The ambitious projects of Macao businessman David Chow Kam Fai in Cabo Verde are facing new hurdles in the form of an examination by its central bank. It may not grant him permission to open a new bank there. So Chow is exploring investment opportunities in Mozambique instead.

While the Brazilian economy struggles to get back on track after an extremely difficult decade, its hydrocarbon wealth continues to attract international interest. State owned Petrobras dominates the upstream and refining sectors but has been forced to sanction foreign investment because of its own financial difficulties. At the same time, Brazil’s engineering giants have been blocked from bidding for some contracts, providing opportunities that may previously have been closed off.

On October 23, China’s President Xi Jinping will open the Hong Kong-Macao-Zhuhai bridge, the first land link between the SAR and the west bank of the Pearl River.

A giant Sino-Mozambican port project has a new local partner, the Muyaque Group, linked to one of the country’s most important families.

The government of Angola has announced that it will finally join the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free trade zone next year.

Angola has introduced new legislation to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade with neighbouring countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo or Namibia, in agricultural and industrial goods.

Because of its tight financial situation, the Angolan government has decided on partial privatisation of three major railway routes.

Asia’s newest country stands at the economic crossroads. The development of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas project looks more likely to proceed than at any time for a decade but is still not guaranteed. In the meantime, existing gas fields are being run down, while the government has few long term options to generate more income and could easily be toppled by political infighting.

The northern Mozambican district of Montepuez has one of the highest-grade graphite deposits in the world. These deposits are being explored. Next year three major projects will increase production, all with major exporting contracts to China. For the government, this will mean a new inflow of much needed royalty fees.

The MPLA, the ruling party of Angola, has a new leadership structure. It includes a few unexpected choices of businessmen with links to key economic sectors - while other key political figures with important business links have lost status inside the party.