, but trade in this raw material, driven by demand from China, nevertheless increased last year, The Iron Ore Market 2009-2011 reports.

Coffee producers in Africa accounted for about 12 per cent of global supply and less than 11 per cent of global exports of the product for the 2009/10 season.

Ithuba Agriculture, which was established as an income and employment generator for a community trust in the Kranskop area of KwaZulu-Natal, has made very good progress since its establishment in 2005.

Sustainability reporting and making information on an organisation's sustainability practices and measures available is incredibly onerous and time-consuming, but needn't be, says Lorraine Gevrey, EMEA Business Development for SAP Sustainability.