Angola's migrant businesses; Togo redesigns Lome port and Kenya's cafe culture

In this week’s edition we examine the increasing economic difficulties faced by migrant business owners in Angola; Togo’s tries to boost its fortunes by rebuilding Lome port and Kenya’s growing coffee shop culture.

Angola’s disappearing El dorado

Angola has been in the headlines this week after the controversial decision of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to put his daughter Isabel in charge of the state’s oil firm. The move is meant to shake-up the firm, improve its efficiency and margins to offset the “huge” impact of depressed oil prices.

The slump has hit the economy hard, and forced the country to borrow from the IMF; although the government says it’s optimistic about a positive, rapid rebound; many small business owners believe Angola’s boom is over as they continue to struggle to make ends meet. Ruth Lago and Elvis Boh report.

Revamp for Togo’s Lome port

If you build it, they will come. That’s an often misquoted line from Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams which nonetheless accurately sums up Togo’s ambitions for its port in the capital Lome. Elvis Boh and Ruth Lago report on a massive reconstruction and redevelopment project that’s expected to cost just over half a billion US dollars.

Kenya’s black gold

Now, if top kitchens have top chefs, what do you call a connoisseur of coffee? A barista is the answer if that person is preparing your espresso. That’s something more and more people are asking for in Kenya, which not only boasts having Africa’s best barista – it’s also experiencing an explosion in its gourmet coffee shop culture as Elayne Wangalwa and Jean-David Mihamle find out.